The Antonian

A Tumblr dedicated to Imperator Marcus Antonius by His priestess. Also Queen Cleopatra 👑🇧🇩🕉️

[theantonian]

The Antonian Reading List

Mark Antony: A Life by Patricia Southern (Highly recommended!)

Mark Antony: A Biography by Eleanor Goltz Huzar (Highly recommended!)

The Life and Times of Marc Antony by Arthur Weigall (Recommended)

Marc Antony: His Life and Times by Allan Roberts (Recommended)

Marc Antony by Mary Kittredge

Antony & Cleopatra by Patricia Southern

Antony & Cleopatra by Adrian Goldsworthy (By far the most negative book on Antony by a modern historian, the Cleopatra portion is better)

Mark Antony: A Plain Blunt Man by Paolo de Ruggiero (Recommended)

Mark Antony and Popular Culture: Masculinity and the Construction of an Icon by Rachael Kelly

Mark Antony's Heroes: How the Third Gallica Legion Saved an Apostle and Created an Emperor by Stephen Dando-Collins

A Noble Ruin: Mark Antony, Civil War and the Collapse of the Roman Republic by W. Jeffrey Tatum (Highly recommend!)

Mark Antony & Cleopatra: Cleopatra's Proxy War to Conquer Rome & Restore the Empire of the Greeks by Martin Armstrong

Actium and Augustus: The Politics and Emotions of Civil War by Robert Alan Gurval

The Roman Revolution by Ronald Syme (Recommended)

Octavian, Antony and Cleopatra by W. W. Tarn

Fulvia: Playing for Power at the End of the Roman Republic by Celia E. Schultz

Cleopatra: Last Queen of Egypt by Joyce Tyldesley (Highly Recommended!)

Cleopatra by Michael Grant (Highly Recommanded!)

Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff (Highly Recommended!)

Cleopatra - A Biography by D. Roller

Cleopatra and Antony by Diana Preston

Cleopatra by Alberto Angela (Recommended)

Cleopatra by Jacob Abbott

Cleopatra the Great by Joann Fletcher

Cleopatra and Egypt by Sally-Ann Ashton

Cleopatra and Rome by Diana E. E. Kleiner

Cleopatra Her History Her Myth by Francine Prose

Cleopatra Histories, Dreams, and Distortions by Lucy Hughes Hallett (Recommended)

Cleopatra’s Daughter Egyptian Princess by Jane Draycott

The Storm Before the Storm by Mike Duncan

SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard (Good for beginners)

The Last Assassin: The Hunt for the Killers of Julius Caesar by Peter Stothard

Robicon by Tom Holland

Alesia 52 BC: The final struggle for Gaul (Campaign) by Nic Fields

Actium 31 BC: Downfall of Antony and Cleopatra (Campaign) by Si Sheppard

Pharsalus 48 BC: Caesar and Pompey – Clash of the Titans (Campaign) by Si Sheppard

Philippi 42 BC: The death of the Roman Republic (Campaign) by Si Sheppard

Mutina 43 BC: Mark Antony's struggle for survival (Campaign) by Nic Fields

The War That Made the Roman Empire: Antony, Cleopatra, and Octavian at Actium by Barry Strauss

The Battle of Actium 31 BC: War for the World by Lee Fratantuono

Rome and Parthia: Empires at War: Ventidius, Antony and the Second Romano-Parthian War, 40–20 BC by Gareth C Sampson

Rivalling Rome: Parthian Coins and Culture by Vesta Curtis

Classical sources:

Plutarch’s Lives

Cicero: Philippics, Ad Brutum, Ad Familiares

Appian, The Civil Wars

Dio Cassius, The Roman History

Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars

Flavius Josephus, The Jewish War

Livy, The Early History of Rome

Tacitus, Annals and Histories

Friction:

The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra by Willian Shakespeare

All For Love or The World Well Lost by John Dryden

The Siren and the Roman – A Tragedy by Lucyl

Caesar and Cleopatra by George Berbard Shaw

Cleopatra (play) by Sardou

Antony by Allan Massie

I, Claudius by Robert Graves

I, Cleopatra by William Bostock

Cleopatra by H. Rider Haggard

Cleopatra by Georg Ebers

Kleopatra (Vol I & II) by Karen Essex

Last Days with Cleopatra by Jack Lindsay

The Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George

When We Were Gods by Colin Falconer

The Masters of Rome series by Colleen McCullough

Caesar's Soldier: Mark Antony Book I by Alex Gough (Ongoing series)

