Iullus Antonius

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Iullus Antonius Creticus (Rome, 45 BC-2 BC) (Also known as Jullus or Julius Antony) was the second son of Mark Antony and his third wife Fulvia. He is best known for being the most famous lover of Julia the Elder. He was the full brother of Marcus Antonius Antyllus, half-brother to Clodia Pulchra (First wife of Augustus) through his mother's first marriage, Antonia Major and Antonia Minor through his father's marriage to Octavia Minor and Alexander Helios, Cleopatra Selene and Ptolemy Philadelphus through his father's marriage to Cleopatra. He was stepbrother to Marcellus, Claudia Marcella Major (Later his wife) and Claudia Marcella Minor, and stepson to Octavia Minor (Sister of Augustus) and Cleopatra. Iullus Antonius can be seen on the Ara Pacis at http://harpy.uccs.edu/roman/html/augustus.html

Contents

1 Life
2 Career and Marriage
3 Julia Caesaris
4 Family Connections
5 Literature/Film/Television

5.1 Literature
5.2 Television

6 See also

Life

Iullus and his elder brother had a disruptive childhood. His mother Fulvia gained many enemies including Octavian (nephew and adopted son of Julius Caesar). His half-sister, Clodia Pulchra had been Octavian's first wife, however in 41 BC he divorced Clodia without ever having consummated the marriage and married Scribonia (who would later mother Julia, Octavian's only child). Fulvia saw this as an insult on her family and, together with Lucius Antonius (Iullus' uncle) they raised eight legions in Italy to fight for Antonius' rights against Octavian. The army occupied Rome for a short time, but eventually retreated to Perusia (modern Perugia). Octavian besieged Fulvia and Lucius Antonius in the winter of 41 - 40 BC, starving them into surrender. Fulvia was exiled to Sicyon, where she died of a sudden illness.

In the same year of Fulvia's death, his father Mark Antony re-married the elder sister of Octavian, Octavia. The marriage had to be approved by the Senate as Octavia was pregnant with her first husband's child (Claudia Marcella Minor) at the time. The marriage was for political purposes to cement an alliance between Octavian and Mark Antony. Octavia appears to have been a loyal and faithful wife who was good and treated her husband's children with the same kindness as her own. Between 40 BC–36 BC, Octavia lived with him in his Athenian mansion. She raised both of Mark Antony's sons and her children by her first husband together for the years of her marriage to their father. They all travelled with him to various provinces. During the marriage Octavia produced two daughters both named Antonia.

In 36 BC, Mark Antony abandoned Octavia and their children for his former lover Cleopatra VII (they had already met in 41 BC and had twins). Mark Antony divorced her circa 32 BC, after she had supplied him with men and troops in 35 BC (to be used in his eastern campaigns). Iullus and his brother remained with their father while their half-sisters returned to Rome with their mother. Iullus and his brother were both raised by Cleopatra beside their father's children by her and their stepbrother Caesarion.

After his father's defeat in the naval Battle of Actium in which, Antony and Cleopatra's navy was destroyed, and they were forced to escape to Egypt. In August 30 BC, assisted by Agrippa, he invaded Egypt. With no other refuge to escape to, Iullus' father, Mark Antony committed suicide by falling on his sword in the mistaken belief that Cleopatra had already done so. A few days later, Cleopatra herself committed suicide.

Octavian and his army seized control of Egypt and claimed it as part of the Roman Empire. While Iullus' elder brother Antyllus, his stepbrother Caesarion and allegedly his two half-brothers Alexander Helios and Ptolemy Philadelphus were murdered by Octavian, he showed Iullus and his sister Cleopatra Selene some mercy. Octavian gave both Iullus and Selene (Possibly by her request) to Iullus' first stepmother Octavia Minor to be raised as Roman citizens.

In 27 BC they returned to Rome, and Octavian was given then title of Augustus.

Career and Marriage

In 21 BC he married Octavia's daughter from her first marriage, Claudia Marcella Major. Marcella had been previously married to Marcus Agrippa, but he had divorced her to marry Augustus' daughter Julia. Their only child was Lucius Antonius. He was praetor in 13 BC, consul in 10 BC and Asian proconsul in 7 BC (Velleius [2.100].) Twelve volumes of his poetry have survived.

