Dromo's Den

[Up] [Dromo's Den]

Mark Antony Biography

Mark Antony Image

ANTONIUS, MARCUS (83-30 B.C.). A famous Roman, commonly known as Mark Antony, a descendant of one of the oldest patrician farmilies. He was grandson of the orator Antonius (q.v.), and the son of the prætor, M. Antonius Creticus; on the side of his mother, Julia, he was related to Julius Caesar. He wasted his youth in dissipation and, finding himself pressed by numerous impatient creditors, escaped to Greece in 58 B.C., where for a short time he listened to the teaching of Athenian philosophers and orators. His studies here were soon interrupted by the pro-consul Gabinius (q.v.), who appointed him leader of his cavalry. In the campaign against Aristobulus 11 (q.v.) in Palestine and in Egypt, Antonius distinguished himself by his courage and activity and ingratiated himself with the soldiers. After assisting Cæsar in Gaul, he went to Rome, in 50 B.C., to advance the interests of the former, who stood in great danger from the hostility of the oligarchical party, and was appointed an augur and chosen one of the tribunes of the people. In the following year, on account of his adherence to the party of Cæsar, be was expelled from the curia and fled to Cæsar, who made use of this event as a pretext for his war against Pompey. At the outbreak of this war Antonius received the appointment of commander-in-chief in Italy. In the battle of Pharsalus he commanded the left wing of Cæsar's army. In 47 he was made master of the horse by Cæsar, who left him to govern Italy during his absence in Africa. Antony, as usual, disgraced himself; was perpetually drunk; divorced his wife and married an actress, with whom he paraded himself offensively through the chief towns of the peninsula. In 44 B.C. he married Fulvia, the widow of Clodius, was made consul, and vainly endeavored to prevail on the Romans to recognize Cæsar as Emperor. After the assassination of Cæsar he played the part so well described by Shakespeare, and by his funeral oration and the well-timed display of Cæsar's bloody robe so wrought upon the passions of the people that the conspirators were compelled to escape from Rome, leaving the successful orator for a while in possession of almost absolute power. A formidable rival to Antonius now appeared in the person of the young Octavianus (the future Augustus), whom Cæsar had designated as his heir, and a contest for the ascendancy ensued. The eloquence of Cicero, who, in his Orationes Philippicœ, denounced Antonius as an enemy of the State, secured the triumph of Octavianus in the Senate. Antonius, who had been besieging Decimus Brutus in Mutina (Modena), in order to obtain possession of Cisalpine Gaul, which had been voted to him by the people as one of his provinces (Brutus claimed it because after Cæsar's death the Senate had assigned it to him, as part of its agreement with the Liberators, as the murderers of Caesar called themselves) was finally overthrown by the forces of the Senate in 43 B.C. He escaped beyond the Alps, visited the camp of Lepidus, who commanded in Spain and Gaul against the Pompeians, and gained the favor of his army, of which he took command. Plancus and Pollio joined him with their troops, and Antonius, who so recently had escaped as a helpless fugitive from Italy, returned toward Rome at the head of 17 legions and 10,000 cavalry. Octavianus, who had pretended to maintain republican principles, was ordered to oppose Antonius; refusing to do this, he now threw off the mask and held a consultation with Antonius and Lepidus near Bologna, at which it was determined that as triumvirs they should share the whole Roman world among themselves. To secure their spoil, they returned to Rome and began their course of murder and robbery throughout Italy. Among their first victims fell Cicero, the orator, whose eloquence they dreaded. According to Appian (see APPIANUS), 300 senators and 2000 knights were put to death in the proscriptions of the triumvirs.

After making Italy safe for themselves and raising an enormous sum of money to carry on their war abroad, Antonius and Octavianus led their troops into Macedonia against Brutus and Cassius, and defeated the republican forces at Philippi (42 B.C.). Antonius next paid a visit to Athens, and then went into Asia, to subdue the East and to punish Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, whose conduct had offended the triumvirs. The Queen herself appeared to answer his challenge and captivated Antonius by her beauty and address. The general who had overcome Brutus and Cassius was now made a prisoner, though not of war. He followed Cleopatra into Egypt and lived with her in idleness and luxury, until he was aroused by tidings of the quarrel which had taken place in Italy between his own relatives and Octavianus. This dispute gave rise to a short war, which came to an end before Antonius arrived in Italy. A new division of the Roman world between the triumvirs was soon quietly arranged at Brundusium, 40 B.C.; Antonius took the East, from the Adriatic to the Euphrates, Octavianus took the West; the ambition of the feeble Lepidus was appeased by his having the whole of Africa for his portion. Even this shadow of dominion was taken from him in 36 B.C. Meanwhile Antonius had confirmed his renewal of friendly relations with Octavianus by a marriage with Octavia, his sister. He now returned to Cleopatra, resumed his former voluptuous mode of life, squandered the wealth of Rome in gifts to his royal mistress, and became guilty of gross acts of injustice. Octavianus made use of these facts to excite the indignation of the Roman people against Antonius, and a war between the rivals became unavoidable. Antonius, in his idleness, tried to postpone the trial of strength which he saw inevitably approaching. In 36 B.C. he met disaster in an expedition against the Parthians; this increased popular disquiet at his conduct with Cleopatra. Presently, at Rome, he was formally deprived of his power, and war became inevitable. This Octavianus skillfully caused to be proclaimed against Cleopatra, thus putting himself into the position of one defending his country against a foreign foe, and Antonius into that of one supporting a foreigner against his fatherland. In the naval engagement which took place (31 B.C.) near Actium (q.v.), Antonius and Cleopatra were utterly defeated. His subsequent hope of finding troops still faithful to him in Libya was disappointed. He returned to Egypt, where, with Cleopatra, he once more forgot political cares and vexations, until his amusements were suddenly interrupted by the arrival of Octavianus at Alexandria. Antonius now roused himself, made a charge with his cavalry, and repelled the enemy; but the advantage was only momentary. Deserted by the Egyptian fleet, as by his own army, and suspecting that even Cleopatra had conspired against him, he went to her palace, from which the Queen had escaped. Deceived by a false message informing him of the death of Cleopatra, Antonius committed suicide by falling upon his sword, in the year 30 B.C. He died in the arms of Cleopatra, who immediately after put an end to her life.

The New International Encyclopaedia, Vol. I (New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1920) 727-728.