Cleopatra’s Last Gamble: What Really Happened at Actium

Cleopatra’s Last Gamble: What Really Happened at the Battle of Actium On September 2, 31 BC, sixty Egyptian ships raised their sails in the middle of a stalemate and sailed away from the battle. Was it a betrayal, a panic, or a planned breakout? In this video, we look at the Battle of Actium, the naval clash between Octavian and the forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra, and how it led to the end of Ptolemaic Egypt. In this video: Why Rome declared war on Cleopatra in 32 BC How Agrippa’s blockade starved Antony’s army before the battle began The debate over whether Antony meant to fight or escape What happened to Antony, Cleopatra, and Caesarion afterward How Egypt became a Roman province under Augustus Most of what we know comes from writers who lived under Octavian’s rule, so we also look at what the sources can and can’t tell us. CHAPTERS : 0:00 The ships that sailed away 0:55 Antony, Cleopatra, and Octavian 1:38 The Donations of Alexandria 2:59 The blockade at Ambracia 4:12 Did Antony plan to fight? 5:21 September 2, 31 BC 7:14 The fall of Alexandria Subscribe to Ancient Lore for more stories from the ancient world. #Cleopatra #BattleOfActium #AncientHistory #Documentary