As a personal challenge to Octavian's prestige, Antony tried to get Caesarion accepted as a true heir of Julius Caesar, even though the legacy did not mention him at all.

Octavian's ships were generally smaller, but more manageable in the heavy surf, capable of reversing their course on short notice and returning to the charge or, after pouring in a volley of darts on some huge adversary, able to retreat out of shot with speed.

" The importance of the patrician Claudii to Octavian's cause, and the political survival of the Claudii Nerones are probably more rational explanations for the tempestuous union.

The poem opens with an address to the young Octavian, a promise of more poems, an invocation of Apollo, and a prayer for Octavian's success.

Octavian's base of power was his link with Caesar through adoption, which granted him much-needed popularity and loyalty of the legions.

Octavian's base of power was his link with Caesar through adoption, which granted him much-needed popularity and loyalty of the legions.

When he openly left Octavian's sister, Octavia Minor, and moved to Alexandria to become Cleopatra's official partner, he led many Roman politicians to believe that he was trying to become the unchecked ruler of Egypt and of other eastern kingdoms, while still maintaining his command over the many Roman legions in the East.

* Sextus Pompey dispatched Menas with four legions and captured Sardinia, driving out Octavian's governor Marcus Lurius.

Consequently, Lepidus cooperated in Octavian's campaign against Pompeius ( son of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus ) but foolishly attempted to seize control of Octavian's victorious legions.

After Octavian's proposals for a conference with Antony had been scornfully rejected, both sides prepared for the final struggle next year.

Unfortunately for Antony, many of his ships were undermanned ; there had been a severe malaria outbreak while they were waiting for Octavian's fleet to arrive.

Antony had hoped to use his biggest ships to drive back Agrippa's wing on the north end of his line, but Octavian's entire fleet, aware of this strategy, stayed out of range.

He had them move out to the north, spreading out Octavian's ships which up until now were tightly arranged.

The Parthian Empire had supported Brutus and Cassius in the civil war, sending forces which fought with them at Philippi ; following Antony and Octavian's victory, the Parthians invaded Roman territory, occupying Syria, advancing into Asia Minor and installing Antigonus as puppet king in Judaea to replace the pro-Roman Hyrcanus.

Finally, he indicates that in Octavian's triumphal march back in Rome, an effigy of Cleopatra that had an asp clinging to it was part of the parade.

While Antony cemented his hold in the East and reformed the provincial administration ( like Sulla's provincial reforms, Caesar's had been quietly ignored after his death ), Octavian tightened his grip on the West and nominally oversaw a campaign against the pirate commander Sextus Pompeius ( the campaign was actually commanded by Octavian's lieutenant, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa ), which culminated in victory in 36 BC.

Despite having married Octavia, Octavian's sister, in 40 BC ( Octavian had married Antony's stepdaughter Clodia Pulchra three years earlier ), Antony openly lived in Alexandria with Cleopatra VII of Egypt, even siring children with her.

Mark Antony had committed suicide prior to Octavian's entry into the capital ; Cleopatra followed his example by committing suicide on August 12, 30 BC.

" The Roman constitution ", he wrote, " was a screen and a sham "; Octavian's supposed restoration of the Republic was a pretence on which he had built a monarchy based on personal relationships and the ambition of Rome's political families.

Iullus married Octavia's daughter and Octavian's niece Claudia Marcella Major and they had three children: two sons Lucius Antonius, Gaius Antonius and a daughter Iulla Antonia.

On the spot where Octavian's own tent had been pitched, he built a monument adorned with the beaks of the captured galleys ; and in further celebration of his victory he instituted the so-called Aktian games in honor of Apollo Aktios.

Beginning with Caesar's assassination in 44 BC and ending with Octavian's victory over Anthony and Cleopatra at Actium in 31 BC, Rome had been engaged in a series of almost constant civil wars.

His half-sister, Clodia Pulchra had been Octavian's first wife, however in 41 BC he divorced Clodia without ever having consummated the marriage and married Scribonia, the mother of Julia the Elder, Octavian's only child.

Octavian's power was further enhanced after his victory against the combined fleets of Mark Antony and Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, in the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, where Antony had assembled 500 ships against Octavian's 400 ships.

During the final confrontation between Octavian and Mark Antony, Octavian's fleet was composed of quinqueremes, together with some " sixes " and many triremes and liburnians, while Antony, who had the resources of Ptolemaic Egypt to draw upon, fielded a fleet also mostly composed of quinqueremes, but with a sizeable complement of heavier warships, ranging from " sixes " to " tens " ( Gk.

Both boys would have been a threat to Octavian's rule when they grew older.

Octavian's fleet was commanded by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, while Antony's fleet was supported by the ships of Queen Cleopatra of Ptolemaic Egypt.

But finding the sea guarded by a squadron of Octavian's ships, he retired to winter at Patrae while his fleet for the most part lay in the Ambracian Gulf, and his land forces encamped near the promontory of Actium, while the opposite side of the narrow strait into the Ambracian Gulf was also protected by a tower and a body of troops.

Octavian's fleet was waiting beyond the straits, led by the experienced admiral Agrippa, commanding from the left wing of the fleet, Lucius Arruntius commanding the centre and Marcus Lurius commanding from the right.

Those that remained left behind, however, were captured or sunk by Octavian's forces.

But by now, Antony was skeptical of Octavian's true support of his Parthian cause.

But his elder son, Marcus Antonius Antyllus, was killed by Octavian's men while pleading for his life in the Caesareum.

Sometime after the publication of the Eclogues ( probably before 37 BC ), Virgil became part of the circle of Maecenas, Octavian's capable agent d ' affaires who sought to counter sympathy for Antony among the leading families by rallying Roman literary figures to Octavian's side.

* Antony alerted by Octavian's presence, sets up camp on the southern shore, at the promontory of Actium.

The first was fought on October 3, 42 BC, in which Brutus defeated Octavian's forces, although Cassius was defeated by Antonius ' forces.

She was briefly outlived by Caesarion, who was declared pharaoh by his supporters, but he was soon killed on Octavian's orders.

Octavian's ally Gaius Maecenas forestalled a conspiracy allegedly organised by Lepidus's son ( 31 BC ).

Premature looting and gathering of treasure by Brutus's advancing forces allowed Octavian's troops to re-form their line.

" During the war, Octavian's soldiers at Perusia used sling bullets inscribed with insults directed at Fulvia personally and Octavian wrote a vulgar epigram directed at her in 40 BC, as recorded by Martial:

Octavian's political position was threatened by the acknowledgement of Caesarion as legitimate and heir to Caesar's name.

AD ) was a Roman architect employed by Octavian's strategist ( and successor ) Agrippa to excavate the subterranean passageways the crypta neapolitana connecting modern-day Naples and Pozzuoli and the Grotta di Cocceio connecting Lake Avernus and Cumae.

Perusia was besieged by Octavian's men by the time Tiberius Nero arrived, and when the town fell in 40 BC, he was forced to flee first to Praeneste, and then Naples.