Please read this abridged edition of Plutarch's Life of Antony. Pick out a line that seems to you a particularly good example of action, drama, romance, or "game show" in the story of the 2nd triumvirate.
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Discussion of the poetry, plays, and historical works assigned in History 422, Ancient Rome
11 comments:
"He can scarcely be ranked among the great men of ancient times, for he had neither genious nor moral strength, and he was too much a slave to pleasure to be considred a good man, yet few possessed more devoted friends or warmer partisans." This line sums up the drama in Antony's life and the drama he caused the second triumviate. Antony could have been a powerful ruler but be always managed to mess up his opportunities.
"It was agreed upon, and the three leaders, Lepidus, Octavio Cæsar, and Antony, met on a small island. The conference lasted three days. It was decided that the three should divide the empire among them"
And here we have it; our three main contestants of round two in the game of the triumvirates!
Who will prove victorious? Well, I suppose the arguement could be that that might depend on one's definition of victory--but it is too bad all the same that things turned out for Antony the way that they did
Cleopatra had joined Antony, and he was so much in love with her that he wanted to marry her. He therefore neglected Octavia, in consequence of which Cæsar brought serious charges against him in the senate, for it displeased the conqueror exceedingly to have so virtuous and noble a lady as his sister badly treated.
Here you can see the action of Romance because Marc Antony decides to leave his wife Octavia to marry Cleopatra. It was Cleopatra who he fell in love with which was one of his major mistakes.
That utterly ruined Antony's cause, for, like a weak, unprincipled general, he followed the Egyptian queen, and, after losing three hundred ships and five thousand men, his fleet gave up the contest. It was long before Antony's soldiers consented to believe that he had basely deserted them, but when at last the truth was no longer to be doubted, they submitted to the conqueror.
This paragraph has everything in it. Love, humor, betrayal, death, the works. This shows all of Anthony character flaws and why he is later called unworthy of Roman greatness. He was unable to control his emotions and it cost him and his command dearly. You can see all of that in this paragraph.
"Cleopatra had joined Antony, and he was so much in love with her that he wanted to marry her. He therefore neglected Octavia, in consequence of which Cæsar brought serious charges against him in the senate, for it displeased the conqueror exceedingly to have so virtuous and noble a lady as his sister badly treated. "
Now if this isn't directly from a soap opera script I don't know what is...
It's got the Romance, the Antony Octavia Cleopatra love triangle, and it's got drama, Caesar bringing charges against Antony for his despicable treatment of his sister.
he spent enormous sums of the public money, seizing it in many instances by violence and cruelty. This sounds like drama, people are getting hurt and killed over his lust for money, and sounds also like action
"His friendship for Cæsar was so great, that when the murder of that conqueror was decided on, some of the conspirators made it [440] their business to detain him in conversation outside the senate-house. He was much shocked when he heard of the dreadful deed, but immediately took measures to prevent a civil war."
This shows drama in that he was shocked by what was planned to be done. He took measures to prevent this, which showed his loyalty as well.
After his defeat, Antony determined to make his way to the other side of the Alps, to join his army with that of Lepidus, whom he had befriended on several occasions. But when he came in sight of the camp he received no encouragement to approach nearer.
Then anthony sneaks into the camp, and starts speaking, lepidus sounds trumpets, but his speech was so great that the soldiers later send out some men to talk to anthony. Kind of sneaky on his part almost like one of those reality shows, taking power away from someone behind their back
"A report was carried to Antony that Octavius was plotting against his life, whereupon he went about and made offers to the old soldiers to take sides with him. Octavius did the same." This line seems to bring out a lot of drama. What more could you ask for then two key men wanting the same position of being on top in Rome. Just think of the movie you could make with each of them at each others throats.
Eric Bengs
Even then he ought to have won the victory, for his fleet was twice the size of Cæsar's, and everything was in his favor; but the Romans set fire to all the Egyptian vessels except sixty, and long before the battle was decided those sixty hoisted sail, in obedience to Cleopatra's order, and put out to sea, a fair wind carrying them towards Peloponnesus."
Of the wars with that occurred during the reign of Caesar Augustus, I find the wars fought between him and Marc Antony the most interesting. This proved Roman strength and proved that Augustus was a fierce general. Antony had a superior force against Augustus, yet he is soundly defeated. Almost all of the vessels that were fighting for Antony were destroyed by the Romans. Cleopatra can be blamed for some of the losses because she insisted on having the sixty ships surrender and escape from the Romans cluthces
But his schemes were thwarted by Octavius Cæsar, who came to Rome shortly after his uncle Julius was killed. Octavius made certain claims which Antony refused to grant, so he formed a strong party in the senate, and won over to his side Cicero and many others who hated Antony.
This seems to have the makings of a drama. You have Antony and all his scheming after Caesars death, but before he is able to accomplish much, out hero Octavius enters the city to thwart his actions. Octavius them rallies the troops (Cicero) to his side to go against our villain (Antony).
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