The Antonius Trilogy by Brook Allen

The Last Pharaoh series by Jay Penner

Throne of Isis by Juith Tarr

Hand of Isis by Jo Graham

Woman of Egypt by Kevin Methews

The Ides of Blood 01-06 (Comics)

Terror - Antonius En Cleopatra (Erotic yet pure love, Dutch comics)

Cleopatra - Geschiedenisstrip (Dutch comics)

Les Grands Personnages de l Histoire en Bandes Dessinees – Marc Antonie (French comics)

Les Grands Personnages de l Histoire en Bandes Dessinees – Cleopatre (French comics)

Les Grands Personnages de l Histoire en Bandes Dessinees – Julius Caesar (French comics)

Cléopâtre (French Manga)

 Ils Ont Fait L'histoire - Cléopâtre (French Graphic Novel)

[theantonian]

I apologize to those of you told me that they are disappointed in me for using Ai. I am truly sorry. I won't be using any more of them going forward. I am just very sad, depressed which made me desperate. I am sorry.

[theantonian]

is your last post an ai generated picture of you embracing mark antony

Yes, what else can I do except imagine?

[theantonian]

Hi! I noticed in a recent post that you mentioned feeling upset that you couldn’t see Antony’s face, and even as someone who focuses on Augustus more than Antony, I still get that frustration (of course to a much much lesser degree) about not knowing what a favorite historical figure truly looked like. However, I’ve went through some museum online databases to look for Antony, and I’ve even went as far as contacting a museum for further detailed images of a potential Antony bust. While I’m sure you’re likely to have seen many if not all of them, would it be of interest to you if I shared the Pinterest board I’ve uploaded them to just so you could take a look and see? I have more angles of many of the statues on the board that I haven’t uploaded if you’d like to see some of those after looking, as well. Also, if you’ve got any you’d like to share, I’d love to see them too! Anyway, I know any portrayal wouldn’t fully encapsulate how Antony actually looked, but they’re better than nothing, which is almost what Augustus left us with lol. Just wondering!

Yes, please post it. I would love to see.

The busts and other likeness are all just speculated to be Antony. No one can say with any certainty if that's really him. Not even the Vatican bust. But I am somewhat confident that the Kingston Lacy bust is him. Even then I am unable to imagine him in flesh. It truly frustrates me.

You are lucky in that case. Octavian has many busts and statues that are 100% confirmed him. It's just that these ones are highly idolized.

Once someone told me to thank Octavian as he was merciful enough to not melt each and every coin of Antony that has his face on them. It was so painful that I could only smile.

[theantonian]

त्रुटयस्तव देवेश गगने तारका इव।

तासां प्रकाशं वन्देऽहं पूजयामि तव त्रुटिम् ॥

O Lord of the Gods, your errors are like the stars in the sky.

I bow to their radiance; I worship your mistakes.

[theantonian]

So many times I have seen You in my waking hours and in my dreams. You are here. You embrace me, kiss me. Whenever I give offerings to You and Dionysus, I feel Your eyes on me. But for the love of Gods I never see Your face. I tried so hard for so many years. There is just darkness were Your handsome face should be.

[theantonian]

I wanted to write something on Antony's Phillippian city that he founded for his veterans. After searching for days I found nothing. I knew Octavian renamed it after Antony's death but I desperately hoped something still manage to survive. An inscription, a bust, a monument rumoured to be bulit by him. Anything.

Those obscure, highly worn out coins are the only proof that he founded it. Octavian had completely erased him from Philippi, in such a way that without those coins there is nothing left that tells a different story.

Once someone told me that Antony was unworthy to be the sole ruler of Rome because he didn't bulid anything. Only Octavian could bulid things. I told them Octavian erased Antony and so we can't know about his buliding projects. They said no, Octavian never did that because Antony's coins still survives. They completely refused to believe the erasure of Antony's memories even if it's in the ancient sources. If Octavian can completely erase Antony from the city he himself founded imagine how easy it would have been for him to erase him from structures in Rome or Alexandria!

[theantonian]

Hello! What is your opinion on the proscriptions of so-called Second Triumvirate? Who do you think was most at fault?

The proscriptions of the Triumvirate was done in order to get rid of their enemies as well as to collect money and properties for the soldiers. It was a brutal necessity but I am completely against it. I think all three of them were at fault simply by agreeing to participate. But I think Octavian was most at fault because it seem like his idea. He had the most enemies and people mistrusted him as he changed sides from supporting Caesar's assassins and the senate to go over to Antony when he saw Antony can't be defeated.

If you ask me how I see Antony's participation in it I would say that I really hate it. Probably the only thing that I hate about him.

