The ancient city of Nikopolis was built in 31 BC by the Roman Emperor Octavius Augustus, after his victory over Marc Anthony and Cleopatra in the ship battle of Aktion. People from neighbouring towns and villages emigrated to Nikopolis , which, having been granted exceptional advantages by the emperor, rapidly flourished and developed into a big city. Its three ports, its excellent geographical position connecting Epirus with Akarnania but also Greece with Italy and the re-establishment of the Aktia (a kind of Olympic games) meant that it became a pole of attraction over the whole of the Mediterranean.
At the end of antiquity and in the beginning of Christian times, in the 3rd century AD, Nicopolis became the capital of old Epirus, with a population of 300.000 inhabitants. Earthquakes, invasions and fires eventually resulted in the city being abandoned during the 10th -11th centuries. The inhabitants settled anew on the tip of the peninsula and thus Preveza was founded. Of great interest is the early Christian basilica of Nicopolis, as well as the outstanding quality of its ornate mosaics which decorate the villas and temples alike. There is also a small museum which shelters significant findings.
