e
"orator," and uncle of the triumvir. He was one of Sulla's lieutenants
in the Mithradatic War, and, after Sulla's return, remained in Greece to
plunder with a force of cavalry. In 76 he was tried for his
malpractices, but escaped punishment; six years later he was removed
from the senate by the censors, but soon afterwards reinstated. In spite
of his bad reputation, he was elected tribune in 71, praetor in 66, and
consul with Cicero in 63. He secretly supported Catiline, but Cicero won
him over by promising him the rich province of Macedonia. On the
outbreak of the Catilinarian conspiracy, Antonius was obliged to lead an
army into Etruria, but handed over the command on the day of battle to
Marcus Petreius on the ground of ill-health. He then went to Macedonia,
where he made himself so detested by his oppression and extortions that
he left the province, and was accused in Rome (59) both of having taken
part in the conspiracy and of extortion in his province. It was said
that Cicero had agreed with Antonius to share his plunder. Cicero's
defence of Antonius two years before in view of a proposal for his
recall, and also on the occasion of his trial, increased the suspicion.
In spite of Cicero's eloquence, Antonius was condemned, and went into
exile at Cephallenia. He seems to have been recalled by Caesar, since he
was present at a meeting of the senate in 44, and was censor in 42.

Cicero, _In Cat._ iii. 6, _pro Flacco_, 38; Plutarch, _Cicero_, 12;
Dio Cassius xxxvii. 39, 40; xxxviii. 10. On his trial see article in
Pauly-Wissowa's _Realencyclopadie_.

4. MARCUS ANTONIUS, commonly called MARK ANTONY, the Triumvir, grandson
of Antonius the "orator" and son of Antonius Creticus, related on his
mother's side to Julius Caesar, was born about 83 B.C. Under the
influence of his stepfather, Cornelius Lentulus Sura, he spent a
profligate youth. For a time he co-operated with P. Clodius Pulcher,
probably out of hostility to Cicero, who had caused Lentulus Sura to be
put to death as a Catilinarian; the connexion was severed by a
disagreement arising from his relations with Clodius's wife, Fulvia. In
58 he fled to Greece to escape his creditors. After a short time spent
in attendance on the philosophers at Athens, he was summoned by Aulus
Gabinius, governor of Syria, to take part in the campaigns against
Aristobulus in Palestine, and in support of Ptolemy Auletes in Egypt. In
54 he was with Caesar in Gaul. Raised by Caesar