When did the War of Actium take place?
The War of Actium was fought from 32 to 30 BC, making it the last civil war of the Roman Republic. The decisive naval battle occurred on the 2nd of September, 31 BC, near Actium in Greece.
Questions about War of Actium
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Why did the Roman Senate declare war during the War of Actium?
The Roman Senate declared war on Cleopatra, not directly on Mark Antony. Octavian orchestrated the declaration by exposing Antony's will, which revealed Antony's wish to be buried in Alexandria alongside Cleopatra and his plans to cede Roman territory in the east to her children. Antony's marriage to Cleopatra before divorcing Octavia, and reports of a planned second senate in Alexandria, pushed the senate to act.
What happened at the Battle of Actium?
On the 2nd of September, 31 BC, Antony's fleet of 290 warships engaged Octavian's 350 ships in the strait near Actium. Octavian's admiral Agrippa used smaller, maneuverable Liburnian ships with experienced crews to defeat Antony's larger but poorly crewed vessels. By the end of the day, nearly Antony's entire fleet was destroyed and the couple escaped with only 90 ships.
How did Mark Antony die during the War of Actium?
Mark Antony fell on his sword on the 1st of August, 30 BC, after his forces surrendered to Octavian at Alexandria. The attempt did not immediately kill him; wounded in the abdomen, he was carried to Cleopatra in her mausoleum, where he died.
How did Cleopatra die after the War of Actium?
Cleopatra died after Octavian refused to spare Caesarion's life and informed her she would be paraded in his Roman triumph. According to Strabo, who was alive at the time, she died either from a self-induced bite from a venomous snake or from applying a poisonous ointment to herself.
What was the political result of the War of Actium?
The War of Actium ended the Roman Republic and led directly to the founding of the Roman Empire. Octavian became Rome's first emperor after the senate granted him the title Augustus in 27 BC. The empire he established survived in Western Europe until the 5th century AD and in the east, as the Byzantine Empire, until the fall of Constantinople in AD 1453.