Parents: Marcus Antonius Creticus and Julia Antonia Caesaris
Date of Birth: 14 January 83 BCE
House: Antonia
Spouse(s): (1) Fadia, then (2) Antonia Hybrida Minor, then (3) Fulvia, daughter of Fulvius Bambalio and Sempronia Tuditani, then (4) Octavia the Younger, daughter of Gaius Octavius and Atia Balba Caesonia
Reign: 43 – 33 BCE
Summary: Much can be said of the life of Mark Antony. The future triumvir of Rome was born into the minor nobility, the descendant of two generations of consuls and proconsuls. His father was incompetent and corrupt. He died in 71 BCE in a failed attempt to defeat pirates. Antony's two brothers, Gaius and Lucius, both served as consuls during Antony's years as a triumvir. Antony's mother was a Caesar, but that meant little at the time of his birth and she was killed in 63 BCE following the Catillinian conspiracy. Thus, at the age of 20, Mark Antony was an orphan, but no longer a boy. His years without a father prepared him for a life of gambling, though he did learn some rhetoric and philosophy in Athens. He joined up with the military in 57 BCE under the command of Aulus Gabinius, the proconsul of Syria, who had him fight as a commander of a Gallic cavalry unit at Alexandrium and Machaerus. Two years later, Antony found himself as a staff officer in the army of Julius Caesar, his cousin, while Caesar fought in Gaul and Germania. Over the course of the next four years, Caesar and Antony would become best friends and Antony would rise in rank from quaestor to tribune. Antony was sent to Rome to sit in the Senate in place of Caesar. While there, he was expelled for vetoing a bill that would have dispossessed Caesar of his army titles. Caesar crossed the Rubicon for this slight and began the Republican Civil War. While Caesar went off to fight Pompey, the consul, Antony remained in Italy. He served as administrator under Caesar from 47 BCE but was not as good an administrator as military commander. His court fell into indulgences quickly. Rome fell into disrepair and revolt and Caesar had Antony removed from all civilian posts. When Caesar returned to Rome in 44 BCE, he selected Antony as his co-consul. During the Lupercalia festival of February 14, 44 BCE, Antony symbolically offered Caesar a diadem, but Caesar ceremonially rejected it proclaiming that he needed no crown to rule Rome. When Caesar was murdered the next month, Antony fled, dressed as a slave. He returned a few days afterwards when he realized that Caesar alone was the target. As the only remaining consul, Antony sought reconciliation and peace between the rival senators. At Caesar's funeral, Antony turned on the conspirators and made certain that the populace turned on them as well. Most fled Rome and became targets of the Second Triumvirate. Antonty marched north to Cisalpine Gaul to attack one of the conspirators. Meanwhile, the Senate denounced Antony and pledged support to Octavian, Caesar's grand-nephew who had appeared as if out of the blue. The Senate sent Octavian to attack Antony but while they were both away, the new consuls in Rome both died. When word reached the two that two conspirators, Brutus and Cassius, were planning to march on Rome in their absence, they allied together with Lepidus and formed the Second Triumvirate, with Antony as the senior partner initially.
Brutus and Cassius were defeated at the Battle of Philippi in 42 BCE. Octavian then took command of Western Europe while Antony received Eastern Europe. Lepidus was to govern Hispania and East Africa. Antony allied with Cleopatra VII, queen of Egypt, in late 41 BCE. They became lovers soon after even though Antony was legally still married to his third wife, Fulvia. She died in 40 BCE, after which he married Octavian's sister, Octavia, as a part of a peace treaty between the two triumvirs. Antony then decided to attack Parthia, which had allied with Brutus and Cassius in the recent war. Fearing betrayal from Octavian, Antony rallied his own troops in Egypt and the east. He captured Jerusalem with Egyptian help in 37 BCE and installed Herod as the king of Judaea, replacing a Parthian governor. He then invaded Parthia with an army 100,000 strong. The campaign was a disaster and he lost nearly a quarter of his army, many to dissertations. In Rome, Octavian convinced Lepidus to resign as triumvir, causing the triumvirate to turn into a dual monarchy. Octavian then began to quickly convince Romans to join his side in a power struggle Antony had been trying to avoid. Antony did not help his case, remaining in Egypt rather than returning to Rome when summoned by the Senate. Antony invaded Armenia in 34 BCE and succeeded where he had previously failed, distributing puppet states to his many children. For Caesarion, the illegitimate son of Julius Caesar, Antony proclaimed him king of Egypt and legitimate successor to Caesar, to rival the claims being made by Octavian in Rome. When the triumvirate treaty expired in 33 BCE, neither Antony nor Octavian renewed it. Open civil war was coming.
