Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 01.djvu/737

ANTONIUS. . He was the son of the prætor, M. Antonius Creticus, and on the side of his mother, Julia, was related to Julius Cæsar. His youth was wasted in dissipation, and, finding himself pressed by numerous impatient creditors, he es- caped to Greece in 58 B.C., where, for a short time, he listened to the teaching of Athenian phi- losophers and orators. His studies here were soon interrupted by the pro-consul Gabinius, who appointed him leader of his cavalry. In the campaign against Aristobulus in Palestine and in Egypt, Antonius distinguished himself by his courage and activity, and ingratiated himself with the soldiers. After assisting Cæsar in Gaul, he went to Rome, in 50 B.C., to advance the interests of the former, who stood in great danger from the hostility of the oligarchical party, and was appointed an augur, and chosen one of the tribunes of the people. In the following year, on account of his adherence to the party of Cæ- sar, he was expelled from the curia and fled to Cæsar, who made use of this event as a pretext for his war against Pompey. At the outbreak of this war Antonius received the appointment of commander-in-chief in Italy. In the battle of Pharsalia he commanded the left wing of Cæ- sar's army. In 47, he was made master of the horse by Cæsar, who left him to govern Italy during his absence in Africa. Antony, as usual, disgraced himself; was perpetually drunk; di- vorced his wife and married an actress, with whom he paraded himself offensively through the chief towns of the peninsula. In 44 B.C. he mar- ried Fulvia, the widow of Clodius; was made consul, and vainly endeavored to prevail on the Romans to recognize Cæsar as emperor. After the assassination of Cæsar, he played the part so well described by Shakespeare, and by his funeral oration and the well-timed display of Cæsar's bloody robe so wrought upon the passions of the people that the conspirators were compelled to escape from Rome, leaving the successful orator for a while in possession of almost absolute pow- er. A formidable rival to Antonius now ap- peared in the person of the young Octavianus (the future Augustus), whom Cæsar had desig- nated as his heir, and a contest for the ascend- ency ensued. The eloquence of Cicero, who de- nounced Antonius as an enemy of the State, secured the triumph of Octavianus in the Senate. Antonius, who had been besieging Decimus Bru- tus in Mutina (Modena), in order to obtain pos- session of Cisalpine Gaul, was finally overthrown by the forces of the Senate in 43 B.C. He es- caped beyond the Alps, visited the camp of Lepi- dus, who commanded in Gaul, and gained the favor of the army, of which he took command. Plancus and Pollio joined him with their troops, and Antonius, who so recently had escaped as a helpless fugitive from Italy, returned to Rome at the head of seventeen legions and ten thousand cavalry. Octavianus, who had pretended to main- tain republican principles, now threw off the mask and held a consultation with Antonius and Lepidus near Bologna, when it was determined that as triumvirs they should share the whole Roman world among themselves. To secure their spoil, they returned to Rome and began their course of murder and robbery throughout Italy. Among their first victims fell Cicero, the orator, whose eloquence they dreaded. According to Ap- pian, no fewer than three hundred senators and two thousand knights were put to death in the proscriptions of the triumvirs.

After making Italy safe for themselves and raising an enormous sum of money to carry on their war abroad, Antonius and Octavianus led their troops into Macedonia against Brutus and Cassius, and defeated the republican forces at Philippi (42 B.C.). Antonius next paid a visit to Athens, and then went into Asia to arrange his dispute with Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, whose conduct had offended the triumvirs. The Queen herself appeared to answer his challenge, and captivated Antonius by her beauty and address. The general who had overcome Brutus and Cassius was now made a prisoner, though not of war. He followed Cleopatra into Egypt, and lived with her in idleness and luxury, until he was aroused by tidings of the quarrel which had taken place in Italy between his own relatives and Octavianus. This dispute gave rise to a short war, which came to an end before Antonius arrived in Italy. A new division of the Roman world now took place between the triumvirs, and was soon quietly arranged at Brundusium. Antonius took the East, and Octavianus took the West; while the ambition of the feeble Lepidus was appeased by his having the whole of Africa for his portion. Even this shadow of dominion was taken from him in .30 B.C. Meanwhile, Antonius had confirmed his friendship with Octavianus by a marriage with Octavia, his sister. He now returned to Cleopatra, resumed his former voluptuous mode of life, squandered the wealth of Rome in gifts to his royal mistress, and became guilty of gross acts of injustice. Octavianus made use of these facts to excite the indignation of the Roman people against Antonius, and a war between the rivals became unavoidable. Antonius, in his idleness, tried to postpone the trial of strength which he saw inevitably approaching, and filled the island of Samos (where his troops were quartered) with musicians, jugglers, and buffoons. Meanwhile, at Rome, he was formally deprived of his power, and war was proclaimed against Cleopatra. Each party collected its forces, and in the naval engagement which took place (31 B.C.) near Actium (q.v.) Antonius and Cleopatra were utterly defeated. His subsequent hope of finding troops still faithful to him in Libya was disappointed. He returned to Egypt, where, with Cleopatra, he once more forgot political cares and vexations, until his amusements were suddenly interrupted by the arrival of Octavianus at Alexandria. Antonius now roused himself, made a charge with his cavalry, and repelled the enemy; but the advantage was only momentary. Deserted by the Egyptian fleet, as by his own army, and suspecting that even Cleopatra had conspired against him, he went to her palace, from which the Queen had escaped. Deceived by a false message informing him of the death of Cleopatra, Antonius committed suicide by falling upon his sword, in the year 30 B.C. He died in the arms of Cleopatra, who immediately after put an end to her life.

ANTONIUS,. See.

AN'TONOMA'SIA (Gk. ἀντονομασία, from avri, anti -{- dra/ndfei^, onomazein, to name). In rhetoric, the substitution of any epithet or phrase for a proper name; as "The Stagyrite" for Aristotle, "The Little Corporal" for Napoleon, "The Man on Horseback" for Grant, "The Man from Nowhere" for Kipling, etc. Sometimes the process is reversed; as, calling a good orator a