Atlas of Battles

naval engagement, notable, ancient

Battle of Naulochus

Battle of Naulochus was a naval engagement fought on 3 September 36 BC at Naulochus, in what is now Italy. It was part of the Wars of Augustus, which ran from 30 BC to AD 14. The recorded result: Octavian's victory. Recorded strength: 300 ships against 300 ships.

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Battle of Naulochus
Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought3 September 36 BC
WhereNaulochus, Italy38.250N, 15.650E
OutcomeOctavian's victory
BelligerentsPompeiansagainstOctavian
Casualties and losses28 ships sunk; 17 fled; the others capturedand3 ships
Part ofWars of AugustusBellum Siculum

Where it sits in the Wars of Augustus

Battle of Cumae, 38 BCBattle of the Strait of Messina, 38 BCBattle of Tauromenium, 36 BCBattle of Mylae, 36 BCBattle of Naulochus, 36 BC38 BC36 BCBattle of Naulochus, 36 BC
5 placed engagements of the Wars of Augustus in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date3 September 36 BC
PlaceNaulochus, Italy
38.250N, 15.650E
KindNaval engagement, ancient
Strength300 ships300 ships
Casualties and losses28 ships sunk; 17 fled; the others captured3 ships
Commanders
  • Sextus Pompey
  • Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa
Battle of NaulochusBattle of NaulochusBattle of the Strait of MessinaBattle of MessanaBattle of MesseneSiege of MessinaSiege of MessinaBattle of MessanaBattle of MesseneCataniaSiracusaCatanzaroCrotoneVibo Valentia100 km38.250N, 15.650E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 36 BC

Battle of Naulochus is one of 166 engagements of the 1st century BC in the atlas and one of 1,038 in present-day Italy.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q676692, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Naulochus, revision 1370451487, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.