Actium 31 BC: Downfall of Antony and Cleopatra

(Paperback)

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In 32 BC, the Roman Republic descended into civil war between the forces of the Octavian in the west and the famous lovers Cleopatra and Marc Antony in the East. Acting quickly, Octavian managed to trap his foes in the Gulf of Actium. In the ensuing battle, Anthony and Cleopatra manage to escape, but their military forces and their hopes for victory in the war were crushed. Soon afterward, the lovers committed suicide, and Octavian dissolved the republic and declared himself Emperor. Actium has remained one of the most famous battles of the ancient world thanks to Shakespeare and Hollywood. This new book tells the true story of the decisive and bloody battle that would once and for all seal the fate of the Roman Republic.

Reviews

"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." --Scott Van Aken, www.modelingmadness.com (August 2009)

Author Bio

Si Sheppard is a doctoral graduate in American Government and International Relations from Johns Hopkins University. He is a professor of political science and geopolitics at Long Island University, Brooklyn. This is the third volume in a trilogy of titles for Osprey depicting the decline and fall of the Roman Republic.