Name: Mark Anthony (Marcus Antonius)
Date of Birth: 82 BC e.
Age: 52 years old
Date of death: 30 BC e.
Activity: ancient Roman politician, military leader
Family status: was married
Mark Antony: biography
Defender of people's rights, consul, member of the triumvirate, friend of the great, talented military leader who won the heart of the queen herself. All this is about Mark Antony, a politician of Ancient Rome. The scale of this man's personality made him a hero of ancient legends and modern TV series, a key subject of paintings and literary works, an iconic figure during the decline of the Populi Romani.
Childhood and youth
Judging by his pedigree, the biography of Mark Antony could not have developed otherwise than in the field of politics or on the battlefields. The future commander, according to some sources, was born in 83 BC. The records left behind indicate the existence of certain documents, according to which the military leader died at the age of 56, that is, the birth of the famous Roman probably occurs in 86 BC. e.
The family belonged to an aristocratic family that had long made a significant contribution to the public life of Rome. According to legend, the second part of the sons' name originates from Anthony, a descendant of the legendary. Mark's namesake grandfather, who received the nickname Orator for his eloquence, was a censor and consul, an ardent follower of the ideas of the reformer Sulla, for which he paid with his life. Relatives were also members of the consulate: on the father's side - Gaius Antonius Hybrida, Lucius Julius Caesar - on the mother's side.
Father Mark Anthony of Crete is a military leader, but he received the nickname not in honor of his exploits, but in mockery for his “deeds” as governor on the island of Crete: he left a bad memory of himself. Mother Julia was a relative of Julius Caesar, which could not but affect his career advancement. Two more younger sons grew up in the family - Gaius and Lucius. The father died in 71 BC, leaving the family with huge debts.
His mother married the praetor Publius Cornelius Lentulus Sura. But Julia did not remain the wife of a government official for long: in 63 BC. Lentulus was executed for participating in a conspiracy led by Lucius Sergius Catilina. By the way, the philosopher whose execution is attributed to Mark Antony played an active role in uncovering the conspiracy.
Little Anthony received his primary education at home, as was customary in noble families. In Cicero’s works it is noted that the young man excelled in the sciences, although he lived according to the widespread aphorism “Each age has its own characteristics.” Mark spent his youth in idleness and entertainment, aggravated the family's financial situation and was soon expelled from home. The Roman went to Greece to study philosophy and rhetoric, but Mark soon became bored with this activity, and he joined the legionnaires of Aulus Gabinius, proconsul of Syria.
Career
Soon Aulus invited Anthony to lead the cavalry, the young commander showed remarkable abilities, courage and bravery, distinguished himself in suppressing the rebellion of King Aristobulus II in Judea, and later helped Ptolemy XII Auletes return to the Egyptian throne.
Thanks to Mark, Ptolemy took pity on the vanquished and paid tribute to their leader Archelaus - the deceased military leader was buried with honors. The sympathies of the Egyptians were on the side of the Roman commander, and the presence of his troops in Egypt did not meet resistance. Legend has it that it was then that Mark first met Ptolemy’s daughter, the beautiful Cleopatra.
Returning to Rome, Anthony became close friends with Julius Caesar and became his indispensable assistant. Many times in battles, Anthony came out of difficult situations, inspiring the troops by his own example. Caesar not only sympathized with the descendant of the patricians, he highly valued the personal courage and courage of Mark, and during his absence he trusted him to completely rule the subordinate territories. And after the conquest of Gaul, Mark finally became rich.
On the initiative of his patron, Mark Antony also received the post of quaestor - manager of financial and economic issues, and then the posts of augur and tribune of the people. He was faced with the task of not allowing the Senate to make decisions that infringed on the rights of Julius.
In 50 BC, at the end of Caesar's tenure as proconsul of Gaul, he wanted to return to Rome in order to try to obtain the post of consul of the Eternal City. However, a meeting of the “best people” led by Gnaeus Pompey objected and demanded that Caesar resign.
