Gaius Antonius Hybrida

Gaius Antonius Hybrida (flourished 1st century BC) was a politician of the Roman Republic. He was the second son of Marcus Antonius and brother of Marcus Antonius Creticus; his mother is unknown. He was also the uncle of the famed triumvir Mark Antony. He had two children, Antonia Hybrida Major and Antonia Hybrida Minor.

Hybrida's career began under Lucius Cornelius Sulla, whom he accompanied into Greece as either a military tribune or a legatus. Later, in 63 BC, he was elected to serve as consul of the Roman Republic alongside Marcus Tullius Cicero. The two struck a deal which effectively allowed Cicero to rule as sole consul in exchange for Hybrida receiving the governorship of Macedonia at the end of his term. The same year, Hybrida was involved in suppressing the Catilinarian conspiracy, a plot to overthrow the state led by Lucius Sergius Catilina, or "Catiline", and which culminated in the Battle of Pistoria and the death of Catiline. After his consulship, Hybrida was granted Macedonia as had been promised. Here, Hybrida abused his rule to rob the provincials and led invasions of the neighbouring lands of Moesia. His incursions brought two separate attacks from the natives who successfully forced Hybrida out of their lands without any loot.

In 60 BC, Hybrida was quietly removed from the position of governor of Macedonia and replaced by Gaius Octavius. The next year, he was prosecuted by Julius Caesar and Marcus Licinius Crassus. The outcome of this was that Hybrida was forced to pay a fine and banished to the island Cephalonia. Sometime in 47, Hybrida was recalled from his banishment by Caesar. In 45, he made himself a candidate for the position of censor which ultimately failed. The final mention of Hybrida comes from Cicero in 44 when Mark Antony divorced himself from Hybrida's daughter Antonia Hybrida Minor.

Family Hybrida was the younger of two sons of Marcus Antonius Orator; his brother was Marcus Antonius Creticus. He had also a sister, Antonia. He was also the uncle and father-in-law of Mark Antony. Hybrida had two daughters; Antonia Hybrida Major (major meaning "elder") who married the Roman tribune Lucius Caninius Gallus where he massacred all the Roman citizens he could find. He then sent troops to invade Greece, which in turn spurred some of the city-states to rebel against Rome. At the time Rome was embroiled in internal conflict through the Social War from 91 to 87.

Expulsion from, and return to, the Senate Years later, in 70 BC, the censors Gellius and Lentulus expelled Hybrida from the Senate for the criminal offences committed by him while in Greece, for disobeying the summons of a praeto (The title of Praetor was conferred onto somebody acting in one of two official capacities; judicial duties within Rome or as commander of an army outside of Rome.) Hybrida also probably served as a tribune sometime before his expulsion from the Senate and also served as aedile (Aediles were responsible for the maintenance of markets, roads, food supply, archives and the hosting of annual games.) There were two pairs of Aediles; two Plebeian aediles who were presided over by tribunes and two Curule aediles who were presided over by the consuls. In the end, Cicero and Hybrida were elected consuls for the year 63.

Consulship Cicero, upon becoming consul, immediately moved to strike a deal with his consular colleague Hybrida, who had supported Catiline and his party, and who might join a rebellion against the state. As part of his campaign, Catiline promised reforms to reduce and cancel debts, a proposal which brought him the support of bankrupt aristocrats, debtors, and poor farmers whose agricultural ventures had failed.

Towards the end of 63, Hybrida went to Etruria to assist the praetor Quintus Metellus Celer in preventing Catiline escaping through the Alps and into Gaul. An accountant in his court spread a report claiming that Hybrida's plundering had yielded as much profit for Cicero as it did for Hybrida himself; however, if he had indeed robbed the provincials on Cicero's account he never paid his dues to Cicero. It was during these incursions that Hybrida suffered two successive defeats: the first came at the hands of the Dardanians after he had encroached upon their land in Lower Moesia, and the second at the Battle of Histria in Upper Moesia. This lack of success, rather than the extortion of the provincials, drew the attention of the Senate who threatened to recall and prosecute Hybrida for his mismanagement of the province. In the end, Hybrida was tried by Marcus Caelius Rufus for his participation in the Catilinarian conspiracy and by Lucius Caninius Gallus for his crimes in Macedonia.

Exile and later career During his exile at Cephellenia, Hybrida pretended to act as governor of the island which the people secretly allowed. In 49 BC, his nephew, Mark Antony, was elected to the role of tribune of the people and a legate of Caesar's in Italy. Despite this, Hybrida remained in exile until 47 when he returned to Rome at Caesar's request. One possible explanation for this is that Mark Antony was indebted to Hybrida; as Hybrida was in exile and had no civil rights, he could not enforce a payment and this suited Mark Antony. Hybrida was a candidate for censorship around 45; his character and support from Mark Antony, however, doomed his candidacy. The final mention of Hybrida during his life comes from Cicero who commented upon Mark Antony's divorce from Antonia Hybrida Minor and the insult this conferred upon Hybrida himself.