Ruling as the lover of the queen of Egypt, Antony divorced Octavia from Egypt and pushed anti-Octavian propaganda throughout the Empire. Octavian did likewise against Antony. In 32 BCE, the Senate agreed to strip Antony of his power, and war was declared against Egypt. A third of the Senate abandoned Rome and joined Antony in Greece to show their support for his cause. In 31 BCE, everything went wrong for Antony. In Greece, much of the provinces called for Octavian without a fight and the Egyptian navy was destroyed at the Battle of Actium. A year later, in 30 BCE, Octavian invaded Egypt. Antony was surrounded and committed suicide on the first day of the battle. He was under the impression that Cleopatra too had died, but she had not and Antony died in her arms. Cleopatra was captured by Octavian soon after and the conqueror allowed her to bury Antony according to Egyptian rites. It took Cleopatra two weeks to successfully commit suicide, but she finally died on August 14th. Caesarion was murdered soon after, though Antony and Cleopatra's other children survived as parade stock for Octavian's triumph in Rome. Five years later, Octavian proclaimed himself Augustus and the Roman Empire began.
House: Antonia
Spouse(s): (1) Fadia, then (2) Antonia Hybrida Minor, then (3) Fulvia, daughter of Fulvius Bambalio and Sempronia Tuditani, then (4) Octavia the Younger, daughter of Gaius Octavius and Atia Balba Caesonia
Reign: 43 – 33 BCE
Summary: Much can be said of the life of Mark Antony. The future triumvir of Rome was born into the minor nobility, the descendant of two generations of consuls and proconsuls. His father was incompetent and corrupt. He died in 71 BCE in a failed attempt to defeat pirates. Antony's two brothers, Gaius and Lucius, both served as consuls during Antony's years as a triumvir. Antony's mother was a Caesar, but that meant little at the time of his birth and she was killed in 63 BCE following the Catillinian conspiracy. Thus, at the age of 20, Mark Antony was an orphan, but no longer a boy. His years without a father prepared him for a life of gambling, though he did learn some rhetoric and philosophy in Athens. He joined up with the military in 57 BCE under the command of Aulus Gabinius, the proconsul of Syria, who had him fight as a commander of a Gallic cavalry unit at Alexandrium and Machaerus. Two years later, Antony found himself as a staff officer in the army of Julius Caesar, his cousin, while Caesar fought in Gaul and Germania. Over the course of the next four years, Caesar and Antony would become best friends and Antony would rise in rank from quaestor to tribune. Antony was sent to Rome to sit in the Senate in place of Caesar. While there, he was expelled for vetoing a bill that would have dispossessed Caesar of his army titles. Caesar crossed the Rubicon for this slight and began the Republican Civil War. While Caesar went off to fight Pompey, the consul, Antony remained in Italy. He served as administrator under Caesar from 47 BCE but was not as good an administrator as military commander. His court fell into indulgences quickly. Rome fell into disrepair and revolt and Caesar had Antony removed from all civilian posts. When Caesar returned to Rome in 44 BCE, he selected Antony as his co-consul. During the Lupercalia festival of February 14, 44 BCE, Antony symbolically offered Caesar a diadem, but Caesar ceremonially rejected it proclaiming that he needed no crown to rule Rome. When Caesar was murdered the next month, Antony fled, dressed as a slave. He returned a few days afterwards when he realized that Caesar alone was the target. As the only remaining consul, Antony sought reconciliation and peace between the rival senators. At Caesar's funeral, Antony turned on the conspirators and made certain that the populace turned on them as well. Most fled Rome and became targets of the Second Triumvirate. Antonty marched north to Cisalpine Gaul to attack one of the conspirators. Meanwhile, the Senate denounced Antony and pledged support to Octavian, Caesar's grand-nephew who had appeared as if out of the blue. The Senate sent Octavian to attack Antony but while they were both away, the new consuls in Rome both died. When word reached the two that two conspirators, Brutus and Cassius, were planning to march on Rome in their absence, they allied together with Lepidus and formed the Second Triumvirate, with Antony as the senior partner initially.
