IV.ACTIUM. B. C. 31.

Scene VII.Near Actium.Antony’s Camp.

EnterAntony and Canidius.

Ant.Is it not strange, Canidius,That from Tarentum and BrundusiumHe could so quickly cut the Ionian Sea,And taken in Toryne? you have heard on’t, sweet?Cleo.Celerity is never more admiredThan by the negligent.Ant.A good rebuke,Which might have well becomed the best of men,To taunt at slackness. Canidius, weWill fight with him by sea.Cleo.By sea! What else?Canid.Why will my lord do so?Ant.For that he dares us to ’t.Enob.So hath my lord dared him to single fight.Canid.Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia,Where Cæsar fought with Pompey: but these offersWhich serve not for his vantage he shakes off;And so should you.Enob.Your ships are not well mann’d;Your mariners are muleteers, reapers, peopleIngrossed by swift impress; in Cæsar’s fleetAre those that often have ’gainst Pompey fought;Their ships are yare; yours, heavy; no disgraceShall fall you for refusing him at sea,Being prepared for land.Ant.By sea, by sea.Enob.Most worthy sir, you therein throw awayThe absolute soldiership you have by land;Distract your army, which doth most consistOf war-mark’d footmen; leave unexecutedYour own renowned knowledge; quite foregoThe way which promises assurance; andGive up yourself merely to chance and hazard,From firm security.Ant.I’ll fight at sea.Cleo.I have sixty sails, Cæsar none better.Ant.Our overplus of shipping will we burn;And, with the rest full mann’d, from the head of Actium,Beat the approaching Cæsar. But if we fail,We then can do ’t at land.Shakespeare—Antony and Cleopatra.

Ant.

Is it not strange, Canidius,That from Tarentum and BrundusiumHe could so quickly cut the Ionian Sea,And taken in Toryne? you have heard on’t, sweet?

Cleo.

Celerity is never more admiredThan by the negligent.

Ant.

A good rebuke,Which might have well becomed the best of men,To taunt at slackness. Canidius, weWill fight with him by sea.

Cleo.

By sea! What else?

Canid.

Why will my lord do so?

Ant.

For that he dares us to ’t.

Enob.

So hath my lord dared him to single fight.

Canid.

Ay, and to wage this battle at Pharsalia,Where Cæsar fought with Pompey: but these offersWhich serve not for his vantage he shakes off;And so should you.

Enob.

Your ships are not well mann’d;Your mariners are muleteers, reapers, peopleIngrossed by swift impress; in Cæsar’s fleetAre those that often have ’gainst Pompey fought;Their ships are yare; yours, heavy; no disgraceShall fall you for refusing him at sea,Being prepared for land.

Ant.

By sea, by sea.

Enob.

Most worthy sir, you therein throw awayThe absolute soldiership you have by land;Distract your army, which doth most consistOf war-mark’d footmen; leave unexecutedYour own renowned knowledge; quite foregoThe way which promises assurance; andGive up yourself merely to chance and hazard,From firm security.

Ant.

I’ll fight at sea.

Cleo.

I have sixty sails, Cæsar none better.

Ant.

Our overplus of shipping will we burn;And, with the rest full mann’d, from the head of Actium,Beat the approaching Cæsar. But if we fail,We then can do ’t at land.

Shakespeare—Antony and Cleopatra.

Illustrated capital P

Philippi, the decisive battle between Octavius and Brutus and Cassius, took place B. C. 42. Octavius, who afterward assumed the name of Augustus, is very differently described by historians. It is said that he did not fight at Philippi; and he is called a coward by some writers, who declare that he was always sick on critical days. Be that as it may, it seems certain that Antony fought that battle, although Octavius got the credit of success with the Roman public, which soon endowed him with every quality which goes to make the title of “August,” which title he was the first to bear; being the favorite of the citizens, much more by reason of his ancestry, and by the judicious bestowal of offices and of money, than by feats of arms.

