Lex Antonia
Encyclopedia
Lex Antonia was a law established in ancient Rome
in 44 BC
.
It was proposed by Mark Antony
and passed by the Roman Senate
, following the assassination of Julius Caesar
.
It formally abolished the Dictatorship
. It was the second law to do so (the first being passed after the Second Punic War
, replacing the Dictatorship with the final decree of the Senate
); however, the earlier law had essentially been nullified by the subsequent Dictatorships of Sulla 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 the Dictatorship; however, he declined.
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
in 44 BC
44 BC
Year 44 BC was either a common year starting on Sunday or Monday or a leap year starting on Friday or Saturday of the Julian calendar and a common year starting on Sunday of the Proleptic Julian calendar...
.
It was proposed by Mark Antony
Mark Antony
Marcus Antonius , known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. As a military commander and administrator, he was an important supporter and loyal friend of his mother's cousin Julius Caesar...
and passed by the Roman Senate
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
, following the assassination of Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
.
It formally abolished the Dictatorship
Roman dictator
In the Roman Republic, the dictator , was an extraordinary magistrate with the absolute authority to perform tasks beyond the authority of the ordinary magistrate . The office of dictator was a legal innovation originally named Magister Populi , i.e...
. It was the second law to do so (the first being passed after the Second Punic War
Second Punic War
The Second Punic War, also referred to as The Hannibalic War and The War Against Hannibal, lasted from 218 to 201 BC and involved combatants in the western and eastern Mediterranean. This was the second major war between Carthage and the Roman Republic, with the participation of the Berbers on...
, replacing the Dictatorship with the final decree of the Senate
Senatus consultum ultimum
Senatus consultum ultimum , more properly senatus consultum de re publica defendenda is the modern term given to a decree of the Roman Senate during the late Roman Republic passed in times of emergency...
); however, the earlier law had essentially been nullified by the subsequent Dictatorships of Sulla 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
22 BC
Year 22 BC was either a common year starting on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday or a leap year starting on Sunday or Saturday of the Julian calendar and a common year starting on Saturday of the Proleptic Julian calendar...
the Senate offered Caesar Augustus the Dictatorship; however, he declined.