Actium, Battle of

The Battle of Actium is the decisive confrontation of the Final War of the Roman Republic.

It is a naval engagement fought between the forces of Octavian and the combined forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII.

The battle takes place on September 2, 31 BCE, on the Ionian Sea near the city of Actium, at the Roman province of Epirus vetus in Greece.

Octavian's fleet is commanded by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, while Antony's fleet is supported by the ships of Queen Cleopatra of Ptolemaic Egypt.Octavian's victory enables him to consolidate his power over Rome and its dominions.

To that end, he adopts the title of Princeps ("first citizen") and some years after the victory is awarded the title of Augustus by the Roman Senate.

This becomes the name by which he is known in later times.

As Augustus, he will retain the trappings of a restored Republican leader; however, historians generally view this consolidation of power and the adoption of these honorifics as the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire.

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