Actium

Actium is a promontory on the western coast of mainland Greece, projecting into the Ambracian Gulf in the region of Epirus. It lies near the modern town of Aktio (Aktio–Vónitsa) in the Preveza regional unit, opposite the island of Lefkada. In antiquity the area was part of Acarnania and later associated with Epirus. The name Actium comes from the Greek Aktion, used by the ancients to refer to the promontory and its coastal zone.

The promontory is best known for the naval Battle of Actium, fought on 2 September 31 BCE between the forces of Octavian (the future Emperor Augustus) and the combined fleet of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII of Egypt. Octavian’s fleet, commanded by Marcus Agrippa, defeated Antony’s forces, forcing Antony and Cleopatra to withdraw and ultimately leading to Antony’s suicide and Cleopatra’s death. The victory effectively ended the Roman Republic’s civil wars and enabled Octavian to assume control of Rome, setting the stage for the establishment of the Roman Empire.

In the ensuing centuries, the site did not retain its former political prominence, though the nearby city of Nicopolis was founded by Octavian to commemorate the victory. Today Actium is primarily a historical site within the Epirus landscape, with archaeological remains dating to classical and later periods and with significance primarily tied to its association with the Battle of Actium in historical and literary contexts.