x Because neither Octavian nor Antony was quite ready for open
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continued to maneuver for dominance. Antony chose the eastern
half of the empire, which had always been the richer portion.
Octavian was left with west, but this included Italy and Rome itself.x Antony’s sphere also encompassed the last remaining independent
state, Egypt, now ruled by the young Queen Cleopatra, a highly
intelligent and assertive woman. Their relationship provided the
wily Octavian with the ammunition for a war of propaganda against
Antony, whom he portrayed as totally under Cleopatra’s control.
Octavian’s rumor mill cleverly exploited traditional Roman phobias
of domination by foreign monarchs.The Battle
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Gulf of Ambracia, where it would be safe from storms, and the bulk
of the army was encamped nearby. Expecting Octavian to attack
from the north, Antony also occupied a number of key towns along
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lines to Egypt.
x Agrippa, in charge of Octavian’s campaign, demonstrated his
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Epirus in the north, as Antony expected, he led a naval assault
against the city of Methone far to the south, threatening Antony’s
vital supply line, and began raiding other points on the southern
coast of Greece.x Falling into Agrippa’s trap, Antony diverted many of his ships from
the northern coast to the south. Octavian now brought the main
body of his army across from Italy and landed them at Panormus
in the north, just as Antony had expected, and they marched down
the coast to the Gulf of Ambracia. A stalemate developed, with
Antony’s army encamped on the southern side of the gulf and
Octavian’s on the northern.