Marcus Antonius Antyllus (47 BC - 1 August 30 BC) or Marcus Antonius Minor (Minor = Latin for the Younger), also known as Antonius or Antyllus (a co-name given to him by his father) was a son of the Roman triumvir Marcus Antonius
Antyllus was Antonius' oldest son (and first child) from his (3rd) marriage to Fulvia. A second son of this marriage was Iullus Antonius, who would acquire fame as a alleged lover of August's daughter Julia.
Antyllus was born and raised in Rome. His mother Fulvia got sick and died in October 40 BC. in Greek Sicyon, where they lived in exile. His father then married Octavia, a sister of his Octavian (later Emperor Augustus).
When he was almost seven, Antyllus was already "engaged" with the then two-year-old Julia, the daughter of his fellow triumvir Octavianus. This marriage was part of the political plans of the second triumvirate, but after the break between Marcus Antonius and Octavian, the agreement was canceled.
His teens spent the young Antyllus with his father, stepmother Octavia and his halfbrothers and sisters, in the Athenian residence of Antonius. Sources indicate that Octavia was a dedicated and exemplary mother who cared for her own children and her husband's. After the marriage of Antonius and Octavia was dissolved, Antyllus left his stepmother and accompanied his father when he left Egypt from Egypt. In the last years of his short life he passed through in Alexandria, at the Cleopatra's court, whose father had a passionate relationship.
In his conflict with Octavian, Marcus Antonius now also involved his 16-year-old son. Antyllus was sent to Octavian for negotiation with Actium, negotiating him with a big sum of money in exchange for peace. Octavian took the money, but sent Antyllus unruly business to his father. After Antonius's defeat in Actium, Octavianus fell in 30 BC. with his army in Egypt. For fear of humiliation to fall into the hands of their opponent, Cleopatra and Antonius are alive. Shortly afterwards, Antyllus was betrayed by his Alexandrian tutor Theodorus, who handed him to Octavian, along with Caesarion, the son of Caesar and Cleopatra. Without hearing their request for grace, Octavian was commanded to kill both boys. Just before that, Cleopatra had organized a major ceremony in order to raise the population of Alexandria after the shameful defeat at Actium, where the two boys were declared officially in their teens. This declaration of adulthood at the same time became their death sentence, as they could therefore be regarded as trafficked adults, and Octavian was no longer able to charge that he had killed minor children. The murder, according to the tradition, took place before the statue of the Forgiven Julius Caesar. After the death of Antyllus, the false Theodorus would have worn out a precious stone that carried the boy around his neck. When Octavius came to know that, he let the traitor keep and cope. Even though Theodorus continued to deny theft, he was found guilty by Octavian and crucified at his command.
If we could believe Plutarchus and Suetonius, Antyllus was the only child of Antonius cleared by the order of Octavianus. His other children with Cleopatra, the twin Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selena, and Ptolemy Philadelphus were saved and were raised in Rome by Antonius's former wife Octavia.
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