Anthony's actions in defense of Caesar were also condemned - he was expelled from both the Senate and the city. Outraged by such acts, Julius outlawed the Senate. The clash subsequently escalated into the last civil war of the Roman Republic. Then an event occurred, known in history as crossing the Rubicon. In 44, Mark Antony was elected consul, his brother Gaius was elected praetor, and Lucius was elected tribune of the people.
After the assassination of Caesar, Anthony hastened to seize the initiative and for some time took a leading position in Rome. The ability to beautifully express thoughts was useful to the consul in the fight against contenders for power. His fiery speech with Julius’s bloody clothes in his hands practically inspired the people to go to war with the supporters of Caesar’s killers.
To avoid conflict with his rivals, Antony formed a political alliance, the “Second Triumvirate,” with Caesar’s grandnephew, who later became emperor, Marcus Aemilius Lipidus, master of the cavalry. The union lasted 10 years. Insurmountable differences between Octavian and Antony resulted in another military clash, where the latter was ultimately defeated.
Personal life
The commander's first wife was Fadia, the daughter of a freed slave. The misalliance was explained by the unbridled behavior of young Anthony, which is why he was unable to find a noble bride.
The second wife of the triumvir is Fulvia, the widow of the Sicilian propraetor, who started the Perusian War to take her husband away from her rival. The family had sons Yul Anthony and Mark Anthony Antillus.
Meeting of Mark Antony and Cleopatra After the death of the woman in 40 BC. Mark married Octavia, the sister of the same Octavian Augustus. The marriage produced two daughters - Antonia the Younger, the future mother of the ruler Claudius, the grandmother of the pontiff Caligula, and Antonia the Elder, the future grandmother of the emperor. Well, everyone who knows anything about ancient Roman history knows about the love of their father and the seductive Cleopatra.
The commander settled in the city of Alexandria, and later declared the Queen of the Nile as his wife, without divorcing Octavia. The Egyptian woman gave birth to the Roman commander's children - twins Cleopatra Selene, Alexander Helios and the son of Ptolemy Philadelphiaus.
Death
Ruling the eastern part of the empire, the triumvir turned into an autocrat, donating possessions to the Egyptian queen and children. Now even well-meaning compatriots believed that the insidious woman had bewitched the commander and he had lost his mind. Moreover, Mark demanded that his legal wife leave his home in Rome. The will of the Roman consul, in which he asked to be buried in Alexandria, added fuel to the fire.
This policy caused outrage among the Roman public, and Octavian skillfully managed the situation. The Senate removed Mark from power and declared war on Egypt. According to contemporaries:
“Antony and Octavian plunged their fellow citizens into the misery of internecine war, one out of love for a woman, the other out of offended pride.”
In 31 BC. A decisive battle took place near Cape Actium, during which, despite the impressive numerical superiority, Antony suffered complete defeat. A year later, Octavian's troops entered Egypt. Anthony, unable to resist, committed suicide.
Memory
- 42-42 AD - Detail of an altar relief depicting members of the Julio-Claudian family (kept in the National Museum in Ravenna)
- 69-96 AD - Roman male portrait bust (presumably Mark Antony). (kept in the Vatican Museums in Rome)
- Bronze head from Cilicia. (Paris, Louvre)
- 1578 – Robert Garnier, tragedy “Mark Antony”
- 1594 – , play “Antony and Cleopatra”
- 1669 – Jan de Bray, “The Feast of Anthony and Cleopatra”
- 1747-1750 – Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, “The Meeting of Antony and Cleopatra”
- 1900 – Arthur Strasser, sculpture “Mark Antony in a chariot drawn by lions.”
Participation in wars:
Gallic War. Roman-Parthian Wars. Civil war.