[theantonian]

in your opinion, can a person who actually understands antony as a historical figure simultaneously dislike him? or is dislike an indicator of flawed perception to you?

It depends on what that you values the most. If you put aside all the propaganda, moralizing writings, etc and just take into account raw facts then you will find a man of charm, bravery, courage, loyalty, generosity, open-mindedness, etc. If you dislike all these character traits then yes you can dislike him. Absolutely.

[theantonian]

what if i told you im a bigger mark antony fan then you

I would be happy if it's true and want to be friends with you to discuss him because it's a rare opportunity. But I doubt it. I have been studying him for more than a decade. I have spent a lot of time thinking about him and his actions. If you did that then you can be a great fan, yes.

[theantonian]

Hey, this is the girl from reddit, but I’m banned rn 😭. I’m doing well, thanks for asking, how are you? 😊💐💞

I’ll try to see if it’s lifted tomorrow! I tried asking you :

“Have you seen Vincent Regan in Empire? He was a great Antony although I wish his character was more positive! https://youtu.be/QTYA2EIk8YQ?si=gscZGcLxe-QNE8Xw” but it didn’t go through there!

Anyways, I think the actor is handsome, masculine, and charismatic for the role as Antony and was the only enjoyable part of the series for me. Let me know what you think if you’d like to. I think he really captures the virility and good looks of Antony

I am doing well. Thanks. Yeah, I have watched that. It was a very bad show. A very pro-octavian fiction. Antony is the typical comicbook villain. Octavian or one of his slave defeats him in a single combat and spares his life lol. Only positive is that the Antony actor is very handsome even if the character and events are fictional. Like you said he us the only enjoyable part.

[persephoning]

You've really got to respect that it's been two thousand plus years and yet! Yet! Humanity remembers Marcus Antonius as he was: a slut who made questionable political decisions and clearly thought with his dick.

[theantonian]

Only if you take the propaganda as absolute history. He is remembered because he is unforgettable. They tried to erase him which was impossible. They rewrote him instead. That's what stayed.

If loving someone enough to lose everything is "thinking with his dick" then there is no greater virtue.

[theantonian]

Can you post Antony fanfiction recs?

Antony fanfiction recommendations? I can. I have to read some of them first.

[theantonian]

Previous anon here, as in pregnant Mark Antony. Did he carry him and Cleopatra’s children?

Antony was a man so he can't get pregnant😁 But he cared deeply about his and Cleopatra's children. He publicly recognized them and add Helios and Selene to their names when he met them for the first time when they were 3 years old. I think it must have killed them to be there when they were born 😞

[theantonian]

Thoughts on Antony mpreg?

Lol what?

[cassiusthetyrannicide]

top ten cassius moments?

Ok this was SO difficult to put in order but here goes (sorry it took so long to answer, also I love this question tysm):

Honourable mentions: Speaking Greek when being affectionate with people, liking the stories of Rhodes defeating kings in the past, his brilliant speeches to his army.

10. Having the absolute audacity to ask Cleopatra for aid against Dolabella. YOU KILLED HER MAN. SHE DOES NOT WANT TO HELP YOU. But shoutout to her military commander Serapion for sending him aid without asking her.

9. Praying to the statue of Pompey before killing Caesar. I like this because it shows that Cassius wasn’t the disloyal traitor so many people make him out to be. He was loyal, but to Pompey instead of Caesar, and this makes sense entirely because not only did he fight in Pompey’s navy, but Pompey also made sure he didn’t get in legal trouble after his fight with Faustus Sulla when he was a child.

8. Leaving Parthia and running off to Syria. Some people call this cowardice or disloyalty, but the fact that Cassius FINALLY left Parthia and more importantly left Crassus to actually make the smart decision after following Crassus for so long is so satisfying. I think that him going to Syria was the only thing that let him survive and that had he stayed with Crassus, he would have walked straight into death like Crassus did.

7. Defeating Dolabella at sea and then besieging him at Laodicea. Everyone knows Cassius as a conspirator but I don’t think he’s appreciated as a general enough. He’s bloody brilliant! Also I like how he tries to bribe the night guard to let him into the city and the night guard stands on business and nobly refuses, only for the day guards to just let him in, that’s funny.

6. Burning a bunch of Caesar’s ships, then having his ship get captured, then escaping that capture. First of all I find it so fascinating that Caesar writes about this in his Civil Wars with no knowledge that Cassius is going to be the one to kill him. Second of all HE’S SO COOL and if there was a film about Cassius’ life, this would be the scene I’d probably replay the most.

5. Successfully ambushing the Parthians and defeating them. Not much to say it’s just impressive and I’m glad he actually got the chance to win against the Parthians after Crassus dragged him into such a disaster before.

