theantonian

[theantonian]

Gold armband with Herakles knot

Hellenistic period

3rd–2nd century BCE

Gold inlaid with garnets, emeralds, and enamel

3 1/2in. (8.9cm)

The Herakles knot on this sumptuous armband is enriched with floral decoration and inlaid with garnets, emeralds, and enamel. According to the Roman writer Pliny, the decorative device of the Herakles knot could cure wounds, and its popularity in Hellenistic jewelry suggests that it was thought to have the power to avert evil.

from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

#greek art #hellenistic art #ancient artifacts #ancient art #antiquities #art history #archeology #hercules #carnelian #met museum #herakles

[theantonian]

People still continue to say:

Antony was illiterate

Antony was stupid

Antony was disloyal

Antony was cruel

Antony was arrogant

Antony was impious

Antony was immoral

Antony was untalented

Antony was a bad general

Antony was an animal

Antony was a jealous man

Antony was a womanizer

Antony and a coward

Antony was a drunk

Etc etc..... So on and so forth.

For Augustus fans, there was nobody worse than him. It's the human nature to be the fans of the winner. Augustus fans need to assassinate Antony's character to prop their favourite up. So, for thousands of years Antony suffers. His eternal damnation has no end in sight.

However, after all this abuse and lies, I will still continue to defend my unfortunate Imperator's honour with facts and logic as long as I live.

#mark antony #my ramblings #rome #i got blocked from several blogs for defending Antony

[theantonian]

Today is supposed to be the foundation day of Rome. Does this day hold any special value to an Antonian? Today is also the anniversary of the Battle of Mutina, where Antony was busy fighting for his life against his own country man, Octavian. Three huge armies wanted Antony's death for absolutely no reason. I didn't see anybody writing about this today. I see people saying things as if Antony wasn't a Roman. They believe he was a traitor.

The Goddess Roma has forgotten her unfortunate son, Antonius, who was patriotically loyal to Her even if he had to fight his way through to Her during his final couple of visits. Roma has no need for a defeated son when She has Her victorious son, Augustus.

Happy Rome Foundation Day!

Let no other son be denied the soil of his motherland ever again.

#mark antony #happy birthday rome #patriotism #rome

[theantonian]

THE BATTLE OF MUTINA, APRIL 21st 43 BC

On 21st April, Aulus Hirtius at the head of the Fourth Legion and Octavian’s legions advanced towards Mark Antony's camps. Antony initially wanted to answer this assault with only his cavalry but when the enemy fought him with their cavalry only, moving the rest of their army in whatever way they chose, Antony drew out two legions from his entrenchments. He ordered other cohorts from other camps, but the reinforcements were slow to arrive due to the suddenness of the order or the long distance and Octavian’s forces seemed to have gained the upper hand.

Hirtius led the Fourth Legion and broke into Antony’s camps while a fierce fight was still raging outside the camps. His target was the general’s tent which was defended by the Larks. While Decimus organized a sortie from Mutina, under the command of Lucius Pontius Aquila (another of Caesar's assassins) and attacked Antony’s camp. Hirtius’ troops fought a brutal battle against the Larks outside Antony’s personal tent. It was a day of alternating hopes and despair for Antony, who rushed from one danger point to another, cheering on his men and exposing himself with his usual recklessness in battle. After a bloody melee the Larks were victories and saved their general’s tent. During the confusion of the fight, Hirtius was killed and his legion was forced to retreat. Octavian was said to have rushed in and carried off his body and took charge of the remaining troops. According to Suetonius, "in the thick of the fight, when the

eagle-bearer of his legion was sorely wounded, he shouldered the eagle and carried it for some time." Octavian managed to recover Hirtius’ body but was very soon routed by the Larks. At the end of the day both Octavian and Decimus were forced to retreat back to their camps. Aquila was killed, and his troops, eventually returned to Mutina. Antony, though under serious loss after the battles against a much larger force then his own, was exhausted but not defeated. All sides suffered major losses.

During the night Antony counted his dead and reviewed the situation. He did not know how greatly the enemy had also suffered and he was unaware that Octavian was now their only surviving general, Hirtius being dead and Pansa dying. He was hopeless of victory and believed that next day Hirtius, Octavian and Decimus, acting together, would overwhelm him. His friends argued him to carry on the siege but according to Appian, he said, “in which case, our cavalry will be useless and Lepidus and Plancus will despise me as a vanquished man. If we withdraw from Mutina, Ventidius will presently join us with three legions from Picenum, and Lepidus and Plancus will be emboldened to ally themselves with us.”

