His cursus honorum begins with the quaestorship in 113 BC and an incident involving the Vestals,[2] and in 102 Antonius was elected praetor with proconsular powers for the Roman province of Cilicia.
During his term, Antonius fought the pirates with such success that the Senate voted a naval triumph in his honor.
[3] Throughout Antonius' political career, he continued to appear as a mediative defender or an accuser in Roman courts of law.
Some time later his daughter Antonia was kidnapped by pirates from his villa near Misenum and was only released after the payment of a large ransom.
[4] In the biography of Gaius Marius in Plutarch's Parallel Lives, it is described that Marcus Antonius went to visit a humble plebeian who, to make his distinguished guest feel at home, sent a slave to a nearby innkeeper to get some wine.
It is said that on hearing the news during a meal that Marius applauded with joy and almost went to the house in person; however, he sent Annius with a group of men to bring back the head of Marcus Antonius.