In 31 BC, the naval forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra met their end at the Battle of Actium off the northwestern coast of Roman Greece. Octavian's general Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa commanded the victorious fleet that destroyed the enemy ships. By August 30 BC, the forces of Octavian had defeated Antony and Cleopatra in Alexandria. Following this defeat, both Antony and Cleopatra took their own lives. The conquest of Ptolemaic Egypt relieved the financial debts incurred by Octavian during the civil wars. He controlled Roman Egypt directly and forbade Roman Senators from traveling there. An equestrian governor named Cornelius Gallus was appointed to supervise its administration and enormously lucrative taxation. While in Alexandria in 30 BC, Octavian visited the tomb of Alexander the Great. It is alleged in one ancient source that Octavian accidentally snapped off the nose of the body of Alexander in his tomb. This event marked the end of the Hellenistic period initiated by Alexander.
First Settlement
On the 13th of January 27 BC, Octavian made a show of returning full power to the Senate. He relinquished his control of the Roman provinces and their armies under his consulship. However, the Senate had little power in initiating legislation by introducing bills for senatorial debate. Octavian retained the loyalty of active duty soldiers and veterans alike. His financial power was unrivaled in the Roman Republic. On the 16th of January 27 BC he accepted a ten-year responsibility of overseeing provinces considered chaotic. These provinces included all of Hispania and Gaul, Syria, Cilicia, Cyprus, and Egypt. Command of these provinces provided Octavian with control over the majority of Rome's legions. The Senate still controlled North Africa, an important regional producer of grain, as well as Illyria and Macedonia. The Senate had control of only five or six legions distributed among three senatorial proconsuls compared to the twenty legions under the control of Octavian. Through the Senate, Octavian continued the appearance of a still-functional constitution. Feigning reluctance, he accepted this arrangement that allowed him to govern from Tarraco in Roman Spain from 26 to 24 BC.Second Settlement
By 23 BC, some un-republican implications were becoming apparent concerning the settlement of 27 BC. Augustus resigned from the consulship on the 1st of July 23 BC after suffering a severe illness involving liver problems. He handed his signet ring to his favored general Agrippa but gave official documents to his co-consul Piso. This move surprised many who believed Augustus would have named an heir to his position as an unofficial emperor. The Marcus Primus affair later arose showing the need for the second settlement. In late 24 or early 23 BC, charges were brought against Marcus Primus, the former proconsul of Macedonia, for waging war without prior approval of the Senate. A second problem showed the need for the second settlement when Augustus appeared at the trial even though he had not been called as a witness. Under oath, Augustus declared that he gave no such order. The situation was so serious that Murena disbelieved Augustus's testimony and resented his attempt to subvert the trial. The Senate granted Augustus a form of general proconsular power that applied throughout the empire. Moreover, the Senate augmented Augustus's proconsular imperium into greater proconsular power.