Eyewitness to History

[Taem]

In the news this morning they were talking about a poll of what event people would want to witness if they could go back in time. Astonishingly enough almost 30% responded that they would like to see the last supper. This got me to thinking and I decided I would ask the question here:

If you could go back in time and witness a single historic event, what would it be?

For me it would be to witness the Constitution's victory over the Guerriere - the action that set the US on the path of being a world naval power.

:)

I'd love to see the battle of Mark Antony (Marcus Antonius) and his Egyptian lover, Cleopatra (the true power behind Egypt), against Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (Octavian) in the naval battle off the coast of Actium on September 2 of 31 BC. Well, I'd love to see this entire turn of events, including the death of Caesar and his murderers executions, up to Cleopatra's suicide.

After Caesar was murdered by the senate, Antony and Octavian ending up parting the empire between each other, Anthoy taking the East and Octavian the West. After many years, their ambitions made them clash and Antony was forced to engage Agrippa (whose skill was the greater), yet Antony's fleet was much the heavier. The battle hung in doubt, until Cleopatra with sixty ships broke away in full flight. Antony deserted the battle and followed his mistress. The rest of the fleet fought on desperately, until it was totally destroyed or captured. The deserted army naturally went over to Octavian. The battle of Actium was decisive for Romes leadership. Antony was beaten though not yet dead, however in July of 30 BC after hearing a false rumour that Cleopatra was dead, Antony committed suicide. Hearing of her lover's death and that Octavian intended to parade the defeated queen through the streets of Rome, she too killed herself.