History of Wars Summary 14 - Battle of Actium 9 Augustus and the New Order of Rome

After eliminating his rivals, Octavian did not immediately declare a monarchy. He chose a method to institutionalize the power concentrated in himself while formally maintaining the traditional institutions of the Roman Republic and the authority of the Senate. In 29 BC, he held a triumphal procession to celebrate his victories in Actium and Egypt, emphasizing to the Roman citizens that the long civil war had ended. Then, in 27 BC, after showing a gesture of returning some of his powers to the Senate, he received the title of Augustus. However, in reality, he maintained immense military power and control over several provinces. While the Roman political system retained much of the republican form, it practically transformed into a system where a single supreme leader controlled the military and major provinces. The victory at the Battle of Actium provided the decisive opportunity for this change to occur. Afterward, Augustus ended the prolonged civil war and reorganized Rome's administrative and military systems. Rome, escaping the chaos of the late Republic, began to enter the era of the Empire.