Therefore, in the darkness of the night he gave the order for a retreat towards the Alps with his remained forces. At the same time that night, he sent a message to his friend Publius Ventidius, instructing him to march quickly through the Apennines and join him with his three legions.

Later, Decimus Brutus reported to Cicero that Antony fled from his camps toward the Alps with his remaining force of infantry and those without arms, but by opening the workhouses and impressing all sorts of people on the road, he collected a considerable number of men.

Antony’s hopes now lay in joining forces with other Caesarian leaders, Marcus Aemilius Lepidus in Gallia Narbonensis (Southern France) and Lucius Munatius Plancus in Gallia Comata. He abandoned the siege on the next morning and started marching west along the Via Aemilia, his legions reached first Parma and then Placentia without much difficulty, for his opponents had remained in Mutina, gaining him two days' advantage. Arriving at Tortona, Antony turned southwards and crossed his forces over the Apennines. In this way, he reached the coast of Liguria west of Genoa at Vada Sabatia, where on 3rd May, he was joined by Ventidius with three legions. Thus, he regrouped with complete success.

Immediately after Antony's flight Decimus urged Octavian to cross the Apennines and intercept Ventidius, in which case in a letter to Cicero, he wrote, “I should have driven Antony to such straits that he would have succumbed to want rather than the sword. But I cannot command Octavian, nor can he command his own army, which is doubly unfortunate.” In another letter written from Pollentia, Decimus gives an account in detail of his movements after Antony's flight. “I was not able to pursue immediately,” he wrote, “because I had neither cavalry nor pack animals. I did not know that Hirtius was dead. I could not trust Octavius, until I had met and conversed with him. So that day passed. Early the next day I was summoned by Pansa to Bononia. While I was on the road thither news was brought to me that he was dead. So, I returned to my little band, reduced as it is to extremity by the want of everything. Thus, Antony got two days the start of me.”

Primary Sources:

Plutarch’s Life of Antony

Cicero, Fourteen Philippics, Ad Brutum vi, Ad familiares xi. 10-14

Appian, The Civil Wars III. X. 70-74

Dio Cassius, The Roman History, XLVI. 37-38

Suetonius, Augustus 10, 11

Tacitus, Annals. I. 10

Secondary Sources:

Eleanor Goltz Huzar, Mark Antony – A Biography

Arthur Weigall, The Life and Times of Marc Antony

Ronald Syme, The Roman Revolution

#mark antony #marcus antonius #rome #roman history #ancient rome #roman republic #roman empire #battle of mutina #on this day #history #ancient history

[theantonian]

Antoine Et Cleopatre, Luc-Olivier Merson (French, 1846-1920)

An intricately detailed illustration shows two figures, representing Mark Antony and Cleopatra, in a close embrace. Surrounding them are elements of classical architecture and decoration, suggestive of ancient Roman or Egyptian settings, with a prominent title above them reading "ANTOINE ET CLEOPATRE." An overturned vessel on the floor hints at a scene of relaxed or perhaps abandoned luxury.

(Antony holding his beloved Cleopatra on his lap. It makes me tear up to see his huge arms holding his tiny Cleopatra. 🥺)

#mark antony #marcus antonius #cleopatra #antony and cleopatra #rome #roman history #ancient rome #roman republic #roman empire #ancient egypt #art #lovers #love #star crossed lovers

[theantonian]

BATTLE OF FORUM GALLORUM, APRIL 14TH 43 BC

This battle was fought between the forces of Marcus Antonius and legions loyal to the Roman senate under the overall command of the consuls Vibius Pansa aided by his fellow consul Aulus Hirtius while Octavian remained behind at senate's camp.

