A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

216 ANTONIUS.
eluded a peace with Sext. Pompey, and Antony
afterwards went to his provinces in the east. He
entrusted the war against the Parthians to Ventidius, who gained a complete victory over them
both in this and the following year (38). Sosius,
another of his generals, conquered Antigonus, who
claimed the throne of Judaea in opposition to Herod, and took Jerusalem (38). In 37 Antony
crossed over to Italy; and a rupture, which had
nearly taken place between him and Caesar, was
averted by the mediation of Octavia. The triumvirate, which had terminated on the 31st of December, 38, was now renewed for five years, which
were to be reckoned from the day on which the
former had ceased. After concluding this arrangement, Antony returned to the east. He shortly
afterwards sent Octavia back to her brother, and
surrendered himself entirely to the charms of Cleopatra, on whom he conferred Coele-Syria, Phoenicia,
and other provinces. From this time forward,
Cleopatra appears as Antony's evil genius. He
had collected a large army to invade the Parthian
empire; but, unable to tear himself away from
Cleopatra, he delayed his march till late in the
year. The expedition was a failure; he lost a
great number of his troops, and returned to Syria
covered with disgrace (36). Antony now made
preparations to attack Artavasdes, the king of
Armenia, who had deserted him in his war against
the Parthians; but he did not invade Armenia till
the year 34. He obtained possession of the Armenian king, and carried him to Alexandria, where
lie celebrated his triumph with extraordinary splendour. Antony now laid aside entirely the character of a Roman citizen, and assumed the pomp
and ceremony of an eastern despot. His conduct,
and the unbounded influence which Cleopatra had
acquired over him, alienated many of his friends
and supporters; and Caesar, who had the wrongs
of his sister Octavia to revenge, as well as ambition
to stimulate him, thought that the time had now
come for crushing Antony. The years 33 and 32
passed away in preparations on both sides; and
it was not till September in the next year (31)
that the contest was decided in the sea-fight off
Actium, in which Antony's fleet was completely
defeated. His land forces surrendered to Caesar;
and he himself and Cleopatra, who had been present at the battle, fled to Alexandria. In the following year (30), Caesar appeared before Alexandria. Antony's fleet and cavalry deserted to the
conqueror; his infantry was defeated; and upon a
false report that Cleopatra had put an end to her
life, he killed himself by falling on his sword. The
death of Cleopatra soon followed; and Caesar thus
became the undisputed master of the Roman world.
[AUGusTUS.] (Plutarch's Life of Antony; Orelli's
('nomasticon Tedl.; Drumann's Geschichte Roms, i.
p. 64, &c ) The annexed coin represents the head of
A ntony, with the inscription, M. ANTONIus IMP.
Cos. DESIG. ITER. ET. TERaT., which is surrounded

ANTONIUS.
with a crown of ivy. On the reverse is a cista, a
box used in the worship of Bacchus, surmounted
by a female's head, and encompassed by two serpents. (Eckhel, vol. vi. p. 64.)
13. C. ANTONIUS M. F. M. N., the second son
of M. Antonius Creticus [No. 9], and the brother
of the triumvir, was Julius Caesar's legate in 49,
and city praetor in 44, when his elder brother was
consul, and his younger tribune of the plebs. In
the same year, he received the province of Macedonia, where, after an unsuccessful contest, he fell
into the hands of M. Brutus in 43. Brutus kept
him as a prisoner for some time, but put him to
death at the beginning of 42, chiefly at the instigation of Hortensius, to revenge the murder of
Cicero. (Orelli's Onomast.; Drumann's Gesch. Roms,
i. p. 523, &c.) The following coin of C. Antonius
must have been struck after he had been appointed
to the government of Macedonia with the title of
proconsul. The female head is supposed to represent the genius of Macedonia; the cap on the head
is the causia, which frequently appears on the Macedonian coins. (Diet. of Ant. s. v. C(usia; Eckhel,
vol. vi. p. 41.)
14. L. ANTONIUS M. F. M. N., the younger
brother of the preceding and of the triumvir, was
tribune of the plebs in 44, and upon Caesar's death
took an active part in supporting his brother's interests, especially by introducing an agrarian law
to conciliate the people and Caesar's veteran troops.
He subsequently accompanied his brother into
Gaul, and obtained the consulship for 41, in which
year he triumphed on account of some successes he
had gained over the Alpine tribes. During his
consulship a dispute arose between him and Caesar
about the division of the lands among the veterans,
which finally led to a war between them, commonly
called the Perusinian war. Lucius engaged in
this war chiefly at the instigation of Fulvia, his
brother's wife, who had great political influence
at Rome. At first, Lucius obtained possession of
Rome during the absence of Caesar; but on the
approach of the latter, he retired northwards to
Perusia, where he was straightway closely besieged.
Famine compelled him to surrender the town to
Caesar in the following year (40). His life was
spared, and he was shortly afterwards appointed
by Caesar to the command of Iberia, from which
time we hear no more of him.
L. Antonius took the surname of Pietas (Dion
Cass. xlviii. 5), because he pretended to attack
Caesar in order to support his brother's interests.
It is true, that when he obtained possession
of Rome in his consulship, he proposed the abolition of the triumvirate; but this does not prove, as
some modern writers would have it, that he was
opposed to his brother's interests. Cicero draws a
frightful picture of Lucius' character. He calls
him a gladiator and a robber, and heaps upon him
every term of reproach and contempt. (Phil. iii.
12, v. 7, 11, xii. 8, &c.) Much of this is of course
exaggeration. (Orelli's Onomast.; Drumann's Gesch
Roms, i. p. 527, &c.) The annexed coin of L. An.