Marcus Antonius Creticus

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Marcus Antonius Creticus (flourished 2nd century BC & 1st century BC) was a Roman politician, member of the Antonius family. Creticus was son of Marcus Antonius Orator and by his marriage to Julia Antonia he had three sons triumvir Mark Antony, Gaius Antonius and Lucius Antonius.

He was elected praetor in 74 BC and in the next year he received an extraordinary commission, similar to that bestowed upon triumvir Pompey by the Gabinian law years later and on his father three decades before, to clear the Mediterranean Sea of the threat of piracy, and thereby assist the operations against King Mithridates VI of Pontus.

Creticus not only failed in the task, but plundered the provinces he was supposed to protect from robbery (Sallust, Hist. iii., fragments ed. B. Maurenbrecher, p. 108; Marcus Velleius Paterculus ii. 31; Cicero, In Verrem, iii. 91). He attacked the Cretans, who had made an alliance with the pirates, but was totally defeated, most of his ships being sunk. Diodorus Siculus (xl. 1) states that he only saved himself by a disgraceful treaty. As a result of this defeat he was mockingly given the byname Creticus, which means conqueror of Crete. He died soon afterwards (72-71) in Crete. All authorities are agreed as to his avarice and incompetence.

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• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.