ANIONTUS, Marcus, a famous Roman orator. While he filled the office of pretor, Sicily fell to his lot, and he cleared the seas of the pirates which infested that coast. He was made consul with A. Posthumius Albinus, in the year of Rome 653, when he opposed the turbulent designs of Sextus Titus, tribune of the people, with great i esolution and success. Some time after he was made governor of Cilicia, in quality of proconsul, where he performed so many great exploits that he obtained the honour of a triumph. We cannot omit observing, that in ouler to improve his great talent for eloquence, he became a scholar to the greatest men at Rhodes and Athens, m his way to Cilicia, and when on his return to Rome.

oon after he was appointed censor, which office he dis charged with great reputation, having carried his cause before the people, against Marcus Duronius, who had preferred an accusation of bribery against him, in revenge for Antonius’s having erased his name out of the list of senators, which this wise censor had done because Duronius, when tribune of the people, had abrogated a law which restrained immoderate expense in feasts. He was one of the greatest orators ever known at Rome; and it was owing to him, according to the testimony of Cicero, that Rome might boast herself a rival even to Greece itsel f in the art of eloquence. He never would publish any of his pleadings, that he might not as he said, be proved to say in one cause what might be contrary to what he should advance in another. He was unfortunately killed during those bloody confusions raised at Rome by Marius and Cinna. He was discovered in the place where he had hid himself, and soldiers were sent to dispatch him; but his manner of addressing them had such an effect, that none but he who commanded them, and had not heard his discourse, had the cruelty to kill him. His head was exposed before the rostra, a place which he had adorned with his triumphal spoils. This happened 90 years before the Christian era. l Antonius, Marcus, the triumvir, was grandson to the former. When the civil war broke out, he took Caesar’s part, and was made a tribune of the people, in which office he did Caesar great service. Caesar, having made himself master of Rome, gave Antonius the government of Italy. At the battle of Pharsalia Caesar confided so much in him, that he gave him the command of the left wing of his army, while he himself led the right. After Caesar was made dictator he made Antonius general of the horse, though he had never been pretor; in which command he exerted his power with the utmost violence. He was made consul when Caesar enjoyed that honour for the fifth time, the last year of that usurper’s life. On Caesar’s death he harangued the populace with great art, and raised their fury against his murderers, flattering himself that he should easily get into the place which Caesar had filled; but his haughty behaviour made him lose all the advantages his affected concern for Caesar had gained him. His ill treatment of Octavius, and quarrel with him, produced another civil war, which ended in an accommodation between him, Octavius, and Lepidus, fatal to the peace of Rome. They agreed to share the supreme power among them; and many of the most illustrious Romans were sacrificed by proscription to cement this bloody league, which is known by the name of the Second Triumvirate. But the triumvirs were too ambitious, and hated one another too much, to be long united. Antonius went into Asia to raise money for his soldiers, and during his absence Fulvia, his wife, quarrelled with Octavius. When Antonius was in Asia, indulging himself in all manner of luxury, the famous Cleopatra inspired him with the most violent passion. Hearing of the quarrel between Fulvia and Octavius, and finding Octavius was become publicly his enemy, Antonius entered into a confederacy with Sextus Pompeius, who was still master of Sicily. He then went into Italy, in order to fight Octavius; but Fulvia, who had been the author and promoter of this war, dying, Octavius and Antonius came to an agreement. One of the conditions of this new peace was, that they should together attack Pompey, though the former had lately made an alliance with him. Antonius then married Octavia, sister of Octavius, as a pledge of their renewed friendship, but returned soon after to his beloved Cleopatra, and again lived with her in Alexandria., Octavius took hold of this pretence to inveigh against him, and begin the war again. At last they engaged in a sea-fight at Actium, in which Octavius gained a complete[7:3:274] victory, which was followed by the death both of Antonins and Cleopatra. The infatuated Antonius fell upon his own sword; and Cleopatra stung herself to death i with an asp, as was -supposed, to avoid gracing the victor s triumph at Rome.