SH+P4+2016+Mark+Antony+and+Octavian

Mark Antony was a ruler over ancient Rome. The author of //Outlines of Roman History// described, “ The first to take advantage of the confusion which followed Caesar’s death was Marcus Antonius” (Morey). Once Caesar died, Antony took Caesar’s will and treasury. Not only this, but he had convinced the public, at Caesar’s funeral, that liberators in the state were to blame for their “old friend’s” ("Mark Antony") death. This ultimately pushed the liberators out of the Roman state, which made Antony ruler. Later the senate confirmed that he would be Caesar’s executor (so he could do whatever he wanted). However, Antony’s power became shaky when Octavian, Antony’s adopted son and a politician, came into the light. The author of //Outlines of Roman History// said, “He assumed his adopted name, Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus, and claimed his inheritance and the treasures which had fallen into Antony’s hands” (Morey). Antony denied the treasures, for these treasures were supposedly given to the people of Rome, but that hadn’t happened. Octavian saw this opportunity to humiliate Antony, so he sold his estates and gave that money to the people. From this, the majority of the people swayed towards Octavius rather than Antony. Antony and his younger rival Octavius had an ongoing struggle for each to gain power.
 * Tatjana Wagner **
 * Aim **

Morey, William. //Outlines of Roman History//. American Book Company. Web. Jan. 5, 2016.

N.A. "Mark Antony." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 5 January 2016.




 * Hailey Towle **
 * Cultural **

Taking into consideration the fact that Octavian and Marc Antony were two undeniably critical figures that played immense roles in the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, both impacted the culture of their society greatly. The government of a society is one of the defining factors of the culture. Governments, whether it be intentional or not, dictate how people live. Additionally, the government determines how much control they have over their own lives to make their own decisions. That being said, Antony spent a great deal of time under the wing of Caesar as he ruled as a dictator. After working with him for a while, Antony fled when Caesar died. Furthermore, “In his will Caesar had bequeathed his wealth and title to his posthumously adopted son Octavian. Antony was reluctant to hand his old friend’s legacy to a 17-year-old, and quickly became a rival to the future emperor” (Mark Antony). The war later spawned from that reluctance disrupted the lives of many. It was only later that they would divide their forces and work separately. This disunited the Roman people, causing a split between those who were in favor of Antony and those who were in favor of Octavian. The people of Rome observed the actions of the two influential figures and saw how they represented Rome, “To humiliate Antony and to insure his own popularity, the young Octavius sold his own estates, borrowed money of his friends… By this act Octavius displaced Antony as the people’s friend” (Morey). The actions of these two men shaped the very history of Rome. History cannot be formed without culture because they are both the outcome of how people live, and how people lived is determined by the upper figures of the society.

N.A. "Mark Antony." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 5 January 2016

Morey, William C. "Outlines of Roman History, Chapter 22." ForumRomanum, n.d. Web. 5 January 2016

Marissa Walker

Audience:

The primary audience are the Roman people. Octavian and Mark Anthony were both influential Roman leaders. Because of this, the audience was affected in every way. Whatever choices the leaders made, the citizens had to go with. “As the Ides of March approached, Antony heard rumors of a plot against Caesar but was unable to warn him in time” (History.com). Antony then fled and returned to collect all of Caesar’s belongings and take his place in power. Octavian grew furious because he felt that Caesar's power belonged to him; this caused a rivalry between the two and further affected the audience of the Roman people.

Works Cited: "Mark Antony." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 5 January 2016.

McManus “Antony, Octavian, Cleopatra: The End of the Republic.” The College of New Rochelle. The College of New Rochelle. August 2009. Web. 6 Jan. 2016.