MARCUS ANTONIUS CRETICUS

'Marcus Antonius Creticus' (lived 1st century BC) was a Roman politician, member of the Antonius family. Creticus was son of Marcus Antonius Orator and by his marriage to Julia Antonia (cousin of Julius Caesar) he had three sons, Gaius, Lucius and his namesake Mark Antony. He was elected praetor in 74 BC and in the next year he received an extraordinary commission, similar to that bestowed upon Pompey by the Gabinian law years later and on his father three decades before, to clear the Mediterranean Sea of the threat of piracy, and thereby assist the operations against Mithradates VI. Creticus not only failed in the task, but plundered the provinces he was supposed to protect from robbery (Sallust, ''Hist.'' iii., fragments ed. B. Maurenbrecher, p. 108; Velleius Paterculus ii. 31; Cicero, ''In Verrem'', iii. 91). He attacked the Cretans, who had made an alliance with the pirates, but was totally defeated, most of his ships being sunk. Diodorus Siculus (xl. 1) states that he only saved himself by a disgraceful treaty. As a result of this defeat he was mockingly given the byname ''Creticus'', which means conqueror of Crete. He died soon afterwards (72-71) in Crete. All authorities are agreed as to his avarice and incompetence.

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