Is it spelled as Marc Antony or Mark Antony?

Question

I just happened to read some versions of shakespeare's Julius Caesar, and in some, Marc Antony is spelled as Mark Antony. So which is the correct spelling?

Oh, and by the way, can any one tell me where to find the real story on Julius Caesar? Heard Shakespeare did some modifications to the true account to make it into his play.

Answer 1

MARCVS ANTONIVS would be how he would have written his name. The usual version for Latin names is to use a "C" as the "K" was very rarely used (just for words borrowed from Greek that had a kappa in it). In original Latin, both letters used the same sound, regardless of following vowels, so the "K" is redundant in many ways. I suppose then that Marc would then be preferable to Mark.

However, in English, we've tended to use the "k" more often, such as park versus the French "parc". Mark then would be perfectly valid since the name is an Anglicisation anyway.

Concerning GAIVS IVLIVS CAESAR, I would agree that Gibbon's work is a very good source. I suppose that it goes without saying that Shakespeare was primarily a playwright and not a historian, so he wrote with a performance that entertained in mind rather than presenting an accurate portrayal of historic events.

Answer 2

Marc Antony

Answer 3

His real name was Marcus Antonius. Shakespeare cast his massive vote for Mark and ensured its survival and predominance. Julius Caesar 1600-1, Antony and Cleopatra 1607-9. Since the revival of historical studies in the 19th century, some tightarses have gone for Marc but it has never caught on. I have to add that Shakespeare sometimes calls him Antonio to suit the verse, and in the First Folio he spells the name of the second play as Anthony and Cleopatra

Answer 4

Actually, the name was Marcus Antonius, or better still, since Latin had no letter "u", his name would be spelled "Marcvs Antonivs". Marc (or Mark) Antony is an Anglicization.
By the way, Caesar's name was actually pronounced "Kaisar", kinda like the German emperor's.

Answer 5

Marcus Antonius (Latin: M·ANTONIVS·M·F·M·N[1]) (c. 83 BC– August 1, 30 BC), known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general.

Julius Caesar's story is epic. Here's a few sites to get you going.

http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/caesar_julius
http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/caesar.html

Answer 6

Marcus Antonius. Make of it what you will in English.
Like "Al Kaeda" and "Al Qaeda" and "Al Kaida" and so forth, the transliteration of other languages into English can yield a variety of spellings.
Take my own handle. It is taken from the name of the monster in Beowolf (my wife's suggestion). Sometimes this is spelled "Grendel" and sometimes "Grendle" and both are correct, because standardized spelling only arrived for English in the latter half of the 19th Century (and then it got fed up and left again in the latter half od the 20th).
And the "real" story on Julius can be found in a variety of history books, but Gibbons Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire is pretty good, if you can stand the "British-ness" of it.
Cheers.

Answer 7

Originally Marc, but spelling is a fluid thing historically, and Mark is the anglicized form. Shakespeare, nor any of the Elizabethans were consistent with their spelling. In fact we have no signature of Shakespeare which is spelled as we spell it today.

Of course Shakespeare made modifications--but it is based on the true historical assassination and if you want more of the history, I suggest history books.

Answer 8

Marc Anthony!!!! Letter C

Answer 9

Marcus Antonius was his "real" Latin name.