Epistula Marci Antonii triumviri ad Koinon Asiae as a source for the study of Mark Antony’s stay in the East in 41 BC.

Abstract

Following the battle at Philippi (October 42 BC) triumvir Mark An­tony in 41 BC toured the eastern provinces of the Roman Republic. During this trip he restored the authority of Rome, levied contributions upon the cities, and appointed kings and rulers. In Ephesus Anthony was persuaded to grant broad privileges and immunities to 'the worldwide association of victors in the festival games', as evidenced by the letter of Antony to the Κοινόν τῶν άπό τῆς Ἀσίας Ἑλλή­νων on the rights of the συνόδου τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἱερονικῶν καὶ στεφανιτῶν. It sheds light on some very significant features of Antony’s policies during his stay in the East in 41 BC. First of all, “Epistula Marci Antonii triumviri ad Koinon Asiae” allows completing the picture of the favorites and confidants of the Roman politician, who had the influence on Antony during his first visit to the East in 41 BC. Secondly, Mark Antony grants pri­vileges to the association devoted to Dionysus (as evidenced by the inscriptions of the second century from Jerash and Nîmes), which appears to be part of the triumvir’s Dionysian policy. It follows that Antony's appeal to this deity was not accidental and it happened no later than the beginning of 41 BC. The assumption that the beginning of the triumvir’s religious policy was laid back in the winter of 42–41 BC in Athens, at the time when the politician was initiated into the myste­ries of the Dionysian technites, gets stronger evidence in this context.

Keywords

• mark antony
• roman eastern politics
• ephesus
• koinon of greeks in asia
• religious politics
• cult of dionysus