ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE of AMERICA

     In 31 BC, Octavian defeated Antony and Cleopatra in a naval battle off Cape Actium in Western Greece. A few years later, the victor constructed on the site of his personal camp a grand Victory Monument to commemorate the event. I first visited this site in 1978, and since then, have been trying to explain what I found there: the ruins of a massive rostral display whose complex details preserve evidence for the sizes of Antony’s and Cleopatra’s largest warships.

     After a brief attempt to find battle debris in the sea off Cape Actium, I was asked by Dr. Konstantinos Zachos to join his team in analyzing the results of his systematic excavations of the site. His work, conducted over a quarter century, has added much to our knowledge of this important monument—its original design, its elaborately decorated altar, its dedication text, and its period of use.

     At the same time, emerging 3D technologies have allowed me to comprehend the rostral display more fully, to visualize the monstrous sizes of the ships that fought in the final naval battle, and to restore the text of the dedication inscription. In this lecture, I will summarize the main results of our research, but do so in a personal manner, in the context of my own 40-year journey of discovery in search of the Battle of Actium.

UPCOMING LECTURES​

Saturday, May 15, 2021
Dr. James P. Delgado, Senior Vice President of SEARCH, INC., will present a lecture about the recent recovery of Clotilda, the last ship to bring slaves into the United States. 

Make a Donation to the Jacksonville Society

​Saturday, April 17, 2021 at 12 noon (via webinar)

Dr. William Murray,  
​Mary and Gus Stathis Professor of Greek History, University of South Florida

My 40 Year Search for the Battle of Actium

OUR MISSION

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To promote archaeological inquiry and public understanding of the material record of the human past to foster an appreciation of diverse cultures and our shared humanity.

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Be sure to register for this fascinating lecture using the link (coming soon)

2021 PROGRAMS & LECTURES

CURRENT ISSUE ​CLICK IMAGE  FOR MORE DETAILS

The Amazing True Story of Nathan Harrison
Excavations of a mountain cabin uncover the hidden life of a formerly enslaved man who became a California legend

The Visigoths' Imperial Ambitions
How an unlikely Visigothic city rose in Spain amid the chaotic aftermath of Rome’s final collapse

The Lost World of Lihyan
A forgotten city of spice traders once ruled the oases of northern Arabia

Mapping a City in the Clouds
Drone-mounted lasers reveal a new view of an ancient Peruvian citadel

Golden Goats of Ur
Decoding the meaning of a pair of 4,500-year-old Sumerian statuettes