The gens Antonia was a ancient Rome family of great antiquity, with both patrician and plebeian branches. The first of the gens to achieve prominence was Titus Antonius Merenda, one of the second group of Decemviri called, in 450 BC, to help draft what became the Twelve Tables. The most prominent member of the gens was Marcus Antonius.[ Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. I, p. 210 ("").]
Origin
Mark Antony, the triumvir, claimed that his gens was descended from Anton, a son of
Heracles.
[Plutarch, "The Life of Marcus Antonius", 36, 60.] According to ancient traditions the
Antonii were
Heracleidae and because of that Marcus Antonius harnessed lions to his chariot to commemorate his descent from Heracles, and many of his coins bore a lion for the same reason.
[Pliny the Elder, viii. 16. s. 21; comp. Cicero, Epistulae ad Atticum, x. 13.][Eckhel, Doctrina Numorum Veterum, vi. pp. 38, 44.]
Praenomina
The patrician Antonii used the
praenomen Titus and
Quintus.
Titus does not appear to have been used by the plebeian Antonii, who instead used
Quintus, Marcus, Lucius, and
Gaius. There are also a few instances of
Aulus, while Marcus Antonius the triumvir named one of his sons
Iulus. This name, also borne by a later descendant of the triumvir, may have been an ancient praenomen revived by the family, but it was probably also intended to call to mind the connections of his family with the illustrious
Julia gens.
Branches and cognomina
The patrician Antonii bear the
cognomen Merenda; the plebeian Antonii bear no surname under the Republic, with the exception of Quintus Antonius,
promagistrate in
Sardinia in the time of
Sulla, who is called
Balbus on coins.
Members
-
Titus Antonius Merenda, Decemviri in 450 BC, defeated by the Aequi on Mount Algidus.
[Dionysius, x. 58, xi. 23, 33.][Livy, iii. 35, 38, 41, 42.][ Fasti Capitolini ; 1904, 114.]
-
Quintus Antonius T. f. Merenda, consular tribune in 422 BC.
[Livy, iv. 42.]
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Marcus Antonius, magister equitum in 333 BC.
[ Fasti Capit][Livy, viii. 17.]
-
Lucius Antonius, expelled from the Roman Senate by the Roman censor in 307 BC for divorcing his wife.
[Valerius Maximus, ii. 9. § 2.]
-
Quintus Antonius, one of the officers in the fleet under the praetor Lucius Aemilius Regillus, in the war with Antiochus III, in 190 BC.
[Livy, xxxvii. 32.]
-
Aulus Antonius, sent by the Roman consul Lucius Aemilius Paullus, with two others to Perseus, after the defeat of the latter, in 168 BC.
[Livy, xlv. 4.]
-
Marcus Antonius, tribune of the plebs in 167 BC, opposed the bill introduced by the praetor Marcus Juventius Thalna for declaring war against the Rhodians.
[Livy, xlv. 21, 40.]
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Lucius Antonius, defended by Cato the Elder .
[Priscian. p. 286.]
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Gaius Antonius, 2nd-century BC moneyer, was for many years incorrectly assumed to have been the father of the orator and consul of 99 BC.
[ Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. I, p. 213 ("Antonius", No. 7).]
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Marcus Antonius M. f., father of Marcus Antonius the orator, may have been the son of Marcus Antonius, tribune of the plebs in 167 BC.
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Marcus Antonius M. f. M. n., the orator, praetor in 104 BC, consul in 99 BC, censor in 97 BC, put to death by Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Cinna in 87 BC.
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Quintus Antonius Balbus, praetor in Sardinia in 82 BC, killed by Lucius Marcius Philippus, the legatus of Sulla.
[Florus, 86.]
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Marcus Antonius, a proscribed senator who fled to Sertorius in Hispania during Sertorian War, and later conspired in his assassination in 73 BC.
[Plutarch, "The Life of Sertorius", 26.]
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Marcus Antonius Gnipho, a distinguished rhetorician and tutor of Julius Caesar.
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Marcus Antonius M. f. M. n., surnamed Creticus, praetor in 75 BC.
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Gaius Antonius M. f. M. n., surnamed Hybrida, consul in 63 BC.
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Antonia M. f. M. n., the daughter of Marcus Antonius the orator, was captured by pirates, and ransomed.
[Plutarch, "The Life of Pompeius", 24.]
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Antonia M. f. M. n., wife of Publius Vatinius.
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Mark Antony, the triumvir, was magister equitum in 47 and consul in 44 BC.
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Gaius Antonius M. f. M. n., praetor in 44 BC, was put to death by Brutus in 42.
