Why did Cicero attack Mark Antony in the Philippic orations?

Cicero delivered his 14 Philippic orations to vigorously reenter politics and drive the Roman Senate to declare war on Mark Antony. Following the assassination of Julius Caesar, Antony had seized control of events and was actively pursuing one of the conspirators in Cisalpine Gaul.1

Cicero’s primary political objective was to preserve the republic by leveraging the support of Caesar’s adopted son, Octavian, to counter Antony’s growing influence. To undermine Antony’s standing, Cicero utilized his rhetorical skills to depict him as a lustful, drunken debauchee. Ultimately, Cicero’s efforts to push the Senate toward military conflict against Antony failed when Octavian and Antony reconciled, leading to the formation of the Second Triumvirate and Cicero’s subsequent execution on Antony’s orders.123