After leaving a part of his forces under the command of his brother Lucius Antonius to hold Decimus Brutus in siege and engage Hirtius and Octavian with a feigned attack on their camp, Antony secretly marched off from his camp with the Second Gallica (Legio II Gallica) and Thirty-Fifth Legions (Legio XXXV) and his praetorian cohorts, and those of Marcus Junius Silanus along the Via Aemilia over the marshy ground to halt Pansa’s progress. Antony’s ambush attack in a forest and marsh near Forum Gallorum was masterly. Antony himself led the center. But his move was discovered and the Martian legion led by Carsuleius and Servius Sulpicius Galba (one of Caesar's killers) and Octavian’s praetorian cohorts were dispatched to meet and reinforce Pansa, with the result that when Antony made his attack, he found himself fighting not only the newly recruited legions but also this legion of veteran soldiers who were thirsting for revenge upon him for the executions at Brundisium.

According to Appian, “there was a suspicious agitation of the bushes, then a gleaming of shields and helmets, and Antony's praetorian cohort suddenly showed itself directly in their front. The other troops divided themselves in two parts and advanced into the marsh on either side, the one commanded by Pansa and the other by Decimus Carsuleius. While the praetorians of Octavius confronted the praetorians of Antony. Thus, there were two battles in two marshes, and neither division could see the other by reason of the elevated road, while along the road itself the praetorian cohorts fought another battle of their own. The Antonians were determined to punish the Martians for desertion as being traitors to themselves and allying with the senate. The Martians were equally determined to punish the Antonians for condoning the slaughter of their comrades at Brundisium. Recognizing in each other the flower of either army they hoped to decide the whole war by this single engagement. Being veterans, they raised no battle-cry, since they could not expect to terrify each other, nor in the engagement did they utter a sound, either as victors or vanquished. As there could be neither flanking nor charging in marshes and ditches, they stood together in close order, and since neither could dislodge the other, they locked together with their swords as in a wrestling match. No blow missed its mark. There were wounds and slaughter but no cries, only groans; and when one fell, he was instantly borne away, and another took his place. They needed neither admonition nor encouragement, since experience had made each one his own general. When they were overcome by fatigue, they drew apart from each other for a brief space to take breath, as in gymnastic games, and then rushed again to the encounter.”

In this fierce and bloody battle, Carsuleius had fallen mortally wounded and the Martians began to fall back while still repulsing Antony’s cavalry assaults.

Finally, the Martian legion were routed with Antony’s praetorian cohorts completely destroying Octavian praetorian cohorts to the last man. In the marshes to the left of the Via Aemilia, Pansa suffered a serious injury; his wound said to have come from an enemy javelin. This shook the morals of cohorts of the Martians. While the injured consul was transferred to Bononia, the Antonian veterans of Second Gallica put the cohorts to flight. When the new recruits of Pansa saw this, they fled in terror, disorder and with loud cries towards their camp. Antony fell upon these veterans and new recruits, making a great slaughter.

While Antony’s troops celebrated, collected booty of victory and singing hymns of victory, Antony soon realized that Hirtius’ fresh troops were approaching towards them from the north. Antony could waste no time on pursuing Pansa's broken army and began marching his disorderly troops back towards Mutina.

Antony hurriedly got his troops in line and bravely faced the enemy forces. Despite their tough resistance and instances of great valour, greater part of them were slain in this encounter, although Hirtius could not pursue them. As darkness was coming, he allowed them to escape in fear of being lured into a trap. A wide stretch of the marsh was filled with arms, corpses of men and horses, wounded men, and half-dead men. Some were unhurt but were overcome by fatigue. Antony and his cavalry, as many as he had with him, went to their assistance and collected them throughout the entire night. Some they put on horse-back in their own places, others they urged to take hold of the horses' tails and run along with them and so secure their safety. Antony then encamped without entrenchments in a village nearby, called Forum Gallorum (Castel Franco).

Thus, the long and bloody battle of Forum Gallorum came to an end.

Sources: Plutarch’s Life of Antony

Cicero, Philippics

Appian, The Civil Wars III. 66-70

Eleanor Goltz Huzar, Mark Antony – A Biography

Ronald Syme, The Roman Revolution

#mark antony #marc antony #marcus antonius #octavian #rome #mutina #roman history #ancient rome #roman republic #roman empire #battle of forum gallorum #on this day #ancient history #history

[theantonian]

I wonder if Cleopatra had any of these cute jewelry boxes.

