Honors Program
Document Type
Thesis
Date of this Version
Spring 3-5-2022
Citation
Yaple, Lauren. The Impact of Women on the Life and Legacy of Mark Antony. Undergraduate Honors Thesis. The University of Nebraska - Lincoln, 2022.
Abstract
Throughout the life of Mark Antony, the women he became involved with had a large impact on his political career, life, and legacy. These women, such as Fulvia and Cleopatra, used Antony as a means to achieve their own political, economic, and personal goals and were able to gain power in a very anti-feminist society through their relationships with and manipulations of him, affecting the career of Antony in many ways including his politics and his actions as a military commander, as showcased by the examination of primary sources from the late Roman Republic and early Roman empire periods. This key role of women in Antony’s life was used against him by his political enemies and anti-Antony propagandists like Cicero and Augustus, which negatively impacted Antony’s reputation in Rome, contributing to his eventual downfall in 30 BCE and leaving a permanent impact on his legacy. This lasting female presence on his legacy is present not only within Roman sources such as the speeches of Cicero, Augustan propaganda, and records of Antony’s life, but also within historical texts that were written long after his death, which will be examined through the literature of Vergil and Shakespeare.
Included in
Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity Commons, Classical Literature and Philology Commons, English Language and Literature Commons, Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, Gifted Education Commons, Higher Education Commons, Other Education Commons, Women's History Commons
Comments
Copyright Lauren Yaple 2022.