A Noble Ruin : Mark Antony, Civil War, and the Collapse of the Roman Republic

by: Tatum, W.J.

A Noble Ruin

Mark Antony, Civil War, and the Collapse of the Roman Republic

W. Jeffrey Tatum
A major new biography of Mark Antony, the most complete in English
Presents an informative account of Roman history, especially the late Republic or the triumviral period, alongside a story of personal tragedy
Offers original interpretations of ancient sources, including ancient documentary sources not all of which have previously been integrated into a biographical account of Antony
Vividly illustrates the life of one of the most contentious and fascinating personalities from Roman history for a biography that is both accessible and thorough

Description
A complex and captivating portrait of Mark Antony that offers a fresh perspective on the fall of the Roman Republic

In his lifetime, Mark Antony was a famous man. Ally and avenger of Julius Caesar, rhetorical target of Cicero, lover of Cleopatra, and mortal enemy of Octavian (the future emperor Augustus), Antony played a leading role in the transformation of the Roman world. Ever since his and Cleopatra's demise at the hands of Octavian, he has remained famous, or infamous, a figure of recurring fascination.

His life—variegated, passionate, sensual, bold, and tragic—inspires vigorous reactions. Nearly everyone has a view on Antony. For Cicero, he was a distasteful though talented man. Octavian fashioned him a dangerous failure, a Roman noble corrupted by his appetites and his lust for Cleopatra. Later historians adopted and adapted these themes, delivering their readers an Antony who was irresistibly depraved, startlingly brave, sometimes cunning, but almost always constitutionally incapable of choosing the right side of history. From these, especially Plutarch's compelling portrait, Shakespeare gave us the chivalrous and unstudied Antony of Antony and Cleopatra.

A Noble Ruin, the fullest biography of Antony in English, assimilates the various, often competing, ancient sources to provide a strong and much-needed dose of realism to the caricature we have of this major historical figure. The book gives ample attention to the varied cultural circumstances in which Antony operated, including the social and moral expectations of his republican heritage, as well as the exceptional challenges posed by the convulsion of civil war. In furnishing a complex and captivating portrait of Anthony, A Noble Ruin allows readers to freshly assess his conduct, ambitions, and attainments, as well as the turbulent age in which he lived.

Table of Contents
Preface
CHAPTER I: Beginning
CHAPTER II: Fighting for Empire
CHAPTER III: Quaestor, Tribune, and Guardian of Italy
CHAPTER IV: Caesar's Master of the Horse
CHAPTER V: The Ides of March
CHAPTER VI: A Consul and an Antony
CHAPTER VII: When Civil Fury First Grew High
CHAPTER VIII: Athens to Alexandria
CHAPTER IX: My Brother's Keeper
CHAPTER X: Enforce No Further the Griefs Between Ye
CHAPTER XI: Fierce Wars and Faithful Loves
CHAPTER XII: Dissolution
CHAPTER XIII: Ending

A Noble Ruin : Mark Antony, Civil War, and the Collapse of the Roman Republic

by: Tatum, W.J.

• ISBN-13: 9780197694909 / 978-0-19-769490-9
• ISBN-03: 019769490X / 0-19-769490-X
• Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2024