The Date and Scope of M. Antonius Creticus' Command against the Pirates (English)

Keywords: Antonius Creticus - RRC 393 - Roman imperialism - Sallust - Mediterranean Sea - orbis terrarum Introduction The purpose of this paper is to re-evaluate the evidence for the extraordinary Mediterranean-wide command against the pirates that was assigned to M. Antonius (later Creticus), the son of the renowned orator and the father of the famous triumuir rei publicae constituendae. Pompeius Magnus in 67.3 Yet, largely as a result of the unimpressive outcome ofAntonius' invasion of Crete and the negative source tradition - as well as the unfavourable comparison with the success of Pompeius against the pirates - the significance of the command has not always been given sufficient weight in modern scholarship.4 This paper will propose that Antonius was more highly regarded before his death than is often supposed, and that there was great optimism surrounding his mission, by arguing for a connection between the geographical extent of his command and two coin-types symbolising, for the first time, Roman authority throughout the world and, perhaps, over land and sea (RRC 393/ia = Fig. 2 and RRC 397/1 = Fig. 3). [...]it will suggest a connection between the command and two coin-types - conventionally dated to 76/75 and 74 - representing Roman authority throughout the world (RRC 393/ia = Fig. 2 and RRC 397/1 = Fig. 3). Alternatively, he could have been decreed the prouincia during the year of his magistracy on the understanding that it would be taken up ex praetura the following year.9 Pseudo-Asconius' commentary on Cicero's description...