About Mark Antony
Born
January 14, 83 BC
Rome, Roman Republic
Died
August 1, 30 BC (aged 53)
Alexandria, Ptolemaic Kingdom
Allegiance
Roman Republic
Battles/wars
Gallic
Wars
Caesar's
civil war
Battle of Pharsalus
Roman-Parthian Wars
Antony's
war on Parthia
Post-Caesarian
civil war
Battle of Mutina
Liberators'
civil war
Battle of Philippi
Final War of the Roman Republic
Battle of Actium
In 54 BC, Antony became a staff officer in Caesar's armies in Gaul and Germany. He again proved to be a
competent military leader in the Gallic Wars. Antony and Caesar were the best of
friends, as well as being fairly close relatives. Antony made himself ever
available to assist Caesar in carrying out his military campaigns.
Raised by Caesar's influence to the offices of quaestor, augur, and tribune of the plebeians (50 BC), he
supported the cause of his patron with great energy. Caesar's two proconsular
commands, during a period of ten years, were expiring in 50 BC, and he
wanted to return to Rome for the consular elections. But resistance from the
conservative faction of the Roman Senate, led by Pompey, demanded that Caesar resign his
proconsulship and the command of his armies before being allowed to seek
re-election to the consulship.
This Caesar would not do, as such an act would at least temporarily render
him a private citizen and thereby leave him open to prosecution for his acts
while proconsul. It would also place him at the mercy of Pompey's armies. To
prevent this occurrence Caesar bribed the plebeian tribune Curio
to use his veto to prevent a senatorial decree which would deprive Caesar of his
armies and provincial command, and then made sure Antony was elected tribune for
the next term of office.
Antony exercised his tribunician veto, with the aim of preventing a
senatorial decree declaring martial law against the veto, and was violently
expelled from the senate with another Caesar adherent, Cassius, who was also a
tribune of the plebs. Caesar crossed the river Rubicon upon hearing of these affairs which began
the Republican civil war. Antony left Rome and joined
Caesar and his armies at Ariminium, where he was presented to Caesar's
soldiers still bloody and bruised as an example of the illegalities that his
political opponents were perpetrating, and as a casus belli.
Tribunes of the Plebs were meant to be untouchable and their veto inalienable
according to the Roman mos maiorum (although there was a grey line as to
what extent this existed in the declaration of and during martial law). Antony
commanded Italy whilst Caesar destroyed Pompey's legions in Spain, and led the
reinforcements to Greece, before commanding the right wing of Caesar's armies at
Pharsalus.
January 14, 83 BC
Rome, Roman Republic
Died
August 1, 30 BC (aged 53)
Alexandria, Ptolemaic Kingdom
Allegiance
Roman Republic
Battles/wars
Gallic
Wars
Caesar's
civil war
Battle of Pharsalus
Roman-Parthian Wars
Antony's
war on Parthia
Post-Caesarian
civil war
Battle of Mutina
Liberators'
civil war
Battle of Philippi
Final War of the Roman Republic
Battle of Actium
In 54 BC, Antony became a staff officer in Caesar's armies in Gaul and Germany. He again proved to be a
competent military leader in the Gallic Wars. Antony and Caesar were the best of
friends, as well as being fairly close relatives. Antony made himself ever
available to assist Caesar in carrying out his military campaigns.
Raised by Caesar's influence to the offices of quaestor, augur, and tribune of the plebeians (50 BC), he
supported the cause of his patron with great energy. Caesar's two proconsular
commands, during a period of ten years, were expiring in 50 BC, and he
wanted to return to Rome for the consular elections. But resistance from the
conservative faction of the Roman Senate, led by Pompey, demanded that Caesar resign his
proconsulship and the command of his armies before being allowed to seek
re-election to the consulship.
This Caesar would not do, as such an act would at least temporarily render
him a private citizen and thereby leave him open to prosecution for his acts
while proconsul. It would also place him at the mercy of Pompey's armies. To
prevent this occurrence Caesar bribed the plebeian tribune Curio
to use his veto to prevent a senatorial decree which would deprive Caesar of his
armies and provincial command, and then made sure Antony was elected tribune for
the next term of office.
Antony exercised his tribunician veto, with the aim of preventing a
senatorial decree declaring martial law against the veto, and was violently
expelled from the senate with another Caesar adherent, Cassius, who was also a
tribune of the plebs. Caesar crossed the river Rubicon upon hearing of these affairs which began
the Republican civil war. Antony left Rome and joined
Caesar and his armies at Ariminium, where he was presented to Caesar's
soldiers still bloody and bruised as an example of the illegalities that his
political opponents were perpetrating, and as a casus belli.
Tribunes of the Plebs were meant to be untouchable and their veto inalienable
according to the Roman mos maiorum (although there was a grey line as to
what extent this existed in the declaration of and during martial law). Antony
commanded Italy whilst Caesar destroyed Pompey's legions in Spain, and led the
reinforcements to Greece, before commanding the right wing of Caesar's armies at
Pharsalus.