Roman History and Historiography

Annius Verus, Marcus, grandfather of *Marcus Aurelius, from Ucubi (mod. Espejo) in *Baetica, became a patrician under *Vespasian, and was *suffect consul in ce 97. He was influential under *Hadrian, to whom he was probably related, being city prefect (*praefectus urbi), and holding a second (‘ordinary’) consulship (see consul) in 121, and a third in 126. Verus' attractive personality was combined with an astute matrimonial policy: his wife Rupilia Faustina belonged to the republican nobility; one daughter-in-law was the heiress Domitia Lucilla the younger, M. Aurelius' mother; a son-in-law was the future *Antoninus Pius. Still alive when Antoninus was adopted by Hadrian, Verus was remembered with affection by M. Aurelius, who had grown up in his house.

Antinous, companion of Hadrian in Bithynia, born perhaps c.110 ce, was *Hadrian's companion on his longest provincial tour and in antiquity was generally regarded as the emperor's ‘beloved’ in the pederastic sense, although this is open to debate (e.g. Turcan). His death by drowning in the Nile in October 130, claimed by some to have been suicide or a ritual sacrifice, was mourned extravagantly by Hadrian. He founded the city of *Antinoöpolis near the place of death, and commissioned a statue-type, now lost, which celebrated the youthful beauty of Antinous and, perhaps, its precariousness. Hadrian also fostered a posthumous cult of Antinous as a hero or god (see hero-cult), popular in the east. See *homosexuality.

Antistius Vetus, Gaius, under whose father *Caesar had served in Further Spain as quaestor (69 bce), was Caesar's quaestor pro praetore in Syria (45–4). He opposed Q. *Caecilius Bassus (see cornificius, q.), but in 44 joined the Liberators (legate of *Brutus in 43: high praise in Cic. Ad Brut. 1. 11). He next appears as legate of *Octavian, tackling the *Salassi (35–34?), duly became consul (suffect 30), and, as consular legate, fought the *Cantabri (26–24). He was made *patrician, probably in 29 (ILS 948). His son was consul in 6 bce and his grandsons Gaius and Lucius in ce 23 and a few years later; L. *Antistius Vetus was his great-grandson.

Antonia (3), younger daughter (‘minor’, Suet. Calig 1. 1; Claud. of M. *Antonius (2) (Mark Antony) and *Octavia (2), born 31 January 36 bce, married Nero *Claudius Drusus; their children were *Germanicus, Livilla (*Livia Iulia), and *Claudius (cf. IG Rom.

Antonia (4), daughter of *Claudius and Aelia Paetina, married in 41 ce Cn. Pompeius Magnus and afterwards Faustus Cornelius Sulla. Her first husband was put to death by Claudius, the second by *Nero. A story retailed by the elder *Pliny (1) that she was to accompany the conspirator C. *Calpurnius Piso (2) when he entered the praetorian camp after Nero's murder was rejected by *Tacitus (1) (Ann., probably rightly as she was not punished with the other conspirators. But later Nero had her killed as a revolutionary, though *Suetonius (Ner. gives as the real reason her refusal to marry Nero after *Poppaea Sabina's death in 65. These stories reflect the threat posed by any husband of hers to Nero, especially as he had no heir.

Antonius, Iullus, second son of the Triumvir Mark Antony (M. *Antonius (2)) and *Fulvia, born 43 bce, was brought up in Rome by *Octavia (2) and married in 21 to her elder daughter by C. *Claudius Marcellus (1) (consul 50 bce). Praetor (13), consul (10), and proconsul of Asia (7/6?), he was condemned (2 bce) for adultery with *Iulia (3), entailing designs on the Principate, and committed suicide. His son Lucius, last of the male line, died in ce 25. Iullus wrote verse, including an epic Diomedeia in 12 books; Horace addressed Carm. 4. 2 to him.

Antonius ‘Hybrida’, Gaius, son of M. *Antonius (1). An officer under *Sulla in Greece and rewarded in his *proscriptions, he was prosecuted and escaped conviction by appealing to the tribunes. The *lex (2)Antonia de Termessibus was passed in his tribunate. Expelled from the senate by the censors (70), he became praetor (66) with *Cicero's help, but in 64 made an election compact with *Catiline and was assailed by Cicero. As consul 63, he was bribed by his colleague Cicero with the province of Macedonia, agreed to march against Catiline, but left the fighting to M. *Petreius. Oppressive and unsuccessful in Macedonia, he was prosecuted repetundarum (see repetundae), vigorously defended by Cicero, but convicted. Recalled from exile by *Caesar, he became censor 42 under the Triumvirate.