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Marc Antony
Marc Antony was born in 82 b.c. in Rome, he was son of Marc Antony of Crete and grandson of Marc Antony the Orator. His mother Julia was Caesar's relative. His father died young and his mother remarried to Cornelius Lentulus, the senator who was put to death by Cicero in 63 for having been of Catiline's conspiracy.
Marc Antony wasted his early years, together with his brothers Lucius and Gaius and their friends he lived careless life, full of gambling, drunkeness and love scandals.
At the age of 20 he travelled to Greece, where he spent his time studying the art of eloquence. He joined legions going to Syria under command of Alulus Gabinius. During this campaign Marc Antony showed his abilities as a cavalry leader and won recognition with his courage and bravery. He visited Egypt and Alexandria for the first time.
Marc Antony – Caesar's adherent
In 54 b.c. Marc Antony became one of the commanders in Caesar's army in Gaul. He proved his great abilities as a military leader again, although even Caesar himself was confused and irritated by his personality and behaviour. Nevertheless Marc became a devoted supporter of the emperor.
In 51 b.c. Marc Antony served as a bursar. As a tribune of the people in 50 b.c. he was dedicated to supporting Caesar's matters. The political situation of those times was dominated by conflict between Caesar and the conservative wing of the Senate led by Pompey. Marc Antony said in the Senate that not only Caesar, whose the second 5-year-period of consular power in Gaul was terminating, but also Pompey should devolve his power over the army. His proposal was rejected and the fierce speech against Caesar's enemies resulted in Marc's removal from the Senate.
He went to the northern Italy to Caesar who was staying there with his troops, furnishing him pretext to starting the war. After the famous crossing of Rubicon the civil war became the fact. During this war Marc Antony was the main Caesar's collaborator. The proof for Caesar's trust was the fact that during the decisive battle with Pompey at Pharsalius it was Marc Antony who had been given the command of the left wing of his army.
When Caesar took the dictator's chair, Marc Antony was nominated as the cavalry leader. In 47 b.c., during the absence of Caesar who was fighting in Africa against Pompey's followers, Marc Antony reigned in Rome. It turned out that his administrative skills were much worse than the military ones. He brought about lots of conflicts in the city. Discontent Caesar denied him any responsibility for two years. Just in 44 b.c. did they bring together and Marc Antony was taken for Caesar's colleague in his fifth consulate.
The Ides of March
On March 15, on the Ides of March, Caesar had been assassinated by the group of conspirators led by Brutus and Cassius in the Senate house. Antony fled, affraid of massacre of Caesar's adherents. After some time he cooled off and started to get the situation under control. He took over the treasury and documents from Caesar's office.
Initially he wanted to reach agreement with the conspirators. He accepted Cicero's proposal about amnesty for the assassins that was enacted in the Senate. During Caesar's funeral on April 20 Antony delivered eulogy over Caesar's body and with his dramatic speech he caused ferment amongst the Romans. The riot against the conspirators forced them to leave the city.
The second triumvirate
Caesar's death turned out to be the beginning of a new civil war and a fight for power. After a couple of months of havoc the empire was determined and the power was divided amongst Marc Antony, Octavian Augustus – the main successor of Caesar, and Lipidus. In 44 b.c. they were oficially nominated as rulers for the next five years.
After victory in battles at Phillippi and suicides of Brutus and Cassius the power of three rulers wasn't limited in any way. Lepidus took over control of the western part, Octavian stayed in Italy and Marc Antony was awarded the East.
During the trip to the eastern provinces Antony met in 41 b.c. the Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra, who became his lover. At the same time in Italy a revolt broke out, led by Fulvia, Antony's wife and his brother Lucius. They were besieged in Perusia by Octavian's army and forced to surrender. Fulvia was banished and died soon.
It enabled Antony and Octavian to reach agreement once again. The agreement was confirmed by treaty in Brundusium and Antony's marriage to Octavia, Octavian's sister. It was her influence that led, after a couple of arguments between Antony and Octavian, to signing the next treaty, in Tarentum in 38 b.c. That renewed the triumvirate for the next five years.
Antony in the East
Antony was sceptical, as far as Octavian's intentions were concerned, so he decided to go to Alexandria and leave his pregnant wife in Rome. He borrowed necessary funds from Cleopatra and took his troops on expedition to Parthia. The campaign turned out to be unsuccessful and Antony lost the most of his soldiers.
In the meantime Octavian managed to eliminate Lepidus as his competitor for power, won over Roman aristocracy, in which his marriage to Livia was very helpful, and carried on a propaganda campaign of accusations against Antony.
Antony organized the next campaign for Egyptian money. Invasion of Armenia was successful.
While celebrating his triumph in Alexandria Marc Antony announced political rulings that put an end to the alliance with Octavian. Children he had with Cleopatra were awarded following kingdoms: Alexander Helios – Armenia and Parthia, Cleopatra Selene – Cyrene and Libya, Ptolemaeus Filadelfos – Syria and Cilicia.
The most important matter was the appointment of Caesarion, son of Cleopatra and Caesar to co-ruler of Egypt and legitimate son and inheritor of Caesar. It was an action against Octavian who was an adopted son of Caesar and his heir. This decision could not be accepted by Octavian and after the triumvirate expiration in 33 b.c. a new civil war started. Both sides conducted a propaganda war in which Octavian was accused of power usurpation and counterfeiting Caesar's will, and Antony - of unlawful rule in provinces, conducting wars without the Senate's approval and aiming at kingship. In 31 b.c. it came to the sea battle at Actium in which the Antony and Cleopatra's navy was destroyed and after that they had to flee to Egypt. Next year Octavian invaded Egypt. Marc Antony commited suicide.
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