Les partisans d'Antoine : des orphelins de César aux complices de Cléopâtre

From Antiquity, Antony became a moral and rhetorical figure, considered independently from his time and the people close to him. But in Rome’s aristocratic society, in the City and in a State that has fallen prey to factions, Antony would not have succeeded with only his talents. By recounting, as much as possible, the individual destinies of those who embrace – at least for a time – Antony’s cause, it is possible to piece back together a big part of this determining period. 

Born in the aftermath of Cesar’s death, this party first recruited Caesareans and then, throughout the years, its composition changed; rallying Antony allowed a majority of Republicans and Pompeians to operate a return to public life. The break between the triumvirs and the declaration of war to Egypt put Antony’s followers in a tricky situation: should they remain faithful to Antony and thus risk to become accomplices of Cleopatra and a traitor to Rome? After the defeat, most Antonians disappeared from our sources, some were punished, others became supporters of the new government. Building the Empire required the destruction of the Antonian party and the reuse of its remaining forces.