Today, September 2, back in 31 B.C., the Battle of Actium took place.
Actium was a sea battle between the forces of Octavian (soon to become the Emperor Augustus) and the forces of Marc Anthony and Cleopatara.
Octavian kicked their butts.
A year later, Marc Anthony and Cleopatara killed themselves.
The victory at Actium consolidated Octavian’s rule and thus is the traditional date for the beginning of the Roman Empire.
It was a decisive battle in Roman history that shaped the future of mankind. If Actium had not been fought or had come out differently than it did, we would not be living in the world we are. It was, as they might say on Star Trek, a crucial juncture in the timeline.
September 2 is also VJ Day.
They might actually be more inclied to say “space time continuum” rather than “timeline”.
“If Actium had not been fought or had come out differently than it did, we would not be living in the world we are.”
And, considering that our Lord was soon to arrive in the world, the world He and the apostles (and even the Fathers) would have been born into would have been quite different too – it’s very interesting to think about.
“If Actium had not been fought or had come out differently than it did, we would not be living in the world we are.”
And, considering that our Lord was soon to arrive in the world, the world He and the apostles (and even the Fathers) would have been born into would have been quite different too – it’s very interesting to think about.
How different would it have been if Antony had become princeps instead of Octavian?
It would have shattered Roman history from that point forward. The entire Julio-Claudian dynasty of emperors would be wiped out (Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero). By the time one got past where in history Nero’s reign should have been, the rest of Roman history would have been shattered and beyond prediction.
Among the ways the Julio-Claudian dynasty has a direct effect on Scripture and the early Church:
* Augustus called the census that led Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem.
* Augustus confirmed in office Herod the Great, who put to death the innocent baby boys around Bethlehem, causing the Holy Family’s flight to Egypt.
* Augustus allowed Herod’s son Archelaus to succeed him, causing the Holy Family to go back to Nazareth.
* Tiberius appointe Pilate as governor of Judea.
* Tiberius (according to some reports) refused to approve Christianity as a tolerated religion.
* Caligula tried to have himself worshipped as a god in the Jerusalem Temple, setting the pattern for (and possibly *being* the Beast of Revelation).
* Claudius expelled the Jewish community from Rome for a time, causing a disruption for the early Christian community as well.
* Nero (who may also be the Beast of Revelation and is definitely an icon of him) put St. Peter and St. Paul to death at Rome, resulting in (among other things) the papacy being located in Rome.
How much of all this would have happened by divine providence even if different Roman leaders had been in place is impossible to know, but on a naturalistic level, changing the outcome of the Battle of Actium would have had HUGE effects on both world and Christian history.
Incidentally, if you’ve ever seen the BBC version of “I, Claudius,” it opens with Augustus and his family and friends at a banquet celebrating the anniversary of the Battle of Actium, which had occurred several years before.
Yay! I was hoping Jimmy would make a list like that!
I like to think about the possible cultural effects too. For example, would the center of mediterrenean civilization have moved from Rome to Egypt? I’m not sure about Antony’s and Cleopatra’s intentions in this regard (anyone?), but such a cultural shift would have been huge for Christianity as well.
considering that our Lord was soon to arrive in the world,
Would He have been?
Since the time of the Incarnation was not compelled by any outside force, it is rash to hypothesize that if history had been different, it nevertheless would have had to happen at the same time.
(C.S. Lewis once complained of commentators to make such allowances for the human limitation of time and place as to suggest that God timed the Incarnation very imprudently.)
Nobody was saying that. Jesus would’ve come when He came…its just that He would’ve come into a world with a vastly different appearance.
I have another question though…who was the Emperor when Rome peaked and began to decline?
An intriguing list of “what-ifs”, Jimmy. I’ve often wondered myself how things would have turned out had Antony won instead of Octavian. Very interesting. BTW, is the series “Rome” showing in the US right now? It started on the Movie Network here in Canada on Aug. 28 — we don’t get that channel, darn it — as a fellow Roman history buff, I’d be interested in your take on it. I’ve heard it’s pretty good. Begins pre-Actium with Julius Caesar’s triumph after the subjugation of Gaul. I think (not sure) that the young Octavian turns up later on. Very good cast of fine Brit actors, including Ciaran Hinds as Caesar.
Arguably the Empire peaked while it was still the Republic. . . .
By “peaked” do you mean “controlled the most land”?