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

Author: Barry Strauss

Narrator: Jacques Roy

Unabridged: 9 hr 59 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/22/2022


Synopsis

A “splendid” (The Wall Street Journal) account of one of history’s most important and yet little-known wars, the campaign culminating in the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, whose outcome determined the future of the Roman Empire.

Following Caesar’s assassination and Mark Antony’s defeat of the conspirators who killed Caesar, two powerful men remained in Rome—Antony and Caesar’s chosen heir, young Octavian, the future Augustus. When Antony fell in love with the most powerful woman in the world, Egypt’s ruler Cleopatra, and thwarted Octavian’s ambition to rule the empire, another civil war broke out. In 31 BC one of the largest naval battles in the ancient world took place—more than 600 ships, almost 200,000 men, and one woman—the Battle of Actium. Octavian prevailed over Antony and Cleopatra, who subsequently killed themselves.

The Battle of Actium had great consequences for the empire. Had Antony and Cleopatra won, the empire’s capital might have moved from Rome to Alexandria, Cleopatra’s capital, and Latin might have become the empire’s second language after Greek, which was spoken throughout the eastern Mediterranean, including Egypt.

In this “superbly recounted” (The National Review) history, Barry Strauss, ancient history authority, describes this consequential battle with the drama and expertise that it deserves. The War That Made the Roman Empire is essential history that features three of the greatest figures of the ancient world.

About Barry Strauss

Barry Strauss is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, the Bryce and Edith M. Bowmar Professor in Humanistic Studies Emeritus at Cornell University, and a leading expert on ancient military history. He has written or edited several books, including The Battle of SalamisThe Trojan WarThe Spartacus WarMasters of CommandThe Death of Caesar, and Ten Caesars. Visit BarryStrauss.com.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Anne

I knew almost nothing about the Battle of Actium before reading this book so this was excellent in filling in some major blanks in my knowledge of ancient Rome. Strauss does a good job of analyzing why anyone interested in ancient Rome should be interested in Actium and the lead-up to Actium and why......more

Goodreads review by Liviu

Entertaining take on the conflict between Augustus (Octavian Caesar at the time) and Anthony with a focus on the deciding battle at Actium, though the maneuvering pre-Actium was in many ways considerably more decisive and Actium's outcome while not quite preordained as in battle nothing is certain a......more

Read my review at the Washington Independent Review of Books here: [URL not allowed]......more