114
BASE CONDUCT OF ANTONY.
of Sicily; but Octavian surpassed him in resolution and dex-
terity. Lepidus did not enjoy the esteem or love of any man,
not even of his soldiers. Octavian therefore went into the
camp of Lepidus—the boldest thing he ever did—and com-
manded the soldiers to abandon their general. Octavian’s
scheme succeeded : he gained over the soldiers by the hope of
great rewards, perhaps also because they were well-disposed
towards the adopted son of Caesar, and Lepidus was forsaken
by all the world. Octavian assigned to him Circeii11 as his
habitation, and took the province of Africa for himself; so
that the whole of the western empire was now united under
him. Lepidus led a sad but undisturbed life, with the title of
Pontifex Maximus, until he died, several years afterwards.
Soon after this, the war of Actium broke out, the immediate
cause of which was that Antony had divorced Octavia, who
had gone as far as Athens to carry to her husband rich presents,
troops, and provisions, for his campaign against Artavasdes.
Antony did not receive her, although she was accompanied
even by the children of Fulvia; but ordered her to give up to
his officers what she had brought for him, to return to Rome,
and not to live in his house there. While she was living at
Rome as his wife, he sent her a letter in which he informed
her that she was divorced ; and he formally married his concu-
bine, an occurrence which must have been most disgusting to
the Romans.
LECTURE CIV.
The last internal war, before the establishment of the Roman
monarchy, began under circumstances which could leave no
doubt as to what its issue would be. Antony had formerly
been a greater general than Octavian ; but that time was gone
by, and the best officers now served under Octavian, who also
had quite different nations from which he could reinforce his
legions. If the war had been protracted, Antony might have
reinforced himself, which he could not do by levying troops
” This place situated near the Pomptine marshes, is as gloomy and melan-
choly on the land-side as ɪt is beautiful from the sea-side.—N.
WAR OP ACTIUM.
115
among the unwarlike nations of the East. As far as the fleets
were concerned, Antony seemed to have advantages over
Octavian, for the countries round the eastern part of the Medi-
terranean possessed a proportionately greater number of good
sailors than the nations of the West; and if the means which
Antony had had at his command had been for ten years in the
hands of an able and energetic man, they would have formed a
great power; but he had neglected everything. The fleet of
Octavian consisted of the remnants of the Pompcian fleet, and
the ships which Agrippa had built for him. They were mostly
small sailing vessels; whereas those of Antony were large, and
some of them gigantic rowing galleys, provided with towers
and several decks, so that they were more fit to exhibit a land
fight than for Inanoeuvering on the water. Agrippa, whom
we may properly call the admiral of Octavian, displayed an
extraordinary activity in this war.
Antony was stationed at the entrance of the Arnbracian
gulf, near the ancient Corinthian colony of Actium, where he
had assembled his army and fleet with the view of crossing
over to Italy, if he should be successful at sea. The fleet of
Octavian was stationed off the Thesprotian coast. The two
armies faced each other near the entrance of the gulf of Prevesa,
as the fleets did at the mouth of the Ambracian gulf. Agrippa
made several isolated undertakings, and took Leucas and Pa-
trae, in the rear of the enemy, and thus made it difficult for
them to supply themselves with provisions; in consequence of
which they suffered considerable distress. In the ensuing
battle, Antony, with his numerous forces, might at Ieasthave
disputed the victory for some time, although he could not pro-
bably have gained it, if Cleopatra and her Egyptian ships had
not taken to flight with effeminate cowardice, and that at a
moment when nothing was yet decided. But whether Antony
thought it was Cleopatra’s intention to sacrifice him, and there-
by, and by the exercise of her charms, to make peace with
Octavian, or whatever may have been Iiismotive, at all events,
he seemed quite to forget the battle, and followed her in a
quick-sailing vessel. Her royal ship received him; but mean-
time his whole fleet, being deprived of the strongest ships, was
destroyed by Agrippa. Everything was now lost. Antony was
in despair, for it was clear that the war could not end in a peace ;
and that nothing short of the life of the vanquished could
I 2