“Friends, Romans, countryman lend me your ears” (Shakespeare), this saying is what Mark Antony is probably most noted for. Antony’s life can be broken down into three parts. The first part would have to be the earlier years of his life before the death of Caesar. In the middle is Antony’s few years of success and power. The last part of his life is the downfall of him. Mark Antony was very powerful and successful for a short period in Ancient Rome.To begin, Mark Antony was born in 83 BC in Rome into a wealthy family (Laura). Mark Antony lived in Rome for the majority of his life. For a very short period, he was schooled in Greece (Encarta). Antony soon gained political and military power. From 58 to 56 BC he was the leader of the Roman Calvary (Encarta). Then in Gaul from 54 to 50 BC, he served in many offices (Encarta). Those offices include quaestor, augur, and the people’s tribune (Encarta). Antony did different jobs for his mentor, Julius Caesar. During the Battle of Pharsalus, which happened from 48 to 44 BC, Antony commanded the left wing of Caesar’s army (Encarta). “Antony, voluptuous, easy going, but capable of great effort, was unscrupulous and selfish. He sought power for his private ends, but his methods were casual and open” (Coolidge 73).Next, “After Caesar’s death, Antony maintained a very substantial military force for personal protection, including number centurions- and he accused Octavian of tampering with its loyalty” (Grant 88). Antony gave the speech at Caesar’s funeral. “At the end of it, the people were so carried away by fury at what had happened, that they rushed through the city to set the houses of the murders on fire” (Mills 274). Antony formed the Second Triumvirate with Octavian and Lepidus (Collier’s). Together, they defeated Brutus and Cassius at the Battle of Philippi (Excite). “Three men w...
