History of Wars Summary 14 - Battle of Actium 6: Antony and Cleopatra's Breakout

The decisive moment of the Battle of Actium was when Antony and Cleopatra led their fleet and broke through the battle zone. Cleopatra's Egyptian fleet began to slip south through a gap in the battle lines, and Antony followed suit in his flagship. This action left the rest of their fleet behind on the battlefield. While there are various interpretations as to why Antony personally led the breakout, it's explained that one objective was to preserve some of their fleet to continue the war under the circumstances. However, once their commander left the battlefield, the morale of Antony's remaining forces plummeted. Some ships continued to resist but eventually surrendered or were destroyed by Octavian's forces. Antony's land troops also lost the will to fight as they watched the outcome of the naval battle. Ultimately, the Battle of Actium ended in a decisive victory for Octavian, and Antony and Cleopatra retreated to Egypt.