Hedgehog on box pendant Late Period–Ptolemaic Period

4th century –30 B.C., perhaps

the met

#ptolemaic egypt #ancient artifacts

[theantonian]

Facial reconstruction of the Ptolemaic Egyptian Queen Cleopatra VII (r. 51-30 BCE). This artistic representation of Cleopatra is primarily based on a bust from the Berlin Altes Museum, widely agreed to depict Cleopatra. In addition to the Berlin portrait, the features in this reconstruction are based upon contemporary coin portraits and a bust from the British Museum which may depict Cleopatra.

#cleopatra #cleopatra vii #history #ancient egypt #egypt #ptolemaic egypt #ptolemies #ptolemaic dynasty #ancient history #facial reconstruction

[theantonian]

been laughing at this for an hour straight.

[theantonian]

I wonder if Caesarion, Cleopatra and Antonius meant anything to Julius Caesar or Octavian was everything to him.

It's likely that they are just tools to Caesar to be used when needed and kicked away when the deed was done.

Such is the power of ambition.

#mark antony #julius caesar #cleopatra #octavian #caesarion #rome #roman history #ancient rome #roman republic #roman empire

[theantonian]

DID JULIUS CAESAR FEAR MARCUS ANTONIUS’ GROWING POPULARITY?

Marcus Antonius during his term as Magister Equitum to Julius Caesar surrounded himself with armed bodyguards while inside Rome’s sacred Pomerium, he also wore a large sword and armour on his own person to display his powerful physical strength in order to install fear in troublemakers who were busy stirring up rabbles in an already very unstable city.

Following his divorce from Antonia, Antonius married the twice-widowed Fulvia. Having married her, Caesar’s legate now had the use of his new wife’s full dowry, which meant the control of Publius Clodius’ massive city clientele and collegia gangs. With so much power now at his disposal, it behooved Caesar to keep watch over Marcus Antonius.

Antonius now had power that was separate from that given him by Caesar. At some point during Caesar’s third Consular term in 46 BC, Caesar attempted to withdraw from the office, requesting the senate transfer his Consulship to Publius Cornelius Dolabella. Antonius, however, objected, pointing out that it was Dolabella who had been behind the rash of gang violence in the city. Shamed, Caesar was forced to withdraw his request. But Caesar could see Dolabella's popularity with the people, and he still meant to maintain a good relationship with him. Using his prerogative as Dictator, Caesar wanted to appoint Dolabella to the Consulship. But Antonius, in his capacity as an augur, proclaimed the omens unfavorable, and once again, Caesar was forced to back down. However, Antonius could not prevent Caesar from using his dictatorial prerogatives to issue a full pardon to Dolabella for his role in instigating the gang violence. Antonius’ ability to make Rome’s Dictator back down on two occasions points to his growing power during Caesar’s absence from Rome.

Marcus had two brothers, Gaius and Lucius Antonius, who each held military commands, and all were the sons of Caesar’s third cousin Julia, a woman described by Plutarch as one of the ‘most nobly born and admirable women of her time.’ The two brothers were fiercely loyal to their elder brother, thus contributing to his overall political strength.

The fact that Antonius had dared to march across the Pomerium with armed legions and kill armed mob who were occupying the Forum Romanum for the debt legislation, also demonstrated to Caesar that Antonius had some support from the legions and could not simply be punished to the fullest extent of the law with exile or loss of citizenship. Instead, Caesar had to content himself with legally removing Antonius from office, and naming as his Master of the Horse, Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. But Caesar knew that despite his being demoted to only a private citizen, Marcus Antonius was not likely to just disappear.

#mark antony #marcus antonius #julius caesar #gaius julius caesar #rome #roman history #ancient rome #roman republic #roman empire #marc antony #cleopatra #richard burton #rex harrison #cleopatra 1963

[theantonian]

Antony had the physical strength of Hercules was heroic. He was beloved of the people because of his simplicity and patriotism.

It's the late Roman Republic...

Now put in the tags what you selected and who you THINK it's referring to... Because I sneakily had at least two people in mind when I made each option and when the poll is over I'll reveal who I had in mind for each option

#mark antony #Heroic Himbo and man of the people

[theantonian]

My beloved Cleopatra! I can lose everything to be by your side always. I have made a lot of mistakes in my life. Taken a lot of lives. Still, you embraced me without judgment. Let Augustus cut me down into pieces, erase my memories from people's minds, I will not despair. I only want to seek you out in this vast expense of emptiness. My wife, my life, my whole being, I will find you even if the Gods cast me into Hades.