Brutus and Cassius were defeated at the Battle of Philippi in 42 BCE. Octavian then took command of Western Europe while Antony received Eastern Europe. Lepidus was to govern Hispania and East Africa. Antony allied with Cleopatra VII, queen of Egypt, in late 41 BCE. They became lovers soon after even though Antony was legally still married to his third wife, Fulvia. She died in 40 BCE, after which he married Octavian's sister, Octavia, as a part of a peace treaty between the two triumvirs. Antony then decided to attack Parthia, which had allied with Brutus and Cassius in the recent war. Fearing betrayal from Octavian, Antony rallied his own troops in Egypt and the east. He captured Jerusalem with Egyptian help in 37 BCE and installed Herod as the king of Judaea, replacing a Parthian governor. He then invaded Parthia with an army 100,000 strong. The campaign was a disaster and he lost nearly a quarter of his army, many to dissertations. In Rome, Octavian convinced Lepidus to resign as triumvir, causing the triumvirate to turn into a dual monarchy. Octavian then began to quickly convince Romans to join his side in a power struggle Antony had been trying to avoid. Antony did not help his case, remaining in Egypt rather than returning to Rome when summoned by the Senate. Antony invaded Armenia in 34 BCE and succeeded where he had previously failed, distributing puppet states to his many children. For Caesarion, the illegitimate son of Julius Caesar, Antony proclaimed him king of Egypt and legitimate successor to Caesar, to rival the claims being made by Octavian in Rome. When the triumvirate treaty expired in 33 BCE, neither Antony nor Octavian renewed it. Open civil war was coming.
Ruling as the lover of the queen of Egypt, Antony divorced Octavia from Egypt and pushed anti-Octavian propaganda throughout the Empire. Octavian did likewise against Antony. In 32 BCE, the Senate agreed to strip Antony of his power, and war was declared against Egypt. A third of the Senate abandoned Rome and joined Antony in Greece to show their support for his cause. In 31 BCE, everything went wrong for Antony. In Greece, much of the provinces called for Octavian without a fight and the Egyptian navy was destroyed at the Battle of Actium. A year later, in 30 BCE, Octavian invaded Egypt. Antony was surrounded and committed suicide on the first day of the battle. He was under the impression that Cleopatra too had died, but she had not and Antony died in her arms. Cleopatra was captured by Octavian soon after and the conqueror allowed her to bury Antony according to Egyptian rites. It took Cleopatra two weeks to successfully commit suicide, but she finally died on August 14th. Caesarion was murdered soon after, though Antony and Cleopatra's other children survived as parade stock for Octavian's triumph in Rome. Five years later, Octavian proclaimed himself Augustus and the Roman Empire began.
Date of Death: 1 August 30 BCE
Successor: Octavianus Augustus (as emperor)
Other Monarchs Who Died Today:
Successor: Octavianus Augustus (as emperor)
Other Monarchs Who Died Today:
- Justin I, emperor of Constantinople (527)
- Louis VI, king of France (1137)
- Shimazy Tadahisa, daimyo in Japan (1227)
- Anne, queen of Great Britain (1714)
- Fahd, king of Saudi Arabia (2005)
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