Marcus Antonius Jr – Son

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Marcus Antonius Jr

son of Marc Antony
executed by Octavian circa 30 BC

139

Sold by Sotheby

Marcus Antonius Antyllus, Jr was the son of the triumvir Mark Antony and his wife Fulvia. Mark Antony built his son up as a potential successor from an early age. This aureus is a testament to this. Antyllus was also appointed successor to the Triumvirs in 37 BC as part of the Treaty of Tarentum. In 44 BC, Antyllus was betrothed to Octavian’s two-year-old daughter, Julia, in order to strengthen the fathers’ mutual bond to the triumvirate. However, after Mark Antony and Octavia‘s marriage failed in Cleopatra‘s favor, Antyllus withdrew to Egypt with his father.

Following the defeat at Actium, according to Plutarch (71.3), Antyllus was given the toga virilis, thus being declared of age and sent to Octavian for peace negotiations. Octavian firmly rejected the offer, so Antyllus’s only option was to retreat and ultimately flee to the temple of Divus Julius Caesar if Suetonius (17.5) is to be believed. However, Octavian found him and had him killed, along with Caesarion, the son of Cleopatra and Gaius Julius Casesar. In this way, the future Augustus got rid of two contenders to the throne who could have been a threat to his own claim to power.

The unpopularity of his mother, Fulvia, no doubt, left little goodwill toward the young man despite the fact that Octavian had at one time been married to his half-sister, Claudia.