Antonius, MARCUS (MARK ANTONY), the Roman triumvir, born about 83 B.C., belonged to one of the oldest patrician families, and on his mother's side was related to Julius Cæsar. His youth was wasted in dissipation, and finding himself pressed by creditors, he escaped to Greece in 58 B.C., where, for a while, he listened to the Athenian philosophers and orators. His studies here were soon interrupted by the proconsul Gabinus, who appointed him commander of his cavalry. In the campaign against Aristobulus in Palestine, and in Egypt, Antony distinguished himself by his courage and activity, and ingratiated himself with the soldiery. After assisting Cæsar in Gaul, he went to Rome in 50 B.C., to uphold his great kinsman against the oligarchical party, and was appointed quæstor, augur, and tribune of the plebs. Next year, as one of Cæsar's adherents, he was expelled from the curia, and fled to Cæsar, who made this a pretext for his war against Pompey. At its outbreak, Antony received the appointment of commander-in-chief in Italy; in the battle of Pharsalia, he led the left wing of Cæsar's army. In 47 B.C. 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. He drank; he divorced his wife, and took up with an actress, Cytheris. In 44 B.C. he was made consul, and vainly endeavoured to prevail on the Romans to recognise Cæsar as emperor. On Cæsar's assassination, he played the part so finely described by Shakespeare; and by his funeral oration, with the well-timed display of Cæsar's bloody robe, so wrought on the passions of the people, that the conspirators were forced to escape from Rome, leaving Antony in possession of almost absolute power. Next, we find him occupied in disputes and reconciliations with Octavian (see AUGUSTUS), besieging Mutina, and denounced by Cicero as an enemy of the state. The defeat of Mutina (43 B.C.) drove him a fugitive beyond the Alps; but in Gaul he visited the camp of Lepidus, and gained the favour of the army, of which he took the command. Plancus and Pollio joined him with their troops; and Antony, who so recently had escaped as a helpless fugitive from Italy, returned to Rome at the head of seventeen legions and 10,000 cavalry. Octavian, who had pretended to maintain republican principles, now threw off the mask, and held a consultation with Antony and Lepidus, near Bononia, when it was determined that these triumvirs should share the whole Roman world among themselves. To secure their spoil, they returned to Rome, and began their course of proscription and plunder. Among their first victims was Cicero, the orator whose eloquence they dreaded; and, in all, not less than 300 senators and 2000 equites are believed to have fallen. After securing Italy for themselves, and raising an enormous sum of money to carry on the war abroad, Antony and Octavian led their troops into Macedonia, and defeated Brutus and Cassius. Antony next paid a visit to Athens, and then passed over to Asia, to arrange his dispute with Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, whose conduct had offended the triumvirs. The queen herself appeared to answer his challenge, and captivated him by her beauty and address. The conqueror of Brutus and Cassius was made a prisoner, though not a prisoner of war. He followed Cleopatra into Egypt, and lived with her in idleness and luxury, until he was aroused by tidings of a quarrel in Italy between his own kindred and Octavian. This dispute gave rise to a short war, which came to an end before Antony arrived in Italy. A new division of the Roman world was now arranged, Antony taking the East, and Octavian the West, while Lepidus had to put up with Africa. Antony had confirmed his friendship with Octavian by a marriage with his sister, Octavia; but, returning now to
Cleopatra, he resumed his voluptuous mode of life, and was guilty of acts of the grossest injustice. Octavian used these facts to excite the indignation of the Roman people against Antony, and war between the rivals became inevitable. Antony, in his idleness, tried to postpone the coming conflict, and filled the island of Samos (where his troops were quartered) with musicians, jugglers, and buffoons. Meanwhile, at Rome, he was deposed from the triumvirate, and war was proclaimed against Cleopatra. Each party collected its forces, and in the naval engagement of Actium (31 B.C.) Antony was defeated. His hope of finding troops still faithful to him in Libya was disappointed; and he returned to Egypt, there, with Cleopatra, once more to forget his political cares and vexations, until his amusements were suddenly interrupted by the arrival of Octavian at Alexandria. Deserted by the Egyptian fleet, as by his own army, and deceived by a false report of Cleopatra's suicide, he killed himself by falling upon his sword, in the year 30 B.C.