Ac·ti·um

(ăk′shē-əm, -tē-)

A promontory and ancient town of western Greece. In 31 bc it was the site of Octavian's naval victory over Mark Antony and Cleopatra. As a result of the battle, Egypt came under Roman control and Octavian (later Augustus) was established as Rome's ruler.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Actium

(ˈæktɪəm)

(Placename) a town of ancient Greece that overlooked the naval battle in 31 bc at which Octavian's fleet under Agrippa defeated that of Mark Antony and Cleopatra

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

Ac•ti•um

(ˈæk ti əm, -ʃi əm)

n.

a promontory in NW ancient Greece: Antony and Cleopatra were defeated by Octavian and Agrippa in a naval battle near here in 31 B.C.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	Actium - an ancient town on a promontory in western Greece Ellas, Greece, Hellenic Republic - a republic in southeastern Europe on the southern part of the Balkan peninsula; known for grapes and olives and olive oil
	2.	Actium - the naval battle in which Antony and Cleopatra were defeated by Octavian's fleet under Agrippa in 31 BC Ellas, Greece, Hellenic Republic - a republic in southeastern Europe on the southern part of the Balkan peninsula; known for grapes and olives and olive oil

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References in classic literature

A frugal mind cannot defend itself from considerable bitterness when reflecting that at the Battle of Actium (which was fought for no less a stake than the dominion of the world) the fleet of Octavianus Caesar and the fleet of Antonius, including the Egyptian division and Cleopatra's galley with purple sails, probably cost less than two modern battleships, or, as the modern naval book-jargon has it, two capital units.

View in context

The battle of Actium, decided the empire of the world.

View in context

A The Battle of Actium B The Battle of Mons Grapius C The Trojan War D The Battle of Romulus 15.

General Knowledge Quiz

The coin, a bronze dupondius, had been struck in 28BC to commemorate the pair's victory over Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium three years before--the crocodile representing Cleopatra and Egypt, the palm a symbol for victory.

WHEN IN NIMES

He explains that the excesses of wealth and luxury that Rome had undergone after the battle of Actium until the advent of the emperor Galba had been mitigated a little by the entrance of austere new men from the municipia and colonies, but that lately they had had an even greater promoter of parsimonia in Vespasian and his strict way of living.

Exemplary History: Competition in Roman Historiography/Historia exemplar: a Competicao na Historiografia Romana

Parallels with modern technology apart, it didn't end well for Marc Antony as he ended his life after a defeat at the battle of Actium once he heard the news that Cleopatra had ended her life, falsely spread by Cleopatra herself.

The evolution of fake news

In 1963, 20th Century Fox, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and a cast of zillions teamed up to recreate the Battle of Actium on a scale that Octavian himself might have found extravagant.

The formula for making a terrible film

Classics scholars from Europe, Australia, and the US discuss writers like Lucretius, Eratosthenes, Strabo, Aelius Aristides, Seneca, Pindar, and Ovid, and places like Mount Etna, Teuthrania and Pergamon, the Alban Hills, central Greece, the battle of Actium, the Troad, Thessaly, Augustan Rome, the Black Sea region, the battle of Pharsalus, Attica, and the walls of Thebes.

Valuing Landscape in Classical Antiquity: Natural Environment and Cultural Imagination

The Battle of Actium was a decisive battle between the Egyptian navy and Rome.

The canon and Shakespeare's plays on the contemporary East Asian stage

The story of how Cleopatra seduced Roman ruler Julius Caesar by smuggling herself into his palace rolled up in a carpet -- perhaps the most oft repeated narrative from her life -- came from a record of the Battle of Actium recorded by her opponent, the Roman general Octavian, Wkye said.

Hollywood and the changing face of Cleopatra

The Roman Republic came to an end after the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE.

Greg Woolf, Rome: An Empire Story

Augustus's breast plate features two sphinxes, referring to his victory over Mark Antony in the battle of Actium. His consular baton symbolizes the legitimacy of his power, and his bare feet underscore his divine status: He is the embodiment of the authority of the Rome.

War Paint