The War That Made the Roman Empire: Antony, Cleopatra, and Octavian at Actium

Review by Diana Bentley. Few episodes in antiquity are more gripping than the epic struggle for political supremacy and survival between Octavian, heir of Julius Caesar; his rival, politician and general Mark Antony; and Cleopatra, ruler of Egypt. In his latest book, Barry Strauss, Professor of History and Classics at Cornell University, focuses on the Battle of Actium, the climactic maritime encounter of 31 BC that sealed the fate of Mark Antony and his lover and political ally, Cleopatra, and prompted a critical juncture in the history of Rome. Strauss, an expert in ancient military history, surveys this pivotal chapter in Roman history, beginning at 44 BC and the assassination o