Alternative explanations for the Actium breakout

One interpretation holds that Antony intended to draw Octavian's line apart so Cleopatra and selected ships could escape through the center, perhaps even feeding a misleading plan to a likely defector. That reading could explain the junior commanders placed in the center and an intended overland retreat by the army. It changes the apparent flight into a coordinated extraction attempt, though this remains a tentative reconstruction. Another proposal emphasizes dead water, tides, or currents that may have prevented the Egyptian squadron from joining the fight when expected.