Description

Barry Strauss traces the fight for Rome that led to Actium. Julius Caesar’s murder sets the scene. He died on the Ides of March in 44 BC. His killers then lost at Philippi. Two men now vied for power. One was Marcus Antonius; the other was the young Octavian. Caesar had named Octavian as his heir. Antonius loved Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt. Their love put Octavian’s bid to rule alone at risk. The clash led to a new civil war.

The book follows the huge sea battle at Actium in 31 BC. More than 600 ships took part. So did some 200,000 people, among them Cleopatra. Octavian won the fight. Antonius and Cleopatra later took their own lives. Strauss shows how the result shaped Rome’s future. Octavian took the name Augustus and became Rome’s first emperor. He held full power, though Rome still looked like a republic.

The book asks what might have changed had the other side won. Alexandria might have taken Rome’s place as the capital. Greek might have held sway over Latin. People spoke Greek in the eastern Mediterranean.

This history is for readers drawn to ancient Rome. It also suits those with an interest in war and power. Strauss draws on his knowledge of the ancient world. He uses it to explore the battle and its effects. Ovidiu-Gheorghe Ruţa translated this edition from English.