Participation in battles:
Dyrrachium. Philippi. Cape Shares
(Marcus Antonius) General of Ancient Rome, member of the triumvirate (from 43 BC)
Married to Julia of the House of Caesars. In his youth he joined the supporters of Catalina and therefore in 58 BC. e. had to flee from Rome to Greece, where he studied the art of war.
Here Anthony met the proconsul Gabinius and together with him, as commander of the cavalry, set off to conquer Syria. In 57-56. BC e. On behalf of Gabinius, he pacified the Jewish uprising. In 54 BC. e. went to Gaul to Julius Caesar and became his active assistant in a long Gallic War.
Then he took part in the war between Caesar and Pompey. Together with Caesar, Anthony crossed the Rubicon and fought with the troops of Pompey in upper Italy and Illyria. In 48 BC. e., when Caesar pursued Pompey in Epirus and was cut off from the Roman troops, Anthony recruited four legions (20 thousand soldiers and 800 horsemen) and sailed from Brundisi to Nymphea, near the Risa River. In four days, Antony penetrated to Dyrrhachium, where he united with Caesar’s troops, cutting off the camp Pompey from the city.
Caesar and Antony led siege of Dyrrhachium, but, having suffered two defeats, were forced to retreat to Thessaly, where the battle took place under Pharsalus. In this battle, Anthony commanded the right wing of Caesar's troops and played an important role in the defeat of Pompey's troops.
After the death of Julius Caesar Anthony proclaimed himself his heir, but met resistance in the person of Caesar's grandson, Octavius, who was supported by the Senate opposition led by Cicero.
Things came to an open rupture, and the Senate sent troops against Antony to Gaul. In 45 BC. e. near the city of Mutina, Anthony was defeated. Later, under pressure from the troops, a reconciliation of prominent Caesarians took place, and a second triumvirate was formed (Antony, Octavian and Lepidus). The power of the triumvirs was sanctioned by the popular assembly, and with the help of proscriptions they dealt with their political opponents. According to an agreement concluded between the triumvirs, Antony received Gaul under his control.
After this, Anthony, together with Octavius took a campaign to Macedonia, where in two battles he defeated the troops of Brutus and Cassius.
With the subsequent division of the provinces, Anthony received control of the eastern provinces of the Roman Republic. Arriving in the East, he began to establish order here and collect money for the upcoming war.
Soon, however, he had to turn against Sextus Pompey the Younger, who was engaged in piracy in Sicily and Sardinia. Sailing with the fleet to Sicily in 38 BC. e., Anthony fought two naval battles at Cum and Messina, in which his fleet was badly damaged. The following year the triumvirate was extended for another five years, and in 36 BC. e. the fleets of all the triumvirs went to Sicily. Myself Anthony, sailing from Tarentum, struck in Battle of Navlokh Sextus Pompey is decisively defeated.
After this he went to fight the Parthians. He managed to penetrate into Media with a large army and besiege the city of Praasn. But due to the stubborn resistance of the Parthians and the departure of the Parthian allied troops, Anthony had to lift the siege. In 34 BC. e. Anthony managed to annex Armenia to the Roman possessions.
In the East Anthony began to behave like an autocrat. Having become close to the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, he gave her and her children huge possessions. This policy led to a rift between the triumvirs and restored public opinion in Rome against Antony. In 32 BC. e. The Senate declared war on Antony and Cleopatra, entrusting the main command to Octavian.
Mark Anthony (lat. Marcus Antonius; January 14, 83 BC, Rome - August 1, 30 BC, Alexandria of Egypt) - ancient Roman Caesarian politician and military leader, triumvir 43-33. BC e., three times consul 44 BC. e., 34 BC e. and 31 BC e., quaestor 51-50. BC BC Mark Antony's father was Mark Antony Creticus, his mother was Julia Antonia. In his youth, Anthony was noted for his drunkenness, squandering, and often walked the streets with his brothers and friends, getting into various fights.
