History Shorts: The Battle of Actium (31 B.C.)

After defeating Caesar’s assassins, Octavian and Mark Antony went to war for control of the Roman Republic. The final battle between the two occurred on the Ionian Sea near the city of Actium. Marcus Agrippa led Octavian’s navy against Antony and Cleopatra’s fleet. Agrippa secured a dramatic victory when Cleopatra fled the scene followed by Antony in close pursuit. The pair committed suicide rather than be captured by Octavian. Antony and Cleopatra’s death signaled the end of the civil war and over a century of strife within the Roman Republic. Octavian transformed the republic into an empire by allowing democratic institutions to die. No one seemed to care since he brought stability and peace. For his efforts, the people proclaimed him “Augustus.”

The Battle of Actium from Cleopatra:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55QGKfHOJW4

Antony’s death:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH3fQEwedU8

Cleopatra’s death (from another Cleopatra film):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqGmWjowqEs

Octavian’s Triumph (from HBO’s Rome):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duCYRgqxJvk