Marc Antony - Bio - Imperator Augustus campaign
Afternoon all!
Before you get reading, a quick reminder that you can see more of Imperator Augustus live at 3pm BST over on the Official Total War Twitch channel:
]]>http://www.twitch.tv/totalwarofficial]]>
Now, today we have another bio for you, taken from the upcoming Imperator Augustus campaign, this time on the man that was Marc Antony!
Now, the to the bio:
Marc Antony had proved himself a staunch, loyal and superb general under Caesar during the Gallic Wars, and such service brought benefits. The two men became friends on that long campaign, and their growing professional and personal bond saw Antony dispatched to Rome in order to further Caesar’s ambitions, while securing his own political advancement.
As elected Quaestor, Antony managed the financial affairs of state, though he returned to Caesar’s side as cavalry commander at the Battle of Alesia, in which Vercingetorix was defeated once and for all. Elevated to the rank of Legate and with two legions under him, Antony continued to serve in Gaul until 50BC while Caesar’s forces mopped up the final pockets of Gallic resistance.
Political division was growing between Caesar, who had grown rich and popular with the people on his campaigns, and his co-consul Pompey, who had remained in Rome. Antony manoeuvred Rome’s religious and political infrastructures in order to protect Caesar, but open conflict was inevitable. On 10th January 49BC, Caesar and his forces crossed the Rubicon river to march directly on Rome. Pompey and the Optimates promptly fled, and Caesar entered Rome without incident.
By the time of Caesar’s murder, Marc Antony had fought many conflicts as his second-in-command, though his popularity with the people of Rome could never match that of his friend and leader. In the aftermath, he managed to retain a measure of Caesar’s forces – and his fortune, though the rightful property of Octavian – to become a powerful member of the Second Triumvirate. It wouldn’t be long before Octavian would rise to claim his birthright however…