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Lucius Antonius M. f. M. n., surnamed Pietas, consul in 41 BC.
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Antonia C. f. M. n. Hybrida Major, married Lucius Caninius Gallus.
[Valerius Maximus, iv. 2. § 6.]
-
Antonia C. f. M. n. Hybrida Minor, married her cousin, Marcus Antonius, the triumvir, but was divorced from him in 47 B.C.
[Cicero, Philippicae, ii. 38.][Plutarch], "The Life of Marcus Antonius", 9.]
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Antonia M. f. M. n., daughter of the triumvir, who was betrothed to Marcus Aemilius Lepidus the younger.
[Cassius Dio, xliv. 53.][Appian, Bellum Civile, v. 93.]
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Marcus Antonius M. f. M. n., called Antyllus by the Greek writers, put to death by Augustus in 30 BC.
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Iullus Antonius, consul in 10 BC, condemned to death by Augustus in 2 BC.
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Antonia M. f. M. n. Major, the wife of Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, was grandmother of the empress Messalina and the emperor Nero.
[Suetonius, "The Life of Nero", 5.][Plutarch, "The Life of Marcus Antonius", 87.]
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Antonia M. f. M. n. Minor, the wife of Nero Claudius Drusus, was mother of the emperor Claudius, and grandmother of Caligula.
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Antonius Musa, a physician at the time of Augustus, and author of works on medicine and medicinal plants.
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Lucius Antonius Iuli f. M. n., exiled to Marseille in 2 BC.
[Tacitus, Annales, iv. 44.]
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Iulla Antonia, daughter Iulus Antonius, the consul of 10 BC.
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Lucius Antonius Pedo, an eques who was praefectus of Roman Egypt around AD 11.
[Bastianini, "Prefetti d'Egitto", p. 269.]
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Antonia Tryphaena, Queen of Thrace, and a granddaughter of Marcus Antonius, the triumvir.
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Antonius Atticus, a Roman rhetorician of the first century; he was contemporary with both Seneca and Quintilian.
[Seneca the Elder, Suasoriae, 2. p. 19 (ed. Bipont Editions).]
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Aulus Antonius Rufus, consul suffectus in AD 45
[Gallivan, "The Fasti for the Reign of Claudius", pp. 408, 424.]
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Antonius Felix, a freedman of the emperor Claudius, later procurator of Judaea.
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Marcus Antonius Pallas, a freedman, brother to Marcus Antonius Felix. Secretary first to Claudius, and then to Nero, who had him executed in AD 63.
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Antonia, wife of a Livius, perhaps a senator.
[Raepsaet-Charlier, Prosopographie des femmes, vol. 1, p. 91.]
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Antonius Natalis, one of the conspirators of Gaius Calpurnius Piso against Nero.
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Marcus Antonius Julianus, procurator of Judaea from AD 66 to 70.
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Lucius Antonius Naso, tribune of the Praetorian Guard in AD 69, and procurator of Bithynia in the reign of Vespasian.
[Tacitus, Historiae, i. 20.][J. Eckhel, Doctrina Numorum Veterum, ii. p. 404.]
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Antonius Flamma, governor of Cyrenaica under Nero, banished at the beginning of Vespasian's reign for his extortion and cruelty.
[Tacitus, Historiae, iv. 45.]
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Antonius Novellus, one of Otho's principal generals, but possessed no influence with the soldiery.
[Tacitus, Historiae, i. 87, ii. 12.]
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Antonius Castor, a botanist at Rome during the first century, who lived more than a hundred years.
[Pliny the Elder, xxv. 5.]
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Antonius Rufus, a Latin grammarian, and perhaps also a playwright, in the time of Quintilian.
[Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, i. 5. § 43.][ Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. III, p. 670 ("").]
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Antonius, a Roman of high rank, and a contemporary and friend of Pliny the Younger, among whose letters there are three addressed to Antoninus. Pliny heaps the most extravagant praise upon his friend both for his personal character and his skill in composing Greek epigrams and iambics.
[Pliny the Younger, Epistulae, iv. 3, 18, v. 10.]
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Marcus Antonius L. f. Iuli n., the principal general of Vespasian, and consul in AD 69.
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Marcus Antonius Primus, Camillus with the arvals in 118.
[Rüpke and Glock, Fasti Sacerdotum, p. 538.]
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Antonius Taurus, a tribune in the Praetorian Guard in AD 69.
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Marcus Antonius M. f. Agrippa, son of Marcus Antonius Felix, the procurator of Judaea, died in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.
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Antonia M. f. Clementiana, daughter of Marcus Antonius Felix.
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Lucius Antonius Saturninus, governor of Germania Superior, rebelled against the emperor Domitian in AD 91.
