Mark Antony was a famous Roman general and politician who was instrumental in transforming the Roman Republic from an oligarchy into an autocratic empire. As an ally of Julius Caesar, he was one of the most influential generals responsible for the conquest of Gaul, and he was later designated the administrator of Italy. Antony allied himself with Octavian, Caesar’s great-nephew and adopted son, and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, another of Caesar’s prominent generals, to establish a three-man dictatorship, which historians refer to as the ‘Second Triumvirate’. After defeating Caesar’s assassins, the Triumvirs divided the administration of the Roman Republic between themselves, with Antony in charge of the eastern provinces, which included the Egyptian kingdom. As each member sought greater political power, relations between the triumvirs deteriorated; however, the civil war was averted when Antony married Octavia, Octavian’s sister. His infamous illicit affair with Egyptian Queen Cleopatra VII led to his downfall, as the Roman Senate declared Antony a traitor and declared war on Egypt. Antony and Cleopatra fled to Egypt after their humiliating defeat at the Battle of Actium, where they committed suicide.
Youth and Early Life
Mark Antony was born in a family of Antonia gens on 14 January 83 BC. His father, Marcus Antonius Creticus, was a notoriously incompetent and corrupt military commander, and his mother, Julia Antonia, was a distant relative of Julius Caesar. His grandfather, who shared the same name as his father, was a prominent consul and orator.
Mark Antony’s father died in Crete in 71 B.C. after being tasked with fighting pirates in the Mediterranean, leaving Mark, Lucius, and Gaius in the care and custody of Julia, who subsequently remarried. Publius Cornelius Lentulus Sura, a member of the old Patrician nobility, was subsequently executed on Consul Cicero’s orders for his involvement in the second Catilinarian conspiracy.
As befits a young man from an illustrious family, Mark Antony received an education that emphasized the skills necessary for a successful political career, such as the art of public speaking, objective reasoning, and multi-angle analysis.
Young Antony possessed all the qualities that would serve him well later in life: he was courageous, loyal, athletic, and handsome. However, he was also somewhat slothful, reckless, and too enamored of gambling, drinking, and carousing, as well as scandalous affairs with the opposite sex. Mark Antony fled to Greece in 58 B.C. to evade his creditors, where he studied military strategy, philosophy, and rhetoric.
Marc Anthony’s Career
Mark Antony undertook a military expedition against Syria in 57 B.C. at the request of the Roman general Aulus Gabinius. He remained with Gabinius to subjugate Ptolemy XII’s revolts in Egypt after proving to be a capable cavalry commander.
Julius Caesar invited him to fight with him in Gaul in 54 B.C. after his military prowess had gained prominence. Even though he excelled in battle, his desire for luxury, alcohol, and sexual indulgence alienated him from Caesar and other officers.
Mark Antony fervently supported Caesar and his populist politics in the Senate alongside his longtime friend, Curio, utilizing his oratorical talents to great effect. In 49 B.C., after being rejected and persecuted by the Senate, he and Curio, disguised as servants, retreated to Gaul to join Caesar. Caesar marched to Rome and was able to capture it without resistance.
Caesar appointed Antony as Rome’s administrator before departing for Spain to combat Pompey. Unfortunately, despite Antony’s brilliance as a military commander, he lacked both the skill and interest required to be an effective administrator.
Even though Antony was administratively inept, he managed to maintain Caesar’s supply lines open so reinforcements could be sent. Antony left Rome in the custody of Lepidus and traveled to Greece to join Caesar, where he commanded the left wing of Caesar’s cavalry in the defeat of Pompey the Great at the Battle of Pharsalus.
While Caesar pursued Pompey to Egypt, Antony returned to Rome; however, he was such a poor administrator that Caesar replaced him with Lepidus in 46 BC, upon his return from Egypt. In spite of this, Antony regained Caesar’s favor within a few years and even rose to the position of consul, the highest administrative position in the Roman government.
