ANTONY, MARK, the triumvir, was the son of An tony the Cretan, and of Julia, a woman of great pru dence and virtue. He very early sheaved a strong pro pensity to vice, and, in the company of young men de voted to pleasure, like himself, acquired those habits of dissipation and illicit indulgence which accompanied him through all the succeeding periods of his life. After spending some time in Greece, in warlike exercises and the study of eloquence, he went into Syria, and made a campaign under Gabinius. He assisted the same general in restoring Ptolemy Auletes to the throne of Egypt_ and in both countries he afforded frequent and striking proofs of great military talents. From Egypt he went to Gaul, where Julius Cxsar was, to whose party he had been brought over by the influence of his friend Curio, who had thought proper to abandon Pompey. In the official characters of quxstor, tribune of the people, and augur, to which, through the re commendation and interest of Cxsar, he was succes sively appointed, he enjoyed the most favourable oppor tunities of promoting the cause which he had espoused. These he improved as long as he could, with the ut most industry and zeal ; but finding at last that the se nate was decidedly hostile to his views, and being or dered by the consul Lentulus to leave the assembly, he went immediately in disguise to Cxsar, and complained not only of the treatment he had personally received, but that affairs at Rome were now conducted without order or justice, or regard to the rights of the people. On this representation, Cxsar, who just wanted such a pre text, marched into Italy, from which he soon drove out his rival ; and having gone against the legions which Pompey had in Spain, he entrusted the command of the army at Rome to Antony. In this situation, Antony con ducted himself in a manner the most unworthy. He was totally neglectful of business, allowed the grossest injuries to be committed by his troops with impunity, spent his time in adulterous intrigues and other debau cheries, and, by his insolence and indiscretion, rendered the government of Cxsar quite insupportable. (Plut. in Anton. Cic. ad Att. x. 10.) Cxsar, on his return from Spain, was made acquainted with his behaviour, but did not choose to find fault with an officer to whom he had been already so much indebted, and on attachment and abilities it was still in a great easure necessary for him to depend. In the progress of the civil war, Antony was of the greatest service to Cxsar. He signalized himself in various actions, both by sea and land, and displayed so much of all that is requisite for forming a great commander, that his repu tation in the army was next to that of Cxsar himself. Accordingly, at the battle of Pharsalia he had the com mand of the left wing, and, as might have been expec ted, contributed in a great degree to the signal victory which Cxsar obtained over Pompey, and which made him master of the Roman commonwealth. After the action, Antony was sent to Rome, where he enjoyed the sole management of public affairs. There his extravaL fiance and licentiousness became unbounded. Come dians, buffoons, and prostitutes, were the persons with whom he habitually associated, and by whose influence he was chiefly guided. The time which should have been devoted to the important duties of his station, he almost wholly spent in the most luxurious gratifications, or in the grossest sensuality. His soldiers, seeing him equally inattentive to their conduct and to the safety of the people, were encouraged to insult and plunder their fellow-citizens. And while all who retained any sense of probity and virtue detested his private character, there was a general indignation expressed against him for his abuse of that authority with which he was in vested for the protection of the state. (Plut. in Anton.) Cxsar, at his return, being informed of Antony's beha viour, was seriously offended, and shcwcd his displea sure in various ways, particularly by rigorously exacting payment for the house of Pompey, which Antony had purchased. (Cic. Phil. 229.) Though Antony com plained much of the dictator's severity, as an ungrate-. ful return for all his services, it seems to have produced a temporary change in his conduct. It is stated by Plu tarch, as a proof of this, that, giving up his licentious amours, he married Fulvia, the widow of Clodius,—a lady who possessed very superior talents, and who is said to have ruled over Antony in his triple character of husband, general, and magistrate. (Pint. in ?nt.) He soon became as intimate and confidential with Cxsar as ever, and was appointed consul, while, at the same time, he had influence enough to prevent the dictator fr. making Dolabella his colleague. (Cic. Phil. 2. 32.) the Lupercalian festival, he proceeded so far as to offer a regal diadem to Cxsar ; and when the•dictator, with the most hypocritical prudery, refused it, persisted in attempting to crown him, till the people, by distinctly announcing their antimonarchical sentiments, put an end to this digusting farce. (Id. Phil. 2. 34.) The patriots who conspired against Cxsail intended to engage Antony in their plot, but were prevented by Trebonius, who had previously discovered his hostility to such a mea sure. And when it was next proposed to involve him in Cxsar's fate, Brutus, with a sense of justice and humanity that did him honoutz, insisted that Antony should not be injured. The conduct of Antony on this trying occasion was able, artful, and bold. As soon as he heard of Cxsar's death, he retired in disguise, but soon invited the conspirators to amicable conference, and went so far as to have Cassius in his house at sup per, and not only to get an act of oblivion passed, but to procure provincial appointments both for Cassius and Brutus. He gradually, however, threw off the mask, and, equally ambitious as Cxsar had been, to become the first man in Rome, he began to take such steps as might be necessary to supplant Brutus, who was the great obstacle to his views, in the affections of the peo ple. For this puwose he pronounced a funeral oration over the body of the dictator, in which he adverted to every circumstance that could move the pity or rouse the indignation of the multitude, and succeeded so well, that the conspirators, to avoid the rage of the deluded populace, were under the necessity of retiring from the city. (Plut. in Anton.) And having got possession of all
