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How did Cleopatra’s departure from the Battle of Actium affect Mark Antony’s forces?
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Augustus
Portrait of the emperor Augustus, marble, Roman, c. 14–37 ce; in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. Height 27.94 cm.
During the Battle of Actium, Cleopatra’s sudden departure with her Egyptian galleys had a devastating impact on Mark Antony’s forces.
After Cleopatra fled the engagement, Antony broke off from the fighting to follow her with a small number of ships. Left without their leader, the remainder of his fleet became disheartened and surrendered to Octavian. Antony’s land forces, which had been positioned at Actium, subsequently surrendered one week later. This collapse effectively ended the conflict, leaving Octavian as the undisputed master of the Roman world.12