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The Actian dekanaia (Ancient Greek: δεκαναΐα, literally 'set of ten') was a Roman trophy at the Cape of Actium composed of ten warships, which served as a memorial for Caesar Augustus' naval victory over the allies of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII in the Battle of Actium. Since no conclusive archaeological remains have been identified so far, the descriptions of the site by classical authors, especially Strabo, remain the only sources available.
According to Strabo's account in Geographica, the trophy was located on the shore down the hill where the Temple of the Actian Apollo stood. It consisted of ten warships of various sizes captured from the fleets of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII and were protected by ship sheds. These structures and the ships, however, were burned down by the time Strabo wrote about them.
Significance
Approximate location of the Actian dekanaia in relation to the Temple of the Actian Apollo and the battle locations
The Actian dekanaia was a pivotal component of Augustus' on-site commemorative projects scattered around the former battlefield of the War of Actium. The trophy was symbolically located near the navel battlefield of the Battle of Actium and probably within the area of Mark Antony's camp during the war, so as to further highlight the victory of Augustus and the defeat of his enemy. Meanwhile, the ten ships might include one from each of the ten classes of Hellenistic-era warships. Its sheer size and completeness might be the peak of the tradition of ship dedication after naval victory, serving as a clear demonstration of Augustus' total victory.
^ Blackman, D. J. (1996). "New Evidence for Ancient Ship Dimensions". In Tzalas, H (ed.). Tropis IV. Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Ship Construction in Antiquity, Center for the Acropolis Studies, Athens, 28, 29, 30, 31 August 1991. Athens: Ministry of Culture. p. 113.
^ Lorenzo, K (2019). "Post-Actium place making: Octavian and the Ambracian Gulf". In Döhl, R; Rensburg, J. J. (eds.). Signs of Place: A Visual Interpretation of Landscape. Berlin: Edition Topoi. p. 134.
Reitz-Josse, B (2016). "Land at Peace and Sea at War. Landscape and the Memory of Actium in Greek Epigrams and Propertius' Elegies". In McInerney, J; Sluiter, I (eds.). Valuing Landscape in Classical Antiquity. Leiden and Boston: Brill. p. 279.
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