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Lucius Antonius Albus, consul in AD 102.
[Cooley, Cambridge Manual of Latin Epigraphy, p. 467.]
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Marcus Antonius Rufinus, consul in AD 131.
[Cooley, Cambridge Manual of Latin Epigraphy, p. 470.]
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Lucius Antonius L. f. Albus, consul suffectus around AD 132.
[Alföldy, Konsulat und Senatorenstand, p. 213.]
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Marcus Antonius Hiberus, consul ordinarius in 133.
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Antonius Diogenes, author of a Greek romance, who may have lived in the second century.
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Antonius, a notable herbalist mentioned by Galen, probably dated to the second century, but perhaps the same person as Antonius Castor.
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Antonius Julianus, a friend and contemporary of Aulus Gellius, and a teacher of grammar and oratory.
[Aulus Gellius, Noctes Atticae, iv. 1, ix. 15, xv. 1, xviii. 5, xix. 9, xx. 9.]
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Marcus Antonius Polemon, a celebrated sophist and rhetorician who flourished under Trajan, Hadrian, and Antoninus Pius.
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Julius Antonius Seleucus, governor of Moesia in the early 3rd century. Possibly the same figure as the contemporary Roman usurper Seleucus, who revolted against Elagabalus. Other sources identify him with the consul Marcus Flavius Vitellius Seleucus.
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Marcus Antonius Sabinus, equites governor of Mauretania Caesariensis AD 215–217.
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Gordian I, surnamed Africanus, emperor in AD 238.
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Gordian II, emperor with his father in AD 238.
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Antonia Gordiana, daughter of the emperor Gordian I, and mother of Gordian III.
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Gordian III, grandson of Gordianus I, and emperor from AD 238 to 244.
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Claudius Antonius, consul in AD 382.
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Rufius Antonius Agrypnius Volusianus, proconsul of Africa, praefectus urbi from AD 417 to 418, and praetorian prefect of Italy.
See also
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List of Roman gentes
-
Nerva-Antonine dynasty
Citations
Bibliography
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Cicero, Epistulae ad Atticum, Philippicae.
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Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Romaike Archaiologia (Roman Antiquities).
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Titus Livius (Livy), History of Rome.
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Valerius Maximus, Factorum ac Dictorum Memorabilium (Memorable Facts and Sayings).
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Lucius Annaeus Seneca (Seneca the Elder), Suasoriae (Rhetorical Exercises).
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Gaius Plinius Secundus (Pliny the Elder), Historia Naturalis (Natural History).
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Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus (Pliny the Younger), Epistulae (Letters).
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Marcus Fabius Quintilianus (Quintilian), Institutio Oratoria (Institutes of Oratory).
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Tacitus, Annales, Historiae.
-
, Parallel Lives.
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Suetonius, De Vita Caesarum (Lives of the Caesars, or The Twelve Caesars).
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Florus, Epitome de T. Livio Bellorum Omnium Annorum DCC (Epitome of Livy: All the Wars of Seven Hundred Years).
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Appianus Alexandrinus (Appian), Bellum Civile (The Civil War).
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Aulus Gellius, Noctes Atticae (Attic Nights).
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Lucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus (Cassius Dio), Roman History.
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Joseph Hilarius Eckhel, Doctrina Numorum Veterum (The Study of Ancient Coins, 1792–1798).
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Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, William Smith, ed., Little, Brown and Company, Boston (1849).
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Theodor Mommsen et alii, Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum (The Body of Latin Inscriptions, abbreviated CIL), Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften (1853–present).
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Guido Bastianini, " Lista dei prefetti d'Egitto dal 30a al 299p" (List of the Prefects of Egypt from 30 BC to AD 299), in Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik, vol. 17 (1975).
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Géza Alföldy, Konsulat und Senatorenstand unter der Antonien (The Consulate and Senatorial State under the Antonines), Rudolf Habelt, Bonn (1977).
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Paul A. Gallivan, "The Fasti for the Reign of Claudius", in Classical Quarterly, vol. 28, pp. 407–426 (1978).
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Marie-Thérèse Raepsaet-Charlier, Prosopographie des femmes de l'ordre sénatorial: Ier-IIe siècles (Prosopography of Women of the Senatorial Order: First and Second Centuries), Peeters, Louvain (1987).
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Jörg Rüpke and Anne Glock, Fasti Sacerdotum: A Prosopography of Pagan, Jewish, and Christian Religious Officials in the City of Rome, 300 BC to AD 499, Oxford University Press (2008).
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Alison E. Cooley, The Cambridge Manual of Latin Epigraphy, Cambridge University Press (2012).
