Mark Antony

Also known as: Antony · Family: Roman · Role: statesman · First appears: Julius Caesar 82

Mark Antony studied under Epidius, who taught him alongside Augustus, and was later associated with Sextus Clodius, whom he patronized. He was married to Fulvia and was an enemy of Cicero; he was also connected to Claudia as her parent. When Julius Caesar was killed, fear of Mark Antony helped deter the conspirators from dragging Caesar’s body into the Tiber, confiscating his estate, or rescinding his enactments.

From the time Augustus began governing with Mark Antony and Marcus Lepidus, Antony shared power first with both men and then with Augustus alone. He opposed Augustus’s suit for a tribuneship, and Augustus joined the nobles, hired assassins against him, and fought him at Modena; after two battles, the war ended. After Marcus Lepidus received him following his defeat, Antony entered a confederacy with Augustus and Lepidus, and after Philippi took responsibility for restoring order in the east while Augustus returned the veterans to Italy. Their alliance was repeatedly interrupted before Augustus finally dissolved it, publicly revealing Antony’s will, which named Cleopatra’s children among his heirs.

Augustus defeated Mark Antony near Actium, then conquered Alexandria, where Antony had fled with Cleopatra. After Antony’s unsuccessful efforts to obtain peace, Augustus drove him to suicide and allowed him to be buried with Cleopatra. Antony was the sibling of Lucius Antonius, the parent of Selene, and the elder-kin of Ptolemy and Claudius; Claudius observed Drusus the Elder’s birthday because it was also Antony’s. During another civil war, Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus surrendered his fleet to Antony and served as his lieutenant, while Antony attributed his change of sides to Servilia Nais.