The ''Leges Antoniae'' () were an ensemble of

Roman laws This is a partial list of Roman laws. A Roman law () is usually named for the sponsoring legislator and designated by the adjectival form of his ''gens'' name ('' nomen gentilicum''), in the feminine form because the noun ''lex'' (plural ''leges'' ...

passed by

Mark Antony Marcus Antonius (14 January 1 August 30 BC), commonly known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman people, Roman politician and general who played a critical role in the Crisis of the Roman Republic, transformation of the Roman Republic ...

in the aftermath of the

assassination of Julius Caesar Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator, was assassinated on the Ides of March (15 March) 44 BC by a group of senators during a Roman Senate, Senate session at the Curia of Pompey, located within the Theatre of Pompey in Ancient Rome, Rome. The ...

, on 15 March 44 BC.

History

After the assassination of

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

, the

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states thro ...

Mark Antony became the most powerful man in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

and passed a series of laws to secure his position. The most famous of these laws was the ''lex Antonia de dictatura in perpetuum tollenda'', which abolished the

dictatorship A dictatorship is an autocratic form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group of leaders, who hold governmental powers with few to no Limited government, limitations. Politics in a dictatorship are controlled by a dictator, ...

. It was the second law to do so (the first being passed after the

Second Punic War The Second Punic War (218 to 201 BC) was the second of Punic Wars, three wars fought between Ancient Carthage, Carthage and Roman Republic, Rome, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean Basin, Mediterranean in the 3rd century BC. For ...

, replacing the Dictatorship with the final decree of the Senate); however, the earlier law had essentially been nullified by the subsequent dictatorships of

Sulla Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (, ; 138–78 BC), commonly known as Sulla, was a Roman people, Roman general and statesman of the late Roman Republic. A great commander and ruthless politician, Sulla used violence to advance his career and his co ...

and Caesar. The ''lex Antonia'' was mainly intended to provide Antony, who was beginning his consolidation of power, with some support from the Senatorial class, who had been alienated by the perpetual Dictatorships of Sulla and (especially) Caesar. In the end, this law did not succeed either, for in 22 BC the Senate offered

Caesar Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in ...

the Dictatorship; however, he declined. Antony also passed the following laws: * ''lex Antonia de actis Caesaris confirmandis'', confirmed all Caesar's laws and deeds (April 44). * ''lex antonia de coloniis in agros deducentis'', settled veterans in new colonies (April 44). Antony then went to

Campania Campania is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy located in Southern Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian Peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea to its west), but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islan ...

in April and May 43 to settle veterans there. * ''lex Antonia agraria'', gave lands to Antony's supporters (June 44). A committee of seven men chaired by Lucius Antonius supervised the distributions. * ''lex Antonia de provinciis consularibus'', granted Antony and his colleague Dolabella a 5 year proconsulship after their consulship. It was passed in the '' comitia tributa'' after Antony failed to receive an approbation from the senate (probably 2 June 43). * ''lex Antonia de permutatione provinciarum'', exchanged Antony's province of

Macedonia Macedonia (, , , ), most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a former administr ...

, with those of Cisalpine and

Transalpine Gaul Gallia Narbonensis (Latin for "Gaul of Narbonne", from its chief settlement) was a Roman province located in Occitania (administrative region) , Occitania and Provence, in Southern France. It was also known as Provincia Nostra ("Our Prov ...

, excluding

Gallia Narbonensis Gallia Narbonensis (Latin for "Gaul of Narbonne", from its chief settlement) was a Roman province located in Occitania and Provence, in Southern France. It was also known as Provincia Nostra ("Our Province"), because it was the first ...

(probably June 44). * ''lex antonia de mense quintili'', which renamed the month of

Quintilis In the ancient Roman calendar, Quintilis or Quinctilis was the month following Junius (June) and preceding Sextilis (August). ''Quintilis'' is Latin for "fifth": it was the fifth month (''quintilis mensis'') in the earliest calendar attributed t ...

to July, in honour of Julius Caesar. * ''lex Antonia de quinto die ludorum romanorum rotondi'', added a 5th day to the

Ludi Romani The ''Ludi Romani'' ("Roman Games"; see '' ludi'') was a religious festival in ancient Rome held annually, starting in 366 BC, from September 12 to September 14. In the 1st century BC, an extra day was added in honor of the deified Julius Caesa ...

. * ''lex Antonia iudiciaria'', altered the composition of juries, made of senators,

knights A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

, and a third group (not properly known). Passed at the end of September or early October 44, the law was rapidly repealed in early 43.Manuwald, ''Cicero, Philippics 3–9'', p. 596.

References

Bibliography

* Gesine Manuwald, ''Cicero, Philippics 3–9, Volume 1: Introduction, Text and Translation, References and Indexes'', Berlin/New York, De Gruyter, 2007. .

External links

The Roman Law Library
Roman law Mark Antony {{AncientRome-law-stub

History

See also

References

Bibliography

External links