EARLY CAREER
Wanted by creditors, Anthony fled to Greece, where for some time he listened to philosophers and rhetoricians. Soon the Syrian proconsul Gabinius appointed him commander of the cavalry. Anthony distinguished himself in the campaign against Aristobulus II in Judea, as well as in Egypt, where he promoted the accession of Ptolemy XII Auletes to the throne. In 54, Anthony arrived to Caesar in Gaul, where, with his help, he received a quaestor. At the beginning of January 49, Anthony, being a tribune, in turn, together with Cassius Longinus, supported Caesar in the Senate. However, this turned out to be ineffective and they, as Caesarians, were forced to flee the city. Starting the war, Caesar handed over to Anthony the troops concentrated in Italy, which united in Illyria. At the Battle of Pharsalus, Antony took the left flank. After this, he returned to Rome and was appointed by Caesar as commander of the cavalry (magister equitum ). After some cooling of relations with Caesar, Antony married Clodius's widow, Fulvia. After Caesar's return from Spain, Antony unsuccessfully agitated the people for the proclamation of Caesar as king. After the death of Caesar, the opening of Caesar's bloody toga during his funeral speech, Antony so excited the mob that the main conspirators Brutus and Cassius Longinus considered it prudent to leave Rome. Taking advantage of the unrest after the death of his idol, Anthony quickly took possession of his archives and the state treasury. When part of Lepidus’s army entered the city, Antony went over to his side.
CIVIL WARSWhen Octavian received control of Cisalpine and most of Transalpine Gaul, Antony, who saw himself as the only successor to Caesar, began to openly compete with him for future power. However, a disdainful attitude towards Octavian, numerous intrigues, an attempt to take away Cisalpine Gaul from the former procurator Brutus and the recruitment of troops for the war aroused hostility towards Antony among the people. Antony besieged Brutus at Mutina. Meanwhile, the Senate, inspired by Cicero, who scourged Antony in numerous speeches, instructed the consuls of 43 Pansa and Hirtius to support Octavian. On April 14, the battle of Forum Gallorum (modern Castelfranco) took place. The Republic's troops fought under the overall command of Pansa Cetronian and were victorious, but he himself was mortally wounded and died a few days after the battle. Together with Hirtius, Octavian inflicted a crushing defeat on Antony, and he was forced to flee through the Apennines to Etruria, but the second consul Aulus Hirtius also died in the battle. After reinforcements from 3 legions under the command of Ventidius Bassus arrived to Anthony, he headed through the Alps to Southern Gaul, where Lepidus was governor. He, allegedly due to coercion from the army, decided to join him. Anthony managed to put together 23 legions, 17 of which, accompanied by 10 thousand horsemen, moved under his command to Italy. Octavian, who did not receive the desired recognition from the Senate, managed to come to an agreement with Antony and Lepidus during negotiations near Bononia (now Bologna). In Rome, after their return, the people were forced to sanction a five-year triumvirate. On the orders of Anthony, Cicero was also included in the proscription lists, whose severed head and hand were displayed before the people in the forum. In 42 BC e. Antony and Octavian utterly defeated first Cassius and then Brutus in two battles.
He was one of the most prominent commanders and statesmen of ancient Rome. Despite the fact that his ancestors were at enmity with the Julians, Mark Antony was a devoted supporter and friend.
After the death of Caesar, Mark Antony formed a political alliance with Caesar's adopted son Gaius Octavius and Marcus Lepidus, which today historians call Second Triumviate.
This triumvirate ceased to exist in 33 BC. The irreconcilable differences between Antony and Octavian eventually resulted in a civil war known as the Last Roman Civil War. Mark Antony's defeat in this war marked the final transformation of the Roman Republic into an Empire.
Biography of Mark Antony
Mark Antony was born in the winter of 86 BC. Anthony came from a noble Roman family. His grandfather was a Roman consul and was killed by supporters of Marius during civil strife in Rome.
