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| caption =
| date = March [[47 BC]]
| place = Tauris (likely [[Šipan]], [[Dubrovnik-Neretva County]], [[Croatia]])<ref name='tauris'>{{Cite web|url=https://tldrhistory.com/2019/12/06/the-remnants-of-caesars-civil-war-naval-battle-off-tauris-island/|title=The Remnants of Caesar's Civil War: Naval Battle off Tauris Island|website=TLDR History|date=6 December 2019 }}{{Better source needed |date=November 2023 }}</ref><ref name='godubrovnik' />
| coordinates =
| map_type =
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| map_label =
| territory =
| result = Caesarian victory<ref name='tauris' /><ref name='uchicago'>{{cite book |author=Pseudo-Caesar |chapter=The Alexandrian War |title=Caesar: Alexandrian war, African war, Spanish war |series=Loeb Classical Library |year=1955 |translator-last=Way |translator-first=AG |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-67499-443-0 |at=ch [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Caesar/Alexandrian_War/C*.html#45 45] |via=LacusCurtius }}</ref>
| status =
| combatants_header =
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| commander2 = [[Marcus Octavius (aedile 50 BC)|Marcus Octavius]]{{WIA}}
| commander3 =
| units1 = At least 1 [[quinquereme]]<ref name='tauris' />
| units2 = 1 [[quadrireme]], 2 [[trireme]]s, 8 [[bireme]]s, 8 two-banked [[galley]]s, and an unknown number of small ships<ref name='penelope' /><ref name='Hi47'>Hircio 47</ref><br /> At least 1 [[quinquereme]]<ref name= Hi46 >Hircio 46</ref><ref name='tauris' /><ref name='penelope' />
| units3 =
| strength1 =
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==Prelude==
By 47 BC, [[Marcus Octavius (aedile 50 BC)|Octavius]] returned to the region with another fleet and began to blockade several [[Dalmatia (Roman province)|Dalmatian]] ports, inflicting severe damage on the Caesarean shipping process. Octavius's army began to assault towns and raided the countryside, prompting Caesarean governor Lucius Cornificius to send a message requesting aid. In response, [[Publius Vatinius]] gathered soldiers in [[Brindisi|Brundisium]] who had been too sick to join [[Julius Caesar|Caesar]]'s invasion of Greece. Vatinius only possessed a small number of ships consisting of a few heavy war ships and several smaller vessels. In contrast, Octavius had a significantly larger and more powerful fleet to use against the Caesareans. Aware of the fact that his fleet was vastly weaker than that of Octavius, Vatinius equipped his fleet with metal-wooden protrusions affixed to the front of the ships known as beaks.<ref name='tauris' /><ref name='heritagehistory'>{{Cite web|url=https://www.heritage-history.com/index.php?c=resources&s=war-dir&f=wars_caesarcivil |title=Heritage History: Caesarean Civil War}}</ref> Vatinus's fleet set sail from Brundisium towards [[Epidaurum]] after receiving reports of a blockade in progress and finishing campaign preparations. The fleet eventually reached the island of Tauris (likely modern-day [[Šipan]]<ref name='godubrovnik'>{{Cite web|url=https://www.godubrovnik.com/travel-corner/continuing-the-adventure-from-dubrovnik-6-nearby-places-you-need-to-consider|title=Continuing the adventure from Dubrovnik: 6 nearby places you need to consider|date=27 June 2022 }}</ref>), unaware of Octavius's fleet occupying the area.
==Battle==
Vatinius, unaware of the enemy's presence, was caught off guard when a single enemy ship approached. Octavius's fleet had been out of formation and spread out to avoid crashing during an ongoing storm.<ref name='tauris' /> The two fleets then quickly became aware of the other's presence, with Vatinius' ships lowering their yard-arms to half-mast, drawing up a battle line to the side of the island. Vatinius's fleet was much weaker than that of Octavius, drawing up his ships with the warships in the center, including the flagship [[quinquereme]]. Octavius mirrored his formation, drawing up his ships with his flagship, a [[Hellenistic-era warships|quadrireme]], also in the middle. Although outnumbered, Vatinius signaled for his men to attack and advance towards the Pompeians, reef the sails, and lower the yard-arms further.<ref name='penelope'>{{cite web|url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Caesar/Alexandrian_War/C*.html|title=Alexandrian War|pages=42-47 (more specifically 44-47)}}</ref><ref name='alexandrian'>{{Cite book|author=[[Julius Caesar]]|url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/L/Roman/Texts/Caesar/Alexandrian_War/C*.html#45|title=Caesar - Alexandrian War|pages=42-47 (more specifically 44-47)|lang=Latin}}</ref>
Vatinius's flagship rowed head on into Octavius's advancing flagship, destroying the beak of Vatinius's ship in the process. The clash pulverized and knocked away Octavius's beak, lodging it into the quadrireme's hull such that the two flagships became unable to separate.<ref name='tauris' /> Despite being outnumbered, the Caesarian fleet had experienced veterans and was able to secure a victory by forcing the combat to occur in close quarters around the two flagships. Naval combat in such close quarters reduced the advantages of having a larger fleet as the fighting continued. Vatinius's gamble proved successful as his veterans managed to board the Pompeian ships, capsizing many due to panic. Octavius's flagship capsized, nearly drowning him until he removed his armor and swam to a light galley. Octavius and his remaining fleet retreated to [[Africa (Roman province)|Africa]] to join the Pompeian army under [[Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (son of Pompey)|Gnaeus Pompeius]].
==Aftermath==
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