- Focuses on the defeat of Cleopatra and Antony as a means of seizing power
- Antony was forced to commit suicide by Augustus (not so nice now is he)
- Cleopatra took her own life to avoid being paraded as a trophy of Augustus' triumph
- Caesarion was targeted for killing - he was Caesar's son by Cleopatra and so potentially had a claim as Caesar's heir
- He spared Antony's children (apart from the eldest) - he eliminated his rival's heir
- Implies that the battle was difficult when it wasn't
In what ways is his writing similar/different to that of the poets?
- He tells us that after Actium, Augustus' army mutinied and would not continue their service until they were paid their rewards - this shows that Augustus wasn't as loved as the poets claimed
- Mentions Mark Antony, and the fact that Augustus forced him to commit suicide - "Augustus forced him to commit suicide and viewed his corpse"
- Discusses the problems that Augustus faced after the battle (unlike the poets)
- Writes of the murder of Caesarion and Antony's eldest child - "The young Antony...he dragged from the image of the Deified Julius... and slew him... Caesarion too...he overtook in his flight, brought back, and put to death"
- Presents Augustus in a much worse light than the poets
What does he fail to mention about Actium?
- The fact that it was a civil war
- Only a very brief mention of the battle, no mention of Agrippa or any detail whatsoever - he focuses more on the aftermath and what Augustus does
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