The ambition of Octavianus increased with the death of Pompey. He now resolved to reign alone; and the conduct of his colleagues afforded him reasons sufficiently plausible for this resolution. Lepidus had, without any reason, added Sicily to his province. He refused to listen to any expostulation on this subject, and Octavian h aving m arched against him, the soldiers of Lepidus saluted him as their general. Lepidus threw himself in submission at the feet of his colleague, who spared his life, and banished him to Circwum.
Upon his return to Rome, Octavianus was idolized both by the senate and the people. The imprudence of Antony had displaced him from their affections; and it now became necessary, both for the welfare of Rome, and for the establishment of Octavianus's authority, to deprive Antony of his power and influence. The mili tary reputation of Antony had suffered greatly from the failure of his expedition against the Parthians; in which he lost all his baggage, and nearly a fourth of his army; and his passion for Cleopatra seems to have led him into actions of such extravagance and vanity, that his fall could not be far distant. His triumphal entry into Alexandria, after his defeat in Parthia, his transference of several of the Roman Asiatic provinces to Cleopatra, his divorce of Octavia, and his marriage with the Egyptian queen, and above all, his idle pageantries and his profligate life, render ed him unfit for any office under the commonwealth of Rome.
Octavianus skilfully availed himself of the failings and vices of his colleague, and after consulting with the senate, he made the most active preparation for war. Antony being informed of this design, sent his lieutenant Canidius into Europe with his army, while he and Cleopatra set off for Samos to superintend the preparations for war. Both parties were now ready to commence hostilities. Antony had an army of 100,000 foot, and 12,000 horse, with a fleet of 500 ships of war. Octavianus was at the head of 80,000 foot and 12,000 horse; but his fleet was only half the size of Antony's.
The war began with a naval engagement near Actium, a city of Epirus. The rival fleets were drawn up in front of each other at the mouth of the Gulf of Ambracia; and the armies of the contending chiefs, marshalled on the opposite sides of the gulf, shouted for the commencement of the action. The prows of
the vessels, armed with points of brass, drove furiously against each other, and on their sterns were erected towers, from which arrows were discharged by me chanical power. Octavianus's seamen fought with long poles, hooked with iron, and the combat was in this way maintained for a long time, with great equality of success. On a sudden, however, Cleopatra fled with sixty sail, and, what was still more unexpected, she was followed by Antony. The battle, however, still raged, and about five in the evening, Antony's fleet submitted to Octavianus. His army soon after accept ed of terms from the conqueror, and Octavianus, with out even a skirmish by land, had driven his antagonist from the empire.
After these misfortunes, Cleopatra conceived the extraordinary design of transporting her fleet over the Isthmus of Suez into the Arabian Sea; but the Ara bians having burnt some of them which she had suc ceeded in carrying over, she abandoned her plan, and resolved to defend Egypt against Octavianus. Cleo patra would willingly have accepted of terms for her self; and Antony is said to have asked nothing more than the right of spending the rest of life in retire ment. Octavianus, however, refused to listen to any proposals, and again trusted his cause to the decision of war. His lieutenant Gallus took Parmtonium, and Octavianus himself invested Pelusium with another army. This stronghold, which might for some time have obstructed his march, was instantly surrendered, either from the cowardice or treachery of the governor, and Octavianus advanced without opposition to the gates of Alexandria. The troops of Antony made a desperate sally from the city, and gained a temporary advantage over theenemy's cavalry. This partial suc cess revived his hopes, and encouraged him to make one desperate effort, both by sea and by land; but be fore taking this step, he challenged Octavianus to single combat, which was of course contemptuously declined.
Having placed his troops on an eminence in the neighbourhood of Alexandria, he ordered his fleet to engage that of the enemy. The galleys advanced in good order, but they immediately joined those of Oc tavianus, and retired peacefully into the harbour. The cavalry at the same time forsook him, and though his infantry remained steady, yet they were soon defeated and driven back into the city.