The sea battle at Actium in 31 BC that pitted the forces of Marc Anthony and Cleopatra against Octavian and Marcus Agrippa is probably the first somewhat 'modern' sea engagement where the maneuvering of ships was something that would be recognizable to admirals up through Lord Nelson. But it was more than just a sea battle, it was pretty much the end of the Roman Republic and the start of the Roman Empire.

When one looks at the politics of the time in Rome, they are as tangled a web of intrigue and power politics as one will ever see through history. A Triumvirate was ruling Rome with the members of that three-some each trying to be the one in total power. The battles fought  wangled it down to two men, Octavian (later Emperor Agustus) and Marc Anthony. Each had powerful allies on their side with Anthony being basically bankrolled by Cleopatra. There is much written about Anthony and Cleopatra and much of it is myth. Anthony was basically interested in her because of the power and wealth she controlled not because he was smitten by love as is often portrayed in popular books and movies.

This book by Si Sheppard covers the campaigns of Octavian and the other two members of the Triumverate that led up to the final battle at Actium. We get a good look at the opposing commanders through the eyes of those who wrote about them during this time and how their armies performed. The rest of the book is on the preface battles on land in Greece that led to the final sea battle at Actium and the results of that battle.

Throughout the book are the illustrations of Christa Hook as well as photographs of artifacts of the time and the actual location of the battle field, so to speak. This all melds together to make a superb book on the subject. One that I found both interesting and entertaining. I'm sure you will as well and I can easily recommend it to you.

August 2009

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