Marc Antoine (Marcus Antonius), born in -83 and died in -30, was a Roman politician and general. Marc Antoine is the grandson of Consul Marc Antoine.
His beginnings
He distinguished himself from his youth in the wars against the Jews. He first binds himself with the tribunes Curion and Clodius Pulcher, then attaches himself to Julius Caesar. He is elected tribune of the plebs for the year -49 and with the tribune C. Cassius, he opposes his veto to the order of the senate to Caesar to dismiss his legions [1]. and advises him to march straight on Rome after crossing the Rubicon. At this time, Marc Antony commanded the right wing of the army at the Battle of Pharsalus.
Caesar, who had become dictator in -47, chose him as master of cavalry, and they were both appointed consuls in -44. Antony tries one day to present a diadem to Caesar, but this reckless move only hastens the death of the dictator. After the murder of Caesar (-44), Marc Antoine pronounces his funeral oration, stirs up the people against his assassins, who leave the city in the face of popular unrest. After their recall by the Senate, which Antoine cannot tolerate, the latter will besiege Décimus Brutus in Mutina (Modena) in -43. Under Cicero's influence, the Senate declares him an enemy of the state, and the consuls Hirtius and Pansa march against him and defeat him. The two consuls are killed on this occasion; they were accompanied by Octave who benefited from an imperium thanks to Cicero and whose responsibility for these two deaths is doubtful.
The second triumvirate
After this defeat, Antoine took refuge in Gaul with Lépide then governor of Narbonnaise. Thanks to the latter, Antoine was able to meet the young Octave in Bologna. This meeting leads to the formation of the second triumvirate whose first actions are the proscriptions of 43 (BC), which fill Italy with bloody executions. Antony demands the death of Cicero, who had violently attacked him in his Philippians. The following year, Antony followed by Octave, defeated Brutus and Cassius in the plain of Philippi (Macedonia), and thus annihilated the republican party. The triumvirs then divided the Roman Empire:during this division, Antoine obtained Greece and Asia.
To seal his alliance with Octave, he marries the latter's sister, Octavie, immediately after the death of his first wife, Fulvia. But soon, in love with the charms of Cleopatra, he repudiates Octavia for the queen of Egypt, and even delivers to the princess part of the Roman conquests - Phenicia, Cilicia, Syria, Judea, Cyprus.
Octave seizes this opportunity to divorce Antony, and defeats him decisively in the naval battle of Actium. Antony is defeated and forced to flee with Cleopatra:he takes refuge in Alexandria, but, seeing himself close to falling into the hands of the winner, he commits suicide shortly before Octave enters Alexandria in -30.
Descendant of Marc Antoine
Marc Antoine and Octavie had two daughters, both called "Antonia". The eldest, Antonia Major, was married to Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus (red beard in Latin), and Emperor Nero was their grandson. The youngest, Antonia Minor, married Drusus, and Emperor Claudius I was their son.
Marc-Antoine and Cléopâtre had three children:the twins Alexandre Hélios and Cléopâtre Séléné, born in -40, and Ptolémée Philadelphe, born in -36. Their half-brother Ptolemy XV (Caesarion), son of Caesar, was killed by Octave (future Emperor Augustus) on the death of Marc Antoine and Cleopatra in -30. But the three children were taken to Rome and brought up by Octavia, Marc Antony's ex-wife. Cleopatra Selene married in -19 with Juba II of Numidia and became queen of Numidia and Mauretania. Her brothers possibly stayed with her for some time, then their trace is lost.