4. Fighting Sulla’s son Faustus as a child. It’s so funny that Cassius had ALWAYS been willing to get violent over the concept of people having absolute power literally since he was a child in school. Also, after the fight when Pompey questioned both boys, Cassius said, “Come on then, Faustus, you can tell Pompey, if you dare, what you said that made me so angry, and I will knock your teeth in again” which implies he WON the fight.

3. The conspiracy. There’s not much I can say about why I love it other than Cassius hated tyrants and when he saw a man on the path to become a tyrant he did something about it. Bonus points because it’s what he’s known for and I think he’d like that.

2. Reassuring Brutus that the ghost he saw wasn’t real. This is one of those things that really makes me hate how people view him as this cold and heartless murderer, because he genuinely seems so lovely here. Brutus was so panicked he couldn’t sleep, but when he told Cassius about it in the morning, Cassius didn’t just tell him it wasn’t real, but he gave a full scientific/philosophical explanation as to why he didn’t believe it was real and why Brutus saw it, saying “You have passed through a great many hardships, which have imposed a severe strain on your body, and this condition both stimulates and distorts the intelligence.” He then says he doesn’t believe in spirits such as the one Brutus saw, but that if they were real, he doesn’t need to worry because he’s doing the right thing.

1. Bursting out laughing at Favonius trying to quote the Iliad at he and Brutus. It’s such a small thing and maybe it’s insignificant but there’s something about laughing at a pretentious, condescending old man trying to seem wise but coming across as absolutely cringe instead that’s SO relatable. And sometimes historical figures, particularly historical figures from over 2000 years ago, don’t really seem human but there’s something so human about bursting out laughing at a cringe old man who wants you to take him seriously. Favonius was being condescending and pretentious and cringe. He looked stupid. It’s the exact sort of thing I also find extremely funny. I like that Cassius and I laugh at the same things. He has a good sense of humour. 10/10 Cassius moment, undoubtedly my favourite. ❤️

[theantonian]

I like Cassius for these reasons too. He was so much like Antony! So brave and loyal. Cassius was extremely loyal to Pompey just like Antony was to Caesar. They could have been great friends in better circumstances.

[theantonian]

My favourite duo is Agrippa and Octavian, but I don't understand WHY people hate Antony. He's (and the rest) the product of his time and he's definitely would be a very cool person to hangout with (yay party with Antony, I'd pay fro that). After all, there were people much worse than him (what about Gaius Marius, for example?).

Whyy hate?? It's absolutely okay to dislike some parts of him f.e. I don't like cheating on Octavia, because she's such a sweet girl , but hate?

He's such a complex person, his life is interesting, but he definitely not a cruel monster.

People hate Antony because he lost. It's as simple as that. Had he won, there would be no sigma attached no matter if he was a bad or good person.

Also just to make a correction. Antony did not cheat on Octavia and she was definitely not a innocent little girl. Antony was in relationship with Cleopatra before he was forced to marry Octavia by the senate. Everyone including Octavia knew about the relationship. She always sided with Octavian whenever a conflict between them arose. She convinced Antony to give Octavian ships and made sure he gave them immediately. But she didn't do anything when Antony needed legions from Octavian. She also kept Antony's son Julius Antonius as hostage when it became inevitable that Octavian is going to declare war on him. Antony had asked both of his sons to be sent to him but she only sent one of them. She and Octavian did it to make sure Antony doesn't invade Rome or if he did they would kill Julius Antonius. Antony had already lost his younger brother Gaius in a similar situation. She made a big public show of leaving Antony's house after he divorced her as if she had no idea this is going to happen in such a purely political marriage which was a great disadvantage to him. But she had great PR so we think of her as this poor little girl.

[kylorens]

"he was forced to marry" GIRL BE SERIOUSSSS 😭😭😭😭😭

Also you are literally purposefully forgetting

- Octavia constantly working on reconciliation between the two, and making Octavian also compromise (it is not her problem that Octavian is also a bad guy and doesn't keep his promises lmao)

- bringing him supplies + money for his army after the campaign ON TOP OF bringing him, when she didn't have to (in which Antony told her to leave and go back, refusing her)?????????????(you literally said she didn't do anything to help him)

And you are literally adding in random bullshit (that just appeared to you in a dream I guess) of her "making a big scene" when she refused to leave her supposed home, then accusing her of "not knowing this was simply a political marriage"??😭😭 I guess you were there lol

You can accept Antony was not really a good guy and still like him I promise IT'S OKAY

[theantonian]

This is such a shallow take that I feel truly insulted to even make a reply. But I will do it anyway.

