MARK ANTONY (CHARACTER OF ROME)

'Mark Antony' is a historical figure who features as a character in the HBO/BBC2 original television series ''Rome'', played by James Purefoy. The real Mark Antony was a Roman general and politician and a close supporter of Julius Caesar.

Contents

Character history

Season 1

Season 2

Comparison with the historical Mark Antony

References

Character history

Season 1

Antony begins the show serving with Caesar in Gaul. Elected as tribune by Caesar's influence, Antony becomes Caesar's main political representative in Rome during the crucial period leading up to the Crossing of the Rubicon. When a measure is passed in the senate to require Caesar to abandon his army and his imperium, which would leave him open to prosecution for treason by his political enemies, Antony attempts to veto it. However, a brawl breaks out and Antony's veto is not noted. Antony, guarded by members of the Legio XIII including Pullo and Vorenus, attempts to return to the senate to veto the measure, but is prevented from doing so when Pullo is attacked by a member of the Pompeian gang surrounding the senate.
Fleeing to Las Animas, Antony joins Caesar in his march on Rome. When Caesar leaves Rome to pursue the Optimates to Greece, Antony remains behind with the XIII, much to his chagrin.
When the war in Greece turns against Caesar, he sends for Antony. Antony considers ignoring the summons, and is urged to do so both by Pompey's emissaries and by Atia, who also proposes that the two marry. Antony rejects both the proposition and the proposal, and proceeds to Greece in time to be present for the Battle of Pharsalus.
After the Battle, Antony returns to Rome and continues to run it in Caesar's absence. He seems to be effective in this, intimidating Cicero into abandoning his attempts to plot against Caesar. He also reestablishes his relationship with Atia after previously spurning her.

Season 2

At the time of Caesar's assassination, Antony is distracted. Upon seeing Caesar's corpse, Antony appears genuinely grief-stricken, and backs out of the Senate without speaking.
Along the way in season 2 Antony starts of as an enemy of Octavian Caesar but after a brief alliance Antony under the influence of Cleopatra attempts to draw Octavian into declaring war as he believes he will win due to the roman publics support. However, after a devastating loss to the roman fleet under the command of Marcus Agrippa the palace is placed under siege and Antony's physical and mental state deteriorates due to constant drinking and drug use and the palace becomes a permanent orgy.

Comparison with the historical Mark Antony

Most of what we know about the historical Mark Antony comes from Plutarch's ''Parallel Lives'', and his personality in ''Rome'' appears to be essentially consistent with what Plutarch wrote of him.^{[1][2] [3]} Antony is portrayed as a soldier's soldier, a lover of women, and unfailingly devoted to Caesar. ''Rome'' also depicts him as truly despising politics, and lacking tact or subtlety in political matters, which Caesar uses to his advantage.
The antipathy Antony shows for Cicero in, for example, the episode ''Caesarion'' is historically attested. The historical Mark Antony held Cicero responsible for the execution of Antony's stepfather, Publius Cornelius Lentulus Sura, as part of the Catiline conspiracy.
There is no evidence that Mark Antony was romantically involved with Atia Balba Caesonia (basis for Atia of the Julii) as is depicted in the series. The Mark Antony of ''Rome'' is also notably lacking family; the historical Antony had two younger brothers, Lucius and Gaius, both of whom played roles in the events of the time. Additionally, it is not mentioned in the series that Antony was a blood relative of Julius Caesar's through his mother, Julia Antonia, Caesar's cousin.
Further, the Mark Antony of ''Rome'' is initially unmarried; the historical Mark Antony was married three times prior to his union with Octavia Minor (to Fadia, Antonia Hybrida and, most notably, Fulvia). Antony would have married Fulvia at some point during the events of Season 1. The historical Antony had seven children: two sons, Marcus Antonius Antyllus and Iullus Antonius Creticus, by Fulvia; two daughters, Antonia Major and Antonia Minor, by Octavia Minor; and a daughter and two sons, Cleopatra Selene, Alexander Helios and Ptolemy Philadelphus by Cleopatra VII. Only Antonia Major and Cleopatra's twins Selene and Helios are noted in the series.
The historical timeline has also been manipulated. Antony fathered his first two children with Cleopatra before marrying Octavia; when he later left Rome, he settled in Athens, Greece with Octavia, and they had their daughters. He ultimately left his wife in Greece and reunited with Cleopatra in Egypt; he and Cleopatra subsequently had their third child. In the series, Antony marries Octavia and is then forced by Octavian to relocate to Egypt; he leaves Octavia in Rome pregnant with Antonia Major (who may not be his). In Egypt, Antony reconnects with Cleopatra; they have met before but never had a romantic relationship. They later have the twins Helios and Selene.
In the series, Antony is elected "Tribune of the People;" the correct title would have been "Tribune of the Plebians."

References

1. Plutarch's ''Parallel Lives'': "Antony" ~ Internet Classics Archive (MIT)
2. ★ class=wikiexternal target=_blank>.html Plutarch's ''Parallel Lives'': "Life of Antony" - Loeb Classical Library edition, 1920
3. Plutarch's ''Parallel Lives'': "The Comparison of Demetrius and Antony" ~ Internet Classics Archive (MIT)