Mark Antony

Role: Mark Antony was born circa 83 BC, and was one of Caesar’s most trusted men by the time he was 36 (47 BC). This is true, because even though he had a majour fight with Caesar—which involved violence—about Antony’s domus, and was fired from any political involvement, he was reinstated back into Caesar’s staff shortly thereafter, and on an even higher level, as partner for Caesar's fifth consulship.

When Caesar was assassinated, Mark Antony was forced to share Rome with two other men (Octavian, and Lepidus). Mark Antony got the eastern and half of the northern part of rome—basically all of the Greek and Middle Eastern parts of Rome, while Octavian had Rome herself, and Gaul, and Lepidus had Africa. As Ruler of those lands, Mark Antony was very self-centered, and concerned with conquering new lands (Chiefly Armenia and Parthia). He was already on bad terms with Octavian, and when Octavian did not send him the army Antony requested to conquer Armenia with, his relations went even more bad.

In his Middle Eastern endeavours, Mark Antony met the Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra, and they fell in love, and got married, Antony thus abandoning his present wife. He then distributed the lands he had in his possessions to Cleopatra and her children, and declared the children the rightful heirs of Caesar. Octavian was outraged, because he claimed to be the rightful heir, and thus began a civil war in Rome in 31 BC, with Octavian on one side, and Mark Antony on another. Octavian beat Mark Antony all the way back to Egypt in this war, and had in effect trapped Antony and Cleopatra in Egypt. Mark Antony then decided that Cleopatra had committed suicide, and did so himself by falling on his sword. The still living Cleopatra followed suit several days later by drinking poison. With their death, Octavian became the uncontested ruler of Rome, and became known as Augustus Caesar.

The civil war between the men ensured that the Roman oligarchy would fall, and there would now be political struggles between two consuls instead of a senate and a dictator. Thus Antony, as Caesar's key adherent and one of the two men around whom power revolved after Caesar’s assassination, was one of the three men chiefly responsible for the fall of the Roman Republic.

Costume: As a senator and ruler, Mark Antony wore the common dress for such people. This was a toga praetexta, or a toga with a purple border, that was worn by all men of (former) political importance, and young boys. This simple costume was worn instead of any kind of lavish and extravagant clothing to signify that the people are equal to the rest of Rome’s citizens, and so do not exceed the more poor classes by much.

As a military leader, Mark Antony wore the metal armour of high-class warriors, which was a breast/back plate, and a sectionalised skirt to protect the waist-area, but allow for extensive movement. This metallic armour was worn over a red tunic, and Antony was famous for wearing a red cape over the armour. His footwear for this costume were sandals, and his headdress was a helmet with the common “broom” decorating the top.