Julia Caesaris

Though when it began is unsure, Iullus Antonius became the lover of Julia Caesaris. who was Caesar Augustus' daughter. Julia's marriage to her third husband Tiberius had become a disaster and she was desperate to satisfy her desires, and Iullus was open to do so. It was said that Iullus Antonius had designs upon the monarchy (LV.10.12-16), and wanted to marry Julia before her children Gaius and Lucius had come of age, possibly to form some sort of regency (Dio 55. 10.15). It is unlikely, however, that Julia would have put her father or her sons at risk. During the scandal that broke when Augustus learned of his daughter Julia's copious promiscuity, Antonius was exposed as the most prominent of her lovers. He was charged with treason and sentenced to death; subsequently, he committed suicide.

Family Connections

Iullus Antonius was connected to many members of the imperial family through blood and marriage. As the result of his parents' marriages and his own, he was connected to various families in Rome.

His biological parents were:
* Fulvia, his mother
* Mark Antony, his father

His full brother was Marcus Antonius Antyllus

His stepmothers were:
* Octavia Minor (Sister of Augustus)
* Cleopatra VII of Egypt

His half siblings were
* From his mother's first marriage:
** Clodia Pulchra (First wife of Augustus)
* From his father's marriage to Octavia:
** Antonia Major (Grandmother of Valeria Messalina)
** Antonia Minor (Mother of Emperor Claudius)
* From his father's marriage to Cleopatra:
** Alexander Helios
** Cleopatra Selene (Wife of Juba II of Numidia)
** Ptolemy Philadelphus

His step-siblings were
* From his father's marriage to Octavia:
** Marcellus (First husband of Julia the Elder)
** Claudia Marcella Major (His future wife)
** Claudia Marcella Minor
* From his father's marriage to Cleopatra:
** Caesarion (Son of Julius Caesar)

His son through Claudia Marcella Major was Lucius Antonius

His stepdaughter was Vipsania Marcella

Through all of these family ties, he is also the step-nephew of Augustus and step-cousin of Julia the Elder, Augustus' daughter, therefore he was also step-cousin to Julia's children also. Through his sister Antonia Minor, he was uncle to Germanicus, Livilla and Emperor Claudius and great-uncle to Emperor Caligula and Empress Agrippina the Younger (Julia's granddaughter and Claudius' wife) as well as other children fathered by Germanicus and his wife Agrippina the Elder (Daughter of Julia and Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa), thus being the great-great-uncle to Emperor Nero. Through Antonia Major and Claudia Marcella Minor, he is also related to Valeria Messalina.

Literature/Film/Television

In many modern literature and television adaptations, Iullus is widely portrayed as either an ambitious and cruel man or a love-struck man who has his eyes on Caesar's daughter and has designs of marriage with her. Several examples of both portrayals of Iullus are:

Literature

In I, Claudius, a novel by Robert Graves
*Briefly mentioned as being Julia's current lover at the time of her exile. He is the only one forced to commit suicide because Augustus couldn't stand the thought of his daughter and Mark Antony's son together.

In Augustus and Tiberius novels by Allan Massie
*In Augustus, Iullus is described as cruel, spiteful and full of hate without a trace of goodness. He is plotting to murder both Augustus and Tiberius, to marry Julia. In Tiberius, he wishes to marry Julia to increase his power and is jealous of Tiberius.

In Caesar's Daughter a novel by Edward Burton
*Iullus is ambitious but loyal to the Julian family, and secretly wishes to marry Julia. He pursues Julia sexually and tries to convince her help him murder Tiberius. Subsequently, Iullus and his political friends are all accused of conspiring against Tiberius and Augustus as well as adultery with Julia.

In Augustus: A Novel by John Williams
*Iullus is honourable, he admires Augustus at first and hates his father Mark Antony. However, after falling in love with Julia, he plots to have Tiberius murdered in order to free her from her marriage to him when Augustus does not grant a divorce.

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Television

In the British/Italian mini series,
*Iullus was portrayed by Juan Diego Botto as the handsome, ambitious son of Mark Antony, who will do anything to marry Augustus' daughter Julia and sit on the throne. He is executed by Tiberius by (Lex Iulia) his right of the law. He plays a major role in the film, being the driving force behind a plot to assassinate Augustus.

In the BBC Television mini series adaptation of I, Claudius, Iullus Antonius is oddly absent from the tale. When Julia is accused of having her affairs, Iullus Antonius' name is not mentioned. Historically, Iullus was Julia's most famous and noted lover. The discovery of their affair both shocked and humiliated Julia's father, Augustus. (It should also be noted that Julia's other alleged lovers were also missing from the list of her lovers.)