His mother was Julia, Lucius of Caesar, who was also the Roman consul and was also killed by Marius.
My youth Mark Antony spent his time wandering the streets of Rome. He led a carefree lifestyle and was friendly with Curius, who in 50 BC. became a Roman tribune, and by the age of twenty, Antony had accumulated a large amount of debt. Approximately 250 talents.
After this, Mark Antony decided to go to Greece in order to study rhetoric there, and also to avoid paying his creditors.
Military successes of Mark Antony
After a short time studying philosophy, Mark Antony was called by the proconsul of Syria to the war in Judea in order to support King Ptolemy the Twelfth of Egypt. In this war, Anthony became famous as a talented cavalry commander, as well as a brave and courageous warrior.
Anthony's life during this period was a mixture of astonishing valor and astonishing drunkenness. Plutarch wrote that Anthony combined genius with his countless vices.
In 54 BC. Antony joined Caesar's army in Gaul. He again proved himself a competent commander during Caesar's Gallic Wars. Antony and Caesar became best friends, despite the fact that by their nature they were completely different people.
In addition, Mark Antony became the first mate Caesar during the wars in Gaul.
In 50 BC. Caesar's ten-year tenure as proconsul of Gaul ended and Caesar wanted to return to Rome in order to be elected to the post of consul of Rome. However, the Senate of Rome, led by Pompey, demanded that Caesar resign, which led to a civil war in Rome.
Painting "Mark Antony over the body of Caesar"
Caesar ensured that Mark Antony was elected tribune of the people in Rome. Antony's task was to veto the laws that the Roman Senate was preparing against Julius Caesar. In response to Antony's action, the Roman senators expelled him from the Sentata building and from Rome. It was this action of the Senate that led to Caesar outlawing him and crossing the Rubicon with his legions.
During civil war in Rome, while Caesar fought in Spain, Greece and Africa, Mark Antony was the governor of.
However, Caesar was not happy with the way Antony ruled Italy and, in the end, he removed Antony from all his positions. The conflict between them began because Caesar forced Antony to pay for the property of Pompey that he had appropriated for himself. After this, Caesar and Antony did not see each other for several years.
"Painting of the Death of Anthony"
Mark Antony was born in 82 BC, he was the son of the praetor Antony of Crete and Julia, a relative of Caesar. In his youth, he led a very wasteful and disorderly lifestyle, as a result of which he was once forced to flee to Greece from creditors. There he listened to philosophers for some time, but soon chose to go to prove himself in the military field.
Military leader, confidant of Caesar
From 58 to 54 Mark Antony led the cavalry at the headquarters of the Syrian governor Aulus Gabinius. Then, according to lot, he went to Gaul to fight under the command of Julius Caesar. In 52, Anthony became a quaestor, and in 50 he returned to Rome, where, with the support of Caesar, he received the title of tribune of the people. He showed himself to be an active supporter of Caesar and enjoyed his trust. In 49, after the outbreak of the Civil War, he received the post of propraetor and headed the Roman administration in the absence of Caesar, and also managed the legions stationed in southern Italy.
In 48, he delivered the required reinforcements to Caesar from Brundisium to Epirus, took part in the siege of Dyrrhachium, and commanded the left wing of his commander’s legion at the Battle of Pharsalus. In the same year, Anthony became the head of Caesar's cavalry, and in 45 he received the post of consul. At the same time, Mark Antony married Fulvia, the widow of the patrician Publius Clodius.
When Caesar was assassinated by the conspirators, Mark Antony fled Rome, sparing him the same fate. Later he managed to return and take possession of Caesar's treasury and archives. With his assistance, mass riots broke out in the city, as a result of which the conspirators were forced to leave the capital. For a short period, Anthony became the sole ruler, carried out a number of reforms and approved several new laws.
