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¤ ACTE, CLAUDIA (d. after 69 A.D.) A freedwoman from Asia Minor who became the mistress of
Emperor NERO and was deeply involved in palace intrigues. Serving as a freedwoman in the imperial
household, Acte came to Nero's attention in 55. SENECA, the imperial tutor and advisor, sensed that this
infatuation could wean Nero away from his dominant mother, AGRIPPINA THE YOUNGER, and
fostered the relationship. The couple, attempting to be discreet, were shielded by various court followers.
As was inevitable, Nero lost interest in Acte and took up another mistress. Acte remained devoted,
however, appearing after Nero's death to claim his body, which she placed in the family tomb of the
Domitii in the Pincian Hills. Acte seems to have amassed considerable wealth during her period of
imperial favor.
¤ ACTIUM An engagement was fought on the Ionian Sea on September 2, 31 B.C., just off the coast of
this site, near the Ambracian Gulf, between the fleet of Octavian (AUGUSTUS) and the armada of Marc
ANTONY and CLEOPATRA. This naval battle, in which Octavian proved victorious, decided the fate of
the Roman world.
By 33 B.C., most political factions striving for power in the Republic had faded, leaving only the
Triumvirs Octavian and Antony as rivals. In May 32, they became dire enemies when Antony divorced
Octavian's sister, Octavia (1), and married Cleopatra. Claiming that Cleopatra aspired to become the queen
of Rome, and that in his will Antony distributed the Eastern provinces among his illegitimate children by
Cleopatra, Octavian roused the Senate and the Roman mob. They called for war against Antony, stripping
him of his offices.
Both sides gathered large fleets and assembled legions, but Octavian, with his normal prudence, took his
time. Finally, in 31 he set out with hundreds of ships and 40,000 men, landing in Greece and marching
south to Mikalitzi, north of Nicopolis on the Bay of Comarus. Antony, possessing a like number of land
forces, also had at his command a combined Roman-Egyptian fleet of 480 ships. The advantage rested
with Antony in naval terms, because his vessels were large and heavy. Octavian, however, possessed two
elements that were to prove pivotal to the outcome: his admiral AGRIPPA, and his lighter Liburnian
ships, which were equipped with the HARP AX, a ram that pinned the opposing vessel and allowed for
boarding and capture. Antony, encamped just south of Actium, nevertheless stood a good chance of
victory.
The battle was really two encounters in a single day, the fierce naval conflict in the morning and a
halfhearted rout on land that afternoon. The naval engagement began with the two fleets facing one
another. Octavian's force was divided into three sections - a center and two wings. Agrippa commanded the
northern wing and was admiral in chief. ARRUNTIUS led the center, and Octavian was in charge of the
southern wing. On the Egyptian side, Antony took command of the northern squadrons, opposite
Agrippa. Marcus Octavius was opposed to Arruntius, and Savius sailed against Octavian's ships.
Cleopatra headed a reserve squadron of 60 ships behind the center of the Egyptian fleet.
The tactical advantage would fall to the commander who penetrated the other's flanks, and here the battle
was won by Agrippa. Antony fought valiantly, but the unreliable and disloyal ships of his center and
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