Battle of Actium facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Actium
Part of The Final War of the Roman Republic
The battle of Actium, by Lorenzo A. Castro, 1672.
Date 2 September 31 BC Location Ionian sea, near the Roman colony of Actium, Greece Result Decisive Octavian victory; Mark Antony lost his fleet, and his army deserted in large numbers; Octavian had uncontested control of the sea around Italy and Greece, and became "Augustus Caesar".
Belligerents
Octavian's supporters and forces	Ptolemaic Egypt, Mark Antony's supporters
Commanders and leaders
Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa	Mark Antony
Strength
250 warships, mostly small liburnian vessels and Hexeres with 16,000 Legionary Marines and 3,000 archers.	230 warships, mostly quinqueremes with some larger Deceres, 30/50 Transports and 60 Egyptian warships. 2,000 Archers and 20,000 Legionary Marines.
Casualties and losses
About 2,500 killed	Over 5,000 killed; 200 ships sunk/captured

The Battle of Actium decided the final war of the Roman Republic. It was fought between the forces of Octavian and the combined forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra.

The battle took place on 2 September 31 BC, on the Ionian Sea near the Roman colony of Actium in Greece. Octavian's fleet was commanded by Agrippa, while Antony's fleet was supported by the ships of his lover, Queen Cleopatra of Egypt.

Octavian's victory enabled him to consolidate his power over Rome and its dominions. To that end, he adopted the title of Princeps ("first citizen"). As a result of the victory he was awarded the title of Augustus by the Roman Senate.

As Augustus, he would keep the trappings of a restored Republican leader. However, historians view this as the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire.

Images for kids

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  A reconstructed statue of Augustus as a younger Octavian, dated c. 30 BC

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  A Roman bust of the consul and triumvir Mark Antony, Vatican Museums

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  Ballistae on a Roman ship

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  Plan of the battle by Jean Baptiste Bourguignon d'Anville, Paris, 1734

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  A (restructured) Roman statue of Cleopatra wearing a diadem and 'melon' hairstyle similar to coinage portraits, marble, found near the Tomba di Nerone, Rome along the Via Cassia, Museo Pio-Clementino

See also

In Spanish: Batalla de Accio para niños