After their victory at Philippi, Antony and Octavius divided the empire of the world between them. But the two were devoured by an equal ambition; and, although a common danger had for a time lulled their mutual suspicion and dislike, and forced them to act in unison, harmonybetween them could not long continue. Neither of them wished to share empire, and each was determined that the other, sooner or later, should be forced to renounce power, if not life itself. The repudiation of Octavia the sister of Octavius, by Antony, added increased fuel to the fires of hatred, and we learn from contemporary writers that clear-sighted persons not only foresaw that a death struggle between the two great leaders was only a question of time, but they predicted the result, as Antony, in the midst of feasts and other dissipation, was fast losing that activity of mind and body which had brought him his successes, and had, in former days, gained him the esteem and confidence of Cæsar.

While Antony was placing his laurels and his renown under the feet of an Egyptian queen, the cool and astute Octavius, never losing sight of the end he had in view, turned to his own aggrandizement and elevation, in the estimation of the Roman people, Antony’s disgraceful conduct.

The future Augustus, with the full consent of the Senate, raised fresh legions in Italy, equipped a fleet, and made every preparation for an enterprise upon which was to depend the control of the whole civilized world.

As if Antony had taken pains to furnish his already too powerful rival with the pretexts which should serve as a mask to his ambitious views, the former caused general disgust and indignation at Rome by dismembering the Empire—so to speak—in the interests of Cleopatra, whom he proclaimed Queen of Cyprus, Cilicia, Cœlesyria, Arabia and Judea; while he gave to the two sons whom he had had by her the title of “King of Kings.” This insane defiance of the susceptibility and pride of the Republic was one of the principal causes of Antony’s destruction. People ceased to fear him when they learnedthat he had become habitually intemperate; and they no longer saw in him a redoubtable and successful Roman general, but an Eastern Satrap, plunged in pleasure and debauchery.

Octavius, affecting rather contempt than anger at Antony’s proceedings, declared war against Cleopatra only, and seemed to regard Antony as already deprived of the power and majesty which he had sullied in committing them to the hands of the Egyptian queen.

Octavius could only raise on the Italian peninsula, then exhausted by civil war, 80,000 legionaries, with 12,000 cavalry, and two hundred and fifty ships—a small force to oppose to the five hundred ships and 120,000 men of Antony, without counting the allied troops which his rival was able to bring against him. But, more active and daring than Antony, he had, with astonishing celerity, collected his forces, and crossed the Ionian Sea, while Antony was lingering in Samos, and indulging in all sorts of debasing pleasures, with little thought devoted to preparation for the inevitable and momentous struggle.

At last the imminence of the danger awoke him to the realities surrounding him, and he brought forward his powerful fleet, anchoring it near the promontory of Actium, in Epirus, ready to oppose the advance of Octavius.

His ships were double in number those of the Romans, well armed and equipped, but heavy, and badly manned, so that their manœuvres did not compare in celerity with those of the western fleet.

Although Octavius had fewer ships and fewer men, those which he had were Romans; and he was fighting, ostensibly, to vindicate the wounded pride and honor of his country, which had been trampled under foot by Antony and a stranger queen.

The generals of Antony united in imploring him not to confide his destiny to the uncertainty of winds and waves, but to give battle on shore, where, they answered for it, victory would perch upon their banners. But Antony remained deaf to their supplications, and Cleopatra, who had joined him with seventy Egyptian ships, also preferred to fight a naval battle; it is said, in order that, if her lover was vanquished, she herself could more easily escape.

Boldly searching for Antony, the Roman fleet came in contact with his, near the promontory of Actium.

On opposite shores of the bay partly formed by that promontory lay the two armies, spectators of a conflict which was to decide their fate, but in which they were not to join.

The wind and weather were both favorable, but the two fleets remained for a long time opposite to each other, as if hesitating to begin the struggle, the issue of which was fraught with such momentous consequences.

Antony had confided the command of his left wing to Cœlius; the centre to Marcus Octavius and Marcus Inteius; while he himself, with Valerius Publicola, assumed command of the right wing.