Octavia absolutely did nothing that can be said she had any care for Antony when she acted as a mediator during the treaty of Tarentum and Brundisium. Both of the times she made sure Antony was in the loss. While he gave Octavian legions and ships in his war against Sextus Pompey, Octavian sent him only 2000 soldiers and supplies with Octavia as an insult after the campaign. You say that Octavia didn't need to bring the soldiers and supplies. Did you forget that she made Antony gives legions and ships to Octavian earlier in exchange for 4 (around 20,000 soldiers) legions that Octavian was supposed to provide for the Parthian campaign? What the hell?! And what use these 2000 soldiers had AFTER the campaign? What are you even talking about? You know what a campaign is, right?

Every modern historian who doesn't like Antony, write that it was a only a political marriage. For your kind information, most of these Roman marriages were political.

Plutarch also wrote that she made a scene of her having to leave Antony's house when he divorced her.

Tacitus, who absolutely hated Antony also agrees that the marriage was a deception to destroy Antony:

"... he [Octavian] had entrapped Antonius by the treaties of Tarentum and Brundisium, and by giving him his own sister in marriage— a treacherous alliance which Antonius had paid for with his blood."

Tacitus Annals, Book I, 10.

At this point even my dreams are more historically accurate than whatever bullshit you just wrote.

Since you have already decided Antony was a bad person so nothing is going to change it no matter what.

Only people like you would like a bad person. I would never. This account wouldn't have existed if I thought he was a bad person. There are many account that absolutely worship such an evil person as Octavian but you don't have any problem with it. You see only me defending Antony you lose your mind. Why is that?

He did make mistakes. I have never denied that. But no he was never a bad person. Never.

[kylorens]

English isn't my first language, sorry about the mistake I've made. I meant to say that those soldiers and help she sent was after the campaign had started, sometime when it was not going so well for Antony. So I meant he really needed them but just to not further their relationship he denied these things he really could have used.

also like I said it is her brother's sneaky ass not giving back to Antony what he promised, not hers??? I guess in your mind she should have tried harder, then I say to you Antony should have also tried harder and not go to the East and also to Cleopatra every second he could find LMAO

I have not denied it's a political marriage and I have no idea why you took it that way??😭 I only said that it's funny to see the powerful man's side as "being forced to marry" because men at that time IM SURE YOURE ALSO AWARE wasn't dependant on the women politically???😭😭😭 It's funny that you say every marriage was political but then find it not weird that Cleopatra might have also used Antony for the same reasons? (If you say that Cleopatra was reflected in a worse light bc of the Roman bias, which is what I think, then why do you take the other parts of the text as true?)

I guess you mean the part where she refuses to leave Antony's house as her making a scene and I beg of you to put yourself şn the same shoes as her wtf😭😭 you are a woman too (i am assuming from your bio) and the way you defend this shit of a man is so 😭😭😭😭✋

++ The way you are so angry at people enjoying Octavian just the same is SO FUNNY... Why are you always talking about how bad he is and how you can't understand how people can like him 😭😭😭 i dont have any problem with it bc we are aware that he's a bad guy and almost every Roman was???😭 You really once claimed Octavian was a misogynist while Antony was not, someone should have taken your posting rights after saying that 😭😭😭😭😭

Please take off a break from the internet for like a month and then realize where you stand I swear it is NOT that serious

[theantonian]

Octavian sent Octavia with that minuscule number of soldiers after Antony had already retreated to Syria and after Cleopatra came to him with the money and supplies. It was an insult from Octavian. Antony had no choice but to send Octavia back because Cleopatra was with him. There is no way he could have let her come while Cleopatra was there.

I am not taking anybody's words as true. I see the actions and I read the words. If I see consistency I accept it.

If I were in Octavia's place, I wouldn't have married a man who was in love with another woman in the first place. And if I were stupid enough to do it then I wouldn't have betrayed him by siding with my evil brother.

Octavian used women like toys. Just read about what he did to his own daughter Julia. He used misogyny and xenophobia against Cleopatra which is a historical fact. Antony did none of those things. He treated Fulvia and Cleopatra as his equal as much as he could. He even treated a courtesan, with whom he was in relationship, with respect equal to his mother and got ridiculed for it. Women played an important role in his entire life. So as a woman, I feel most close to him.

Yes, I will never understand why people like this disgusting person named Octavian but I can't like Antony. At least I never go around telling people it's wrong while I have been called many things by many people just because I like someone who lost.

I haven't done anything wrong why would I stop posting or need to go off the internet?