James Purefoy as Mark Antony in the HBO series Rome
The characterisation of Mark Antony
Brita Bettina von Hahn
University of South Africa: Master of Arts, Specialisation in Ancient Languages and Cultures, November (2008)
Abstract
This dissertation aims to focus on the way in which Marc Antony has been portrayed in Antiquity by a careful and critical study of what the ancient (mainly literary) sources have to reveal about this historical personage. A number of primary sources present a very negative view of Antony under the influence of various political persuasions, and this will be compared and contrasted with later ancient views. The study will pursue this under key themes such as the personality of Antony, his military and political career as well as the role that he played in the East. Modern scholarly interpretations of Antony’s character and actions will also be brought into the discussion, so that an objective evaluation of the contribution which Antony has made to the history of the Roman Republic, insofar as objectivity is possible, may be arrived at.
The subject of my dissertation is Mark Antony (83-30 BC), who in the ancient sources is more often represented as a villain than as a hero. As the basis of our knowledge we have the literary material of antiquity, as well as coins and inscriptions to confirm ancient sources. It is their openness to interpretation which has led modern writers using these sources to come to very different assessments of Mark Antony’s character and which makes this a subject worthy of further exploration. By tracing from childhood his natural disposition, his character, his temper (often uncontrolled) it will be possible to shed light on the complexity of his personality and his behaviour may be analysed in terms of the different influences he was exposed to during his lifetime. These influences which formed his character led him to reactions considered by many writers, ancient and modern, as erratic (Plut. Ant. 24.1-6, 25.2), in many ways violent. In the broader perspective, it will be interesting to trace how these influences and character traits in Antony eventually affected the course of history.
The characterisation of Mark Antony
Brita Bettina von Hahn
University of South Africa: Master of Arts, Specialisation in Ancient Languages and Cultures, November (2008)
Abstract
This dissertation aims to focus on the way in which Marc Antony has been portrayed in Antiquity by a careful and critical study of what the ancient (mainly literary) sources have to reveal about this historical personage. A number of primary sources present a very negative view of Antony under the influence of various political persuasions, and this will be compared and contrasted with later ancient views. The study will pursue this under key themes such as the personality of Antony, his military and political career as well as the role that he played in the East. Modern scholarly interpretations of Antony’s character and actions will also be brought into the discussion, so that an objective evaluation of the contribution which Antony has made to the history of the Roman Republic, insofar as objectivity is possible, may be arrived at.
The subject of my dissertation is Mark Antony (83-30 BC), who in the ancient sources is more often represented as a villain than as a hero. As the basis of our knowledge we have the literary material of antiquity, as well as coins and inscriptions to confirm ancient sources. It is their openness to interpretation which has led modern writers using these sources to come to very different assessments of Mark Antony’s character and which makes this a subject worthy of further exploration. By tracing from childhood his natural disposition, his character, his temper (often uncontrolled) it will be possible to shed light on the complexity of his personality and his behaviour may be analysed in terms of the different influences he was exposed to during his lifetime. These influences which formed his character led him to reactions considered by many writers, ancient and modern, as erratic (Plut. Ant. 24.1-6, 25.2), in many ways violent. In the broader perspective, it will be interesting to trace how these influences and character traits in Antony eventually affected the course of history.
Click here to read this thesis from the University of South Africa
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