[Gulliver speaks with the Commander of a ship who fought at the Battle of Actium] · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: [Gulliver speaks with the Commander of a ship who fought at the Battle of Actium]
Subject: Actium, Battle of, 31 B.C; Corruption; ghosts; Magic; fictional works; Fictitious characters; imaginary places; imaginary creatures
Period: 1800-1850;
Description: One of the men who appeared before Gulliver was the commander of a ship who fought at the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE when Octavian (later Augustus) defeated Marc Antony and Cleopatra. The commander was quite successful at the battle, however, he was overlooked by Augustus when it came time to appoint a commander of a greater ship. This position went to a young man who waited on one of the Emperor’s mistresses, showing the corruption of Augustus’ court, like many other courts throughout history. The commander was charged with neglect of duty after he asked to be promoted, and he retired to a poor farm outside Rome. His ship was then given to a favourite page of the Vice-Admiral. The commander’s son who was killed at the battle appears with the commander. Intrigued by the story of this commander, Gulliver called upon Agrippa, a friend of Octavian and the admiral at the Battle of Actium, who confirmed this story. Agrippa’s version of the story paints Octavian in a much more favourable light, however. The same image appears in the 1839 Krabbe edition.
Image Creator: Sears (Illustrator)
Type: StillImage; Vignettes
Identifier: mta:21750
Language: ger
Source Name: Gulliver's Reisen in unbekannte Länder
Parent Collection: Gulliver's Reisen in unbekannte Länder Vol. II. Vignettes by Grandville (1843); Gulliver's Reisen in unbekannte Länder Vol. II. Vignettes by Grandville (1843)
Image: mta_21750_OBJ.png
Collection: Gulliver's Travels
Subject: Actium, Battle of, 31 B.C; Corruption; ghosts; Magic; fictional works; Fictitious characters; imaginary places; imaginary creatures

Media: mta_21750_OBJ.png