On Sept. 2, 31 B.C., East met West off Cape Actium in the last major naval battle of antiquity with Mark Antony, Cleopatra & Octavian playing the pivotal roles. Actium’s victor, Octavian, evolved from a revolutionary leader into a masterly statesman who was actually able to rejuvenate & reform the shattered Roman state. His numerous successes earned him the name Augustus & the admiration of future generations for whom he was the first in a long line of Roman emperors. This book presents tangible evidence from warships that participated in the Battle of Actium—not actual ships, but direct evidence from the bows of Antony’s largest ships. This evidence is preserved on one of the most important monuments of the Augustan Age—a memorial built on the site of Octavian’s personal camp to commemorate the victory over Antony & Cleopatra in the Actian War. This memorial still exists at Nikopolis& contains Octavian’s first official statement on the Actian War. It is the author’s hope that the implications of this monument & the information that it preserves will be carefully debated in the years to come. Photos.