After Caesar was brutally murdered in 44 B.C., Antony grasped the initiative to turn public opinion against the conspirators and reclaimed control of Rome. Caesar’s 19-year-old heir, Gaius Octavius Thurinus (Octavian), made an unanticipated appearance, and the two became immediate rivals, primarily over the expenditure of funds.
Antony, intellectually and politically outwitted by Octavian, retreated with his forces to Gaul, where they were defeated by Octavian’s army. In a peace offering, after Octavian and Antony defeated Brutus and Cassius in the two battles of Philippi, Octavian included Antony and Lepidus in ‘The Second Triumvirate,’ as it is known today, to jointly rule the Roman Empire; Octavian ruled the west, Lepidus, Africa, and Antony, the east, while Italy was jointly ruled.
Antony summoned Cleopatra VII, then the queen of Egypt, to appear before him and pay a hefty fine for treason against Rome upon his arrival in Tarsus in 41 B.C. Cleopatra, however, manipulated her presence in such a way that Antony fell in love with her.
Antony was married to Fulvia at the time, but he had an infatuation with Cleopatra and treated her as his wife long before they were married. Antony consented to marry Octavia, Octavian’s sister, after Fulvia’s death and while he was attempting to overthrow Octavian, in an effort to preserve their rapidly deteriorating relationship. Cleopatra gave birth to Antony’s twins, Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene, in the same month of their marriage, October 40 BC.
The relationship between Antony and Octavian deteriorated further as the years passed; Antony maintained his relationship with Cleopatra while remaining legally married to Octavia. Antony sent Octavia back to Rome in 37 B.C., and when she returned a few years later with supplies, soldiers, and money to meet him in Athens, he rejected her and sent her back to Rome.
Antony defeated the Armenian forces and annexed Armenia to Rome after leaving Athens. Instead of proceeding to Rome to commemorate his victory, he traveled to Alexandria to appear in a grand parade alongside Cleopatra.
In 32 B.C., he divorced Octavia and formally ceded territories to Cleopatra and their children. Simultaneously, he declared Caesarion, Cleopatra’s elder son by Julius Caesar, to be Caesar’s legitimate heir, thereby publicly challenging Octavian’s right to rule.
In response to the challenge, Octavian strategically persuaded the Senate to declare war on Cleopatra instead of Antony; in 31 BC, Antony and Cleopatra’s forces were defeated by Octavian’s army commanded by General Agrippa at the Battle of Actium. In the succeeding year, Antony would engage in a number of smaller, but nonetheless fruitless, conflicts with Octavian’s forces.
Antony stabbed himself and perished in Cleopatra’s arms in 30 B.C. after believing a rumor that Cleopatra had died. Cleopatra was brokenhearted, self-poisoned, and committed suicide.
Marc’s Major Achievements
Mark Antony, Octavian, and Aemilius Lepidus founded the ‘Second Triumvirate’, a dictatorship of three men that ruled Rome. Mark Antony was instrumental in transforming the Roman Republic into an autocratic empire.
Personal History and Legacy
Mark Antony, who was born into an aristocratic family, lost his father at a young age and grew up with little parental supervision. He fell in with the wrong crowd and adopted a wasteful lifestyle, which led to him accruing an enormous debt.
Even though he was endowed with extraordinary skills in military strategy and oratory, he never lost his penchant for a carefree lifestyle, alcohol, and women, which often brought him a disgrace. His first wife was Fadia, followed by Antonia, Fulvia, Octavia, and Cleopatra during his lifetime. His relationship with Cleopatra ultimately led to his downfall.
He had several offspring with Fadia, one daughter with Antonia, two sons with Fulvia, two daughters with Octavia, and two sons and a daughter with Cleopatra. His daughters with Octavia were related to three Roman emperors: Caligula, Claudius, and Nero. His daughter with Cleopatra was related to the royal dynasty of Mauretania.
Estimated Net Worth
American actor, performer, entrepreneur, and producer Marc Anthony has an estimated net worth of $80 million. His musical career is likely his most widely recognized accomplishment. Marc is the most successful salsa artist in history, having sold over 30 million albums worldwide.