The fleet of Octavius was commanded by Agrippa, to whom all the glory of the victory is due. Octavius and his admiral at first regarded with surprise and uneasiness the immobility of the enemy, who were ensconced in the arm of the sea, which sheet of water contained many shoals and reefs, and therefore, if the enemy remained there, deprived Octavius of the advantage to be derived from the rapidity of manœuvre of his vessels.

BATTLE OF ACTIUM.

But Antony’s officers, eager to show their prowess, proceeded to get their left wing under way, and moved to the attack of Octavius’ right. The latter, taking advantageof this false move, made a retrograde movement, and endeavored to draw out the whole opposing force from their commanding position unto the high sea, where the Romans would have room to manœuvre, and thereby successfully assail Antony’s heavier vessels.

At this moment the scene was grand. The flashing of arms, and glinting of the sun upon polished casques, the streaming flags, and thousands of oars simultaneously put in motion, gave life and animation; while the blare of the brazen trumpets and the shouts of the myriads of combatants were echoed from the shores by the cheers and cries of two large armies, each encouraging its own fleet, and inciting them to the greater exertion.

Cleopatra’s large and magnificent galley hovered in the rear of the fleet, with the purple sails furled, and the poop occupied by herself and her ladies, surrounded by all the splendor of the Egyptian court.

Thinking, as we have said, that Octavius’ fleet fled before them, Antony and his commanders abandoned their advantageous position, and followed Agrippa out to sea.

Once there, the Roman fleet quickly put about, in good order, and a terrible battle at once began—Roman disputing with Roman the empire of the world.

At last an able movement of Agrippa caused Antony’s centre to give way; but despite the disorder which resulted, the action was steadily maintained, the losses on each side being about equal, and victory undecided.

The force of Agrippa made up by celerity of movement for the greater number of Antony’s fleet, and the battle was at its height, when, suddenly, Cleopatra, panic-stricken by the noise and dreadful carnage, gave a signal for retreat, hoisted her purple sails, and, with the whole Egyptian contingent, retreated rapidly, leaving a greatgap in the line of battle. Some were sunk by the beaks of their pursuers, but the majority made their escape, and were soon far from the scene.

This shameful action should have opened Antony’s eyes, and have stimulated him—being even yet superior in numbers—to repair by renewed exertions the defection of the beautiful queen. But his movements seemed to be controlled by her’s, and, forgetting his own honor, his former glory, his empire, and his duty as commander, as a soldier and as a man, he abandoned the brave seamen and soldiers who were fighting for him, and took a fast, light vessel, and followed the woman who had been his ruin, and at whose shrine he was about to offer as a sacrifice the dishonor of Cæsar’s greatest lieutenant.

It is said that for some time he sat upon the deck, his head bowed between his hands, and wrapped in his own thoughts. But he only regained sufficient command of himself to resolve to protect the cause of his ruin. He therefore continued his flight to the promontory of Tenaros; and then soon after learned of the entire defeat of his fleet.

Even after being thus shamefully abandoned by their commander, his troops and sailors had for a long time; maintained the combat; but bad weather coming on they at last surrendered, after a loss of five thousand killed, and having three hundred ships captured, with their crews.

For a long time the land forces of Antony could not believe in his defection, and looked for him to reappear, and, at their head, redeem the fortunes of the sea fight. Indeed, for many days after the victory they declined the overtures of Octavius. But at last, despairing of Antony’s return, their general, with his principal officers and the troops, passed under the banners of Octavius. This event left him the undisputed master of the world.

Upon his return to Rome he was decreed a three days’ triumph, and he now assumed in public the imperial powers which he had long virtually possessed.

The shocking death of both Antony and Cleopatra, by suicide, hardly belongs to the account of Actium, although the direct consequence of the overwhelming defeat there sustained.

THE PTOLEMY PHILOPATER—405 B. C.(Constructed by Ptolemy Philopater, of Egypt, after a Greek Model.)

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