#antony and cleopatra #mark antony #cleopatra #cleopatra vii

[theantonian]

I wonder what motivated Ahenobarbus to join Antony, who killed his father by his own hand at the battle of Pharsalus?

Side note: Antony must have been a major badass to have killed Ahenobarbus' father and still the son became his friend and legate.

Joseph Lusher as Enobarbus (left) and Nick Baldasare as Mark Antony (right) from Shakespeare's Antony & Cleopatra, Actors Theatre Columbus 1997

Antony's base camp at Actium. Inside Domitius Ahenobarbus' tent:

Ahenobarbus: (looking up to Antony from his bed) How is your book coming along?

Antony: (thoughtful) Almost finished. I just need to edit the last chapter.

Ahenobarbus: (tries to sit up) Maybe I should write something in your support too while I still can. That will go nicely with your piece. Besides, your followers will be much elated by it.

Antony: (looking sternly at him) Stop talking Ahenobarbus. Only focus on your health. I am not running a cult. I want you jumping and lifting weights before we confront Octavian's ships.

Ahenobarbus: Mark, what if we all die of hunger following your cult!

Antony: (smiling) Then I will join you all before long! Now, throw these thoughts out of your head and rest. That's an order.

Ahenobarbus: Really Mark? (tries to laugh) I suppose I will try my best.

#mark antony #marcus antonius #ahenobarbus #gnaeus domitius ahenobarbus

[theantonian]

Joseph Lusher as Enobarbus (left) and Nick Baldasare as Mark Antony (right) from Shakespeare's Antony & Cleopatra, Actors Theatre Columbus 1997

Antony's base camp at Actium. Inside Domitius Ahenobarbus' tent:

Ahenobarbus: (looking up to Antony from his bed) How is your book coming along?

Antony: (thoughtful) Almost finished. I just need to edit the last chapter.

Ahenobarbus: (tries to sit up) Maybe I should write something in your support too while I still can. That will go nicely with your piece. Besides, your followers will be much elated by it.

Antony: (looking sternly at him) Stop talking Ahenobarbus. Only focus on your health. I am not running a cult. I want you jumping and lifting weights before we confront Octavian's ships.

Ahenobarbus: Mark, what if we all die of hunger following your cult!

Antony: (smiling) Then I will join you all before long! Now, throw these thoughts out of your head and rest. That's an order.

Ahenobarbus: Really Mark? (tries to laugh) I suppose I will try my best.

#ahenobarbus #gnaeus domitius ahenobarbus #mark antony #marc antony #battle of actium #rome #roman history #antony and cleopatra #shakespeare

[theantonian]

Terracotta vase in the form of a mouse (Mid-5th century BC),

Clay vase from Italy, Sicily.

H. 3 11/16 in. (9.4 cm) L. 6 13/16 in. (17.3 cm)

The mouse crouches with its front paws under its chin and its tail curled up beneath itself. The mouth of the vessel, in the center of the back, is flanked in front and back by a pair of stringholes. A narrow, tapering spout emerges at a 45-degree angle between the rear stringhole and the tail. A black ivy vine is painted on the back as though it were running through the holes. The ears, eyes, eyebrows, and neck fringe are also painted black, as are the tops of the mouth, spout, and stringholes.

Clay mice of this type have been convincingly identified as Sicilian by Heldring.

from Museum of Fine Arts Boston

#roman art #ancient art #ancient artifacts #terracotta #antiquities #antiquity #art history #clay art #mouse #museum of fine arts

[theantonian]

Today I was defending my Imperator from some of the most heinous accusations. His only source of Antony's supposed crimes were the Philippics speeches. He was quite surprised to see someone defending Antony. He said, he didn't understand my absolute love affair with Antony. That I was giving excuses for his crimes because I love him. He would not listen to what I had to say as he thought I have gone insane for Antony. He never saw someone so devoted.

But I only wanted to say what I knew. I didn't say anything other than facts and logic. If it went in favor of Antony then it's not my fault. No matter what people call or say about me I will not stop defending my Imperator if I see anyone accusing him of something he didn't do.

#mark antony #do i love him #my devotion #ramblings