Born in 83BC, Marc Antony’s mother, Julia, was the cousin of Julius Caesar. Close family ties, loyalty to his commander, and a desire for power made Marc Antony one of Caesar’s most important supporters, both as a military leader and in politics. In 54BC, after commanding a Gallic cavalry regiment in Syria and Judea, he joined Caesar’s staff in Gaul and fought alongside him throughout his Gallic Wars. With Caesars’ political enemies circling in 50BC, as his ten-year Proconsulship came to an end, he secured Marc Antony the offices of Quaestor and Tribune. Attempting to use his veto to protect Caesar’s imperium, Antony was violently expelled from the Senate. This was one of the grievances that Caesar used as a reason to cross the Rubicon, starting the Civil War.
