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.