Cxsar's papers, containing his journals of the past, and his plans for the future, and also of Faberius, the se cretary by whose hand they were written, (App. iii. 529.) he was able to regulate every thing in the army, the senate, and all other departments in the state, as he found most conducive to his own interests. (Plut. in Anton. Cic. F/i. Fain. xii. 1. Ail Att. xiv. 9.) His be haviour in Rome at this time was extremely absolute, dictatorial, and rapacious. (Pint. in Anton. Cic. Phil. ii. 37.) In the mean time, Octavius, Cisar's nephew, arrived at Rome. Antony, despising his age and inex perience, treated him with great harshness. But Octa vius resenting this usage, they soon came to an open rupture. Taking the field with all the forces they could collect, a general engagement took place near Modena, in which Antony was defeated. lie retreated to the other side of the Alps, where Lepidus and Munatius Plaucus were encamped ; and having with some diffi culty prevailed upon them to join him, he marched back into Italy with a large army. But Octavius, who per ceived that Cicero, with whom he had been hitherto united, Nvished to restore the state to its former liberty, instead of opposing Antony, soon came to an accommo dation with him : and at last these two generals, along with Lepidus, met, and divided among themselves the empire of the world, as if it had been their paternal inheritance. Thus was formed that infamous triumvi rate, which makes such a dark and bloody figure in Roman history : and it is probable, from the disposition and influence of Antony, that its atrocities are to be principally ascribed to him. His treatment of Cicero, whom he had hated from the beginning of his career, and who was too virtuous to become a party against the freedom of his country, assimilates him to the blood thirsty Marius, by whom his own grandfather had been inhumanly butchered, and is of itself more than suffi cient to render his memory for ever detestable. (Pint. `n Anton. Flor. iv. 6. Val. Pat. ii. 66.) He now re turned to his former dissolute way of life, extorting money by the most shameful acts of violence, and wast ing what he had thus acquired in excesses equally cri minal and base. Finding it necessary to take the field against Brutus and Cassius, he overcame both of them in two successive battles. He then made a progress through part of Asia, and passed into Greece, where he resided a considerable time, indulging in his usual rapacity and prodigality. Before he set out on his ex pedition against the Parthians, he summoned Cleopa tra, queen of Egypt, to appear before him in Cilicia, to answer to some accusations that had been preferred against her, of assisting Cassius. This summons being obeyed, was fatal to the future character and fortunes of Antony. Cleopatra was a most accomplished and captivating woman. She had formerly subdued the hearts of Julius Cxsar and the younger Pompey ; and she now employed all the seductive arts of which she was mistress to enslave Antony, who, in consequence of his careless and licentious habits, and of the disci pline he had received under Fulvia, was prepared to fall an easy prey to her dominion. Forgetful of his own wife, of the critical state of affairs at Rome, and of his Intended invasion of Parthia, he suffered himself to be led away by the amorous queen to Alexandria, where he plunged into all kinds of folly, extravagance, and vice. He was not roused from this unmanly lethargy, till repeated messages had informed him that his pre sence was requisite in Italy. Fulvia, coming to meet him on his way thither, fell sick, and died ; and this, with other circumstances, again produced an accommo dation with Octavius, whose sister, Octavia, the widow of C. Marcellus, he consented to marry. Notwithstand ing this bond of connection, and other pledges of mutual attachment, Antony regarded Octavius with great jea lousy and dislike, and at last set out for the eastern provinces, which had fallen to his share in the distribu tion of the empire, and where the fame of his arms soon became terrible to the barbarous nations. Provo ked at Octavius for some alleged offence, he again re turned into Italy ; but being once more reconciled to him through Octavia, he resumed his station in Asia. The love of Cleopatra still burning in his breast, he sent for her into Syria, where he bestowed upon her so much territory, obtained by the most cruel means, and maintained such a loose and unprincipled correspondence with her, that the indignation of his followers was openly expressed. Having determined to invade Parthia, he sent her into Egypt ; but his eagerness to follow her thither, that he might spend the winter with her, pre vented him from adopting those wise measures which were necessary to success, and which, but for his un happy passion, he would certainly have embraced. This enterprize proved not only fruitless but disastrous. Af ter besieging Phraata for some time in vain, he was obliged to retire. His retreat lasted twenty-seven days, and cost him no less than 24,000 men : and had it not been for a degree of skill on his part, and of perseve rance on that of the troops, which enabled him to rival Xenophon and his ten thousand Greeks, his whole army must have perished. (Plut. in Anton. Dion. Cass. I. xlix. Flor. iv. 10.) Not satisfied, however, with the loss he had sustained in this ill-fated expedition, he marched his troops in great haste through frost and snow, that he might join Cleopatra as soon as possible at Leuco come, by which means he threw away the lives of 8000 more. His passion for this woman continued to increase daily. For her sake, he would not permit his wife, who proposed to pay him a visit, to come farther than Athens, and weakly deferred another expedition to Parthia, in favour of the king of Media, though he had every pros pect of success. Through the exertions of Octavia, an open and irremediable breach between him and Octa vius was for some time delayed ; but at length, in spite of all her conciliatory efforts, matters came to a fatal crisis; mutual charges and recriminations were pub licly preferred ; and nothing remained but to decide the contest by force of arms.