THE BATTLE OF ACTIUM
WHAT WAS THE BACKGROUND TO THIS CONFLICT?
o 33 BC: The breakdown of the second Triumvirate was caused by Antony's treatment of Octavia
- he basically disavowed his and Octavian's marriage alliance by openly recognising Cleopatra as his wife
- war between the two was inevitable
o Octavian had the upper hand in war propoganda because of his station in Rome
- when the inhabitants of Italian towns and cities swore allegiance to Octavian and his descendants and pledged to support him against his private enemies, the provincials of Sicily, Sardinia, Africa, Spain and Gaul followed suit
o 32 BC: Antony's amicii were consuls and they opposed Octavian's demands to read Antony's will
- Antony sent formal notification of his divorce to Octavia
o Octavian ensured that Antony's will (which he got from the Vestal Virgins) was made public which horrified the Romans
- recognition Ptolemy Caesar as the true son of Julius Caesar
- extravagant legacies for Antony and Cleopatra's children
- Antony wanted to be buried in Alexandria which was very improper for a Roman
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE BATTLE OF ACTIUM? (31 BC)
o Antony gathered his forces at Ephesus (incl. one of the greatest fleets ever assembled: Plutarch - 500 ships of which 60 were Egyptian)
- Cleopatra contributed 20,000 talents and vast grain supplies
o Antony ignored his armies pleas of abandonment and accompanied Cleopatra's fleet across to Western Greece
o Octavian crossed the Adriatic with a small force and landed north of Antony in Actium
- here he could prevent Antony from fleeing East
o Agrippa blockaded Antony's fleet in the Bay of Actium and secured several strategic Greek ports which allowed him to cut off Antony's supplies and means of communication
- his troops were weakened by hunger and malaria which led to mass desertion
o It is believed that Cleopatra was so desperate that she was willing to try and break through the blockade with a naval battle and flee as many legions as possible (Cleopatra's squadron 'was suddenly seen to hoist sail and make through the very midst of the battle. They had been stationed astern of the heavy ships, and so threw their whole formation into disorder as they plunged through')
- Antony also escaped and the pair left the rest of the ships to be captured or to surrender to Octavian (Suetonius, Augustus, 17)
WHAT WERE THE RESULTS OF ACTIUM?
1) Octavian hailed as imperator for the sixth time (Horace, 'Rejoice for Victory at Actium', Epode 9)
2) Agrippa was sent to Italy to settle Octavian's and Antony's longest-serving veterans
- began to make insistent demands for their promised payments
- Octavian had to return briefly to give them part payment to see them through until he could gain Egypt's treasure
3) 30 BC: Octavian invaded Egypt, Antony, who had been mutinied against when his army heard of Octavian's arrival in Alexandria, committed suicide
- apparently he thought Cleopatra was already dead (Plutarch, Antony, 76-7) (Cassius Dio, 50.32)
4) Cleopatra, realising that Octavian would never allow her to keep her independent rule over Egypt, also commited suicide
- there are several accounts of this, one being the bite of an asp (Plutrach, Antony, 85-6) (Cassius Dio, 50.32) (Horace, 'Suicide of Cleopatra', Odes 1.37)
- Cleopatra's death ended the 300-year-old Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt
5) Octavian treated most of Antony's Roman supporters and, with the exception of Antony's eldest son by Fulvia and Ptolemy Caesar, most of Cleopatra's children leniently - they were brought up by Octavia as her own
6) Rome annexed Egypt but it was administered to Octavian (and the later Roman emperors) as a private domain as an equestrian prefect
7) The Ptolemy treasury was used by Octavian to pay of campaign expenses, to enhance his triumph and to provide for the adornment of Rome
8) Octavian spent some time establishing authority over the eastern provinces and client kingdoms
- apart from the Donations, most of Antony's arrangements were allowed to remain
WHAT WAS THE BACKGROUND TO THIS CONFLICT?
o 33 BC: The breakdown of the second Triumvirate was caused by Antony's treatment of Octavia
- he basically disavowed his and Octavian's marriage alliance by openly recognising Cleopatra as his wife
- war between the two was inevitable
o Octavian had the upper hand in war propoganda because of his station in Rome
- when the inhabitants of Italian towns and cities swore allegiance to Octavian and his descendants and pledged to support him against his private enemies, the provincials of Sicily, Sardinia, Africa, Spain and Gaul followed suit
o 32 BC: Antony's amicii were consuls and they opposed Octavian's demands to read Antony's will
- Antony sent formal notification of his divorce to Octavia
o Octavian ensured that Antony's will (which he got from the Vestal Virgins) was made public which horrified the Romans
- recognition Ptolemy Caesar as the true son of Julius Caesar
- extravagant legacies for Antony and Cleopatra's children
- Antony wanted to be buried in Alexandria which was very improper for a Roman
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE BATTLE OF ACTIUM? (31 BC)
o Antony gathered his forces at Ephesus (incl. one of the greatest fleets ever assembled: Plutarch - 500 ships of which 60 were Egyptian)
- Cleopatra contributed 20,000 talents and vast grain supplies
o Antony ignored his armies pleas of abandonment and accompanied Cleopatra's fleet across to Western Greece
o Octavian crossed the Adriatic with a small force and landed north of Antony in Actium
- here he could prevent Antony from fleeing East
o Agrippa blockaded Antony's fleet in the Bay of Actium and secured several strategic Greek ports which allowed him to cut off Antony's supplies and means of communication
- his troops were weakened by hunger and malaria which led to mass desertion
o It is believed that Cleopatra was so desperate that she was willing to try and break through the blockade with a naval battle and flee as many legions as possible (Cleopatra's squadron 'was suddenly seen to hoist sail and make through the very midst of the battle. They had been stationed astern of the heavy ships, and so threw their whole formation into disorder as they plunged through')
- Antony also escaped and the pair left the rest of the ships to be captured or to surrender to Octavian (Suetonius, Augustus, 17)
WHAT WERE THE RESULTS OF ACTIUM?
1) Octavian hailed as imperator for the sixth time (Horace, 'Rejoice for Victory at Actium', Epode 9)
2) Agrippa was sent to Italy to settle Octavian's and Antony's longest-serving veterans
- began to make insistent demands for their promised payments
- Octavian had to return briefly to give them part payment to see them through until he could gain Egypt's treasure
3) 30 BC: Octavian invaded Egypt, Antony, who had been mutinied against when his army heard of Octavian's arrival in Alexandria, committed suicide
- apparently he thought Cleopatra was already dead (Plutarch, Antony, 76-7) (Cassius Dio, 50.32)
4) Cleopatra, realising that Octavian would never allow her to keep her independent rule over Egypt, also commited suicide
- there are several accounts of this, one being the bite of an asp (Plutrach, Antony, 85-6) (Cassius Dio, 50.32) (Horace, 'Suicide of Cleopatra', Odes 1.37)
- Cleopatra's death ended the 300-year-old Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt
5) Octavian treated most of Antony's Roman supporters and, with the exception of Antony's eldest son by Fulvia and Ptolemy Caesar, most of Cleopatra's children leniently - they were brought up by Octavia as her own
6) Rome annexed Egypt but it was administered to Octavian (and the later Roman emperors) as a private domain as an equestrian prefect
7) The Ptolemy treasury was used by Octavian to pay of campaign expenses, to enhance his triumph and to provide for the adornment of Rome
8) Octavian spent some time establishing authority over the eastern provinces and client kingdoms
- apart from the Donations, most of Antony's arrangements were allowed to remain
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