Power struggle, meeting with Cleopatra
However, the Senate soon pitted Antony against Octavian, whom Julius Caesar designated as his heir shortly before his assassination. Anthony began to lose influence. In the Mutinsk War of 44-43. his troops were defeated, and he fled to the south, where he persuaded the proconsul of Near Spain and Narbonne Gaul, Marcus Lepidus, to an alliance. Having gathered a significant army, Anthony moved to Italy. As a result, in 43 the warring parties managed to come to an agreement. Antony, Octavian and Lepidus formed a triumvirate (from the Latin “union of three”), and then became the supreme rulers of Rome, destroying their political opponents Brutus and Cassius, who killed Caesar, at the Battle of Philippi.
The reign of the three did not last long: in 42, Antony and Octavian concluded a special agreement between themselves directed against Lepidus. Then Anthony, who received the eastern part of the empire during the division of power, went to reorganize his provinces. Basically, it consisted of imposing huge taxes on these lands. He visited Greece, Asia, Bithynia, Syria.
While in Cilicia, he summoned the Egyptian queen Cleopatra to personally discuss the reasons for her hostile attitude towards the triumvirs. Having met, they became lovers; Mark Antony followed her to the capital of Egypt, Alexandria, and spent several months there in continuous amusements. Only the news of the war waged by his wife Fulvia and his brother Lucius Antony with Octavian, as well as the invasion of his territory by the Parthians, forced him to leave for Italy.
While Mark Antony was on the road, his wife suddenly died, and this circumstance could not have been more timely. Octavian and Antony made peace, and to strengthen it, the newly widowed Antony married Octavian's older sister, Octavia. Against the backdrop of all the events, in 40 a new division of spheres of influence took place in Brundusium. Octavian received the West, Mark Antony the East, and Lepidus was given Africa. Italy remained under the general control of the members of the triumviat.
Decline of military glory, suicide
In 39, Anthony returned to the East, where his legate Publius Ventidius waged a victorious war with the Parthians. There Antony was again reunited with Cleopatra and indulged in entertainment. He gave the Egyptian queen and his children from her Roman provinces and entire kingdoms (Cyprus, part of Syria, Cilicia and Palestine). In 36, he marched with an army against the Parthians, but the campaign was unsuccessful. In 34, Anthony accused Artavasdes II of Armenia of treason and captured him by cunning. The victory was doubtful, which, however, did not stop Anthony from presenting it as a triumph and celebrating it on a grand scale in Alexandria.
In 32, the term of the triumvir expired; this became the reason for Antony and Octavian to launch a propaganda war against each other. Having managed to eliminate Lepidus during this time, Octavian took advantage of his opponent’s dissolute behavior and turned the citizens of Rome against him. The final break became inevitable, and Antony’s deliberate, open divorce from Octavia added fuel to the fire. In the eyes of the Romans, she was a righteous woman, and they considered the behavior of the Egyptian queen unworthy. Anthony was accused of embezzlement of state property and stripped of all ranks and positions. Rome declared war on Cleopatra, but in fact, it was a war between two former comrades, and now enemies - Octavian and Antony.
In the fall of 31, in the decisive battle of Cape Actium, Mark Antony's fleet was defeated by the enemy. Abandoning the army, Anthony fled after Cleopatra to Egypt. When Octavian's army approached Alexandria, realizing that it was completely destroyed, Mark Antony committed suicide. The Egyptian queen did the same.
Plutarch on Antony, descendants
Plutarch described Mark Antony as a man with a beautiful, representative appearance and said that the properties of his character were generosity, intelligence, openness of soul, wit and ease of manner. All these qualities, which first paved his brilliant path to the heights of power, then invariably increased his power, despite numerous delusions, weaknesses and mistakes.
Anthony had seven children from different marriages:
From Fulvia - sons Mark Anthony and Yul Anthony;
From Octavia - daughters Antonia the Elder and Antonia the Younger;
From Cleopatra are twins Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene, and the youngest son Ptolemy Philadelphus.
