Marcus Antonius Orator

Marcus Antonius Orator ( Latin for "the speaker "; * 143 BC, † 87 BC) was a Roman politician of the family of Antonier and one of the greatest orators of his time.

He started his cursus honorum as quaestor in 113 BC and was 102 BC elected praetor with proconsular powers for the province of Cilicia. During his tenure in the East Antonius fought the pirates superficially with such success that the Senate granted him in the autumn of 100 BC, a triumphal procession. In 99 BC he was elected together with Aulus Postumius Albinus consul in the year 97 BC he was censor. During the conflict between Gaius Marius and Sulla, Marcus Antonius latter supported. His partisanship cost him his life, as he was killed by Marius and Lucius Cornelius Cinna, as they occupied in the year 87 BC Rome.

In addition to his political career, he appeared before the Roman courts as a mediating defender or prosecutor. His reputation as an eloquent speaker held up to the time of Cicero, Antony the oratore as protagonists of his great dialogue De ( About the speaker) can occur. However, none of the speeches of Antony remained.

Marcus Antonius Orator had a daughter, Antonia, and two sons, Marcus Antonius and Gaius Antonius Creticus hybrida. Creticus was the father of general and triumvir Mark Antony.