Arvee, and welcome to Emperor's of Rome, a Roman history podcast from Latrobe University.

I'm your host Matt Smith, and with me today is Barry Strauss, a Bryson Edith M. Bowman

professor in humanistic studies at Cornel University, and the author of many best-selling

books including his most recent work, The War that made the Roman Empire, Antony, Cleopatra,

and Octavian at Actium, which brings me to episode C.C.I. Actium.

In 31 BCE, one of the largest naval battles in the ancient world took place, more than 600

ships, almost 200,000 men, and one woman.

The forces of Octavian, Antony, and Cleopatra would square off for control of the Mediterranean,

and ultimately the Roman Empire.

Here's Barry Strauss.

So the Battle of Actium took place on September 2nd, 31 BCE, on the northwestern coast of

what is now Greece.

Some will be familiar with the island of Khorfu, ancient Korsaira, and it's somewhat south

of there.

It took place just outside the entrance to the Gulf of Ambrisha, in the Ionian Sea, along

the coast.

The two sides of the battle, the two main players were Antony and Octavian.

They were the competitors, the rivals for control of the Roman world.

After the death of Julius Caesar and the war against the assassins, the so-called liberators,

Octavian and Antony were the two giants.

There was a triumphant officially, a three-man commission to govern Rome.

The third member of the triumphant was a man named Marcus Lepidus, who never had as much

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