Leading Statesman Of The Roman Republic

[M. Porcius Cato]

I'm nearly finished with an annotated version of the "Leading Statesman of the Roman Republic," but I wanted to solicit additions before I finish it off. Currently, I've included anyone with a biography in Plutarch or modern source, anyone who held the consulship 4 or more times or defeated a major Roman enemy, anyone who introduced a major piece of legislation, or who earned notoriety for their role in a major event. If you can think of anyone that I'm not including, please post it here.

 

Currently, I have entries and brief biographical information for the following statesman (listed by an era corresponding to those in the main history section of the site).

 

509-500 (Birth of the Republic)

L. Junius Brutus (cos. 509)

P. Valerius Publicola (cos. 509-507)

Cn Marcius Coriolanus (pr? 508)

 

501-272 (Conquest of Italy)

S. Cassius Vecellinus (cos. 502, 493, 486)

Q. Fabius Vibulanus (cos. 485, 482)

K. Fabius Vibulanus (cos. 484, 481, 479)

M. Fabius Vibulanus (cos. 483, 480)

L. Quinctius Cincinnatus (imp 458, 439)

Decemviri

M. Furius Camillus (dict. 396, 390, 389, 368, 367)

G. Licinius Stolo (tr. 376-367), L. Sextius

G. Marcus Rutilus (cos. 357, 352, 344, 342)

T. Manlius Imperiosus Torquatus (cos. 340)

M. Valerius Maximus Corvus (cos 348, 346, 343, 335, 300, 299; imp 301)

Q. Fabius Maximus Rullianus (322, 310, 308, 301, 297, 296)

A. Claudius Caecus (cen 312; cos. 307, 296; interrex 299 )

M. Curius Dentatus (cos 290, 275, 274; cen 272)

 

264-206 (First and Second Punic Wars)

Q. Fulvius Flaccus (237, 224, 212, 209)

C. Flaminius (cos 223)

M. Claudius Marcellus (cos 222, 215, 214, 210, 208)

Q. Fabius Maximus Cunctator (cos 233, 228, 215, 214, 209)

 

205-146 (Third Punic and Macedonian Wars)

P. Cornelius Scipio Africanus (cos. 205, 194)

M. Porcius Cato (cos 195)

L. Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus (cos 190)

L. Aemilius Paullus (182, 168)

P. Cornelius Nasica (cos. 162, 155)

T. Quinctius Flamininus (cos 150)

P. Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus (cos. 147, 134)

L. Mummius (cos. 146)

 

143-106 (Gracchan Reforms and Jugurtha)

Q. Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus (cos 143)

P. Mucius Scaevola (cos 133)

T. Gracchus (tr. 133)

G. Gracchus (tr. 123, 122)

M. Porcius Cato (cos 118)

M. Aemilius Scaurus (cos 115)

M. Livius Drusus (cos. 112)

Q. Caecilius Metellus Numidicus (cos. 109)

Q. Servilius Caepio (106)

 

107-82 (Cimbri and Teutons and Social War)

C. Marius (cos. 107, 104, 103, 102, 101, 100, 86)

Q. Servilius Caepio (cos 106)

Q. Caecilius Metellus Nepos (cos. 98)

L. Julius Caesar (cos. 90)

L. Porcius Cato (cos. 89)

L. Appuleius Saturninus, tr.

M. Livius Drusus, tr.

L. Cornelius Cinna (87, 86, 85, 84)

Cn. Papirus Carbo (cos 85, 84, 82)

L. Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus (83)

L. Quintus Sertorius (pr. )

 

81-71 (The Order of Sulla)

L. Cornelius Sulla Felix (cos. 88, )

Cn Cornelius Dolabella (cos 81)

P. Servilius Vatia Isauricus (cos. 79)

Q. Lutatius Catulus (cos. 78)

Mam. Aemilus Lepidus Livianus (cos 77)

L. Licinius Lucullus (cos. 74)

C. Cornelius (?) Verres (pr. 74)

 

70 - 63 (Servile War, Cilician Pirates, Catilinarian Conspiracy)

M. Licinius Crassus Dives (cos. 70, 55)

Cn. Pompeius Magnus (cos. 70, 55, 52)

Q. Hortensius Hortalus (cos. 69)

L. Sergius Catilina, pr.

M. Tullius Cicero (cos. 63)

 

62-49 (Triumvirate and Gallic Wars)

C. Iulius Caesar (cos. 59, 48; dict. 46, 45, 44)

M. Calpurnius Bibulus (cos. 59)

A. Gabinius (cos. 58)

M. Porcius Cato Uticensis (pr. 54; propr. 57, 56)

L. Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus (cos. 58)

C. Memmius (pr. 58)

P. Cornelius Lentulus Spinther (cos. 57)

Q. Caecilius Metellus Nepos (cos. 57)

P. Vatinius (cos. 47)

P. Clodius Pulcher (aed cr 56)

T. Annius Milo, pr.

L. Domitius Ahenobarbus (cos. 54)

Cn. Domitus Calvinus (cos. 53, 40)

Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio Nasica (cos. 52)

 

48-31 (Caesar's Dictatorship and Civil Wars)

P. Servilius Vatia Isauricus (cos. 48, 41)

M. Aemilius Lepidus (cos 46)

Gaius Trebonius (pr 48, suf cos 45)

C. Cassius Longinus (pr.)

M. Junius Brutus (pr.)

Publius Cornelius Dolabella (suf cos 44)

M. Antonius (cos. 44, 34, 31

C. Iulius Caesar Octavianus (43, 33, 31)

Sex. Pompeius Magnus

Decimus Brutus

[P.Clodius]

That's a nice list. Perhaps a brief line or two about each one would be nice too. I could help if you wish!

 

Edit, I'd include Balbus too, he was the first foreign born consul, an event significant in of itself

Edited August 28, 2006 by P.Clodius

[Primus Pilus]

Perhaps getting too far beyond your scope but perhaps M. Vipsanius Agrippa (first time suffect consul in 37 BC) or the sons of the Pompeius (Sextus in particular - consul in 35 BC)?

[Antiochus of Seleucia]

I'm not sure if it fits, but Gaius Claudius Nero and Marcus Livius Salinator defeated Hasdrubal, effectively ending a Carthaginian offensive. If they would have lost the Carthaginians would have ripped Rome out at her heart.

 

Edit in response to P.Claudius: In my opinion these man need more credit.

Edited August 28, 2006 by Antiochus of Seleucia

[P.Clodius]

I'm not sure if it fits, but Gaius Claudius Nero and Marcus Livius Salinator defeated Hasdrubal, effectively ending a Carthaginian offensive. If they would have lost the Carthaginians would have ripped Rome out at her heart.

Missed that, yes, two very important consuls who defeated Hasdrubal at the Metaurus River, a battle listed as one of the key battles of history. Fifteen Decisive Battles

[M. Porcius Cato]

That's a nice list. Perhaps a brief line or two about each one would be nice too. I could help if you wish!

Thanks for the offer, but I have a brief blurb for each of them (just didn't include above because posts don't support tables).

 

Edit, I'd include Balbus too, he was the first foreign born consul, an event significant in of itself

 

Good idea.

 

I'm not sure if it fits, but Gaius Claudius Nero and Marcus Livius Salinator defeated Hasdrubal, effectively ending a Carthaginian offensive.

Good call--I knew my Punic War section was a tad light.

 

Perhaps getting too far beyond your scope but perhaps M. Vipsanius Agrippa (first time suffect consul in 37 BC) or the sons of the Pompeius (Sextus in particular - consul in 35 BC)?

 

Funny, I had Agrippa listed but I took him off. I'm sort of divided about the cut-off date for the list. Certainly anything after Actium is too late. Whether to end with Caesar's dictatorship, Phillipi, or Actium itself is a bit of a toss-up for me. What do you think?

[P.Clodius]

Funny, I had Agrippa listed but I took him off. I'm sort of divided about the cut-off date for the list. Certainly anything after Actium is too late. Whether to end with Caesar's dictatorship, Phillipi, or Actium itself is a bit of a toss-up for me. What do you think?

Why not go all the way to the Second Settlment, 23BC?

[Primus Pilus]

Funny, I had Agrippa listed but I took him off. I'm sort of divided about the cut-off date for the list. Certainly anything after Actium is too late. Whether to end with Caesar's dictatorship, Phillipi, or Actium itself is a bit of a toss-up for me. What do you think?

 

Sextus may be more important as a counter-force to the established alliances, rather than Agrippa as a part of the Octavian camp (I'm not comparing effectiveness or contribution to history, but simply their influence as 'statesmen' to that point). I suppose Sextus can hardly be classified as a Roman statesmen, having operated as rogue commander in Sicily, but (despite his own personal motivations) he was still in some ways a representative of his father's side of Caesar's war. The defeat of Sextus directly influenced the downfall of Lepidus and led to a final confrontation between the remaining two powers.

 

I'm rather indifferent to his inclusion and was simply suggesting a couple of names in case they fell off your later period radar.

[M. Porcius Cato]

I suppose Sextus can hardly be classified as a Roman statesmen, having operated as rogue commander in Sicily, but (despite his own personal motivations) he was still in some ways a representative of his father's side of Caesar's war. The defeat of Sextus directly influenced the downfall of Lepidus and led to a final confrontation between the remaining two powers.

 

Funny, I only included Sextus because there was a whole page devoted to him in the site's historical narrative.

 

I guess we're still left with what could become a hot button issue in itself: when exactly was the end of the republic?

[P.Clodius]

End of the Republic was the 2nd Settlement of 23BC

[M. Porcius Cato]

End of the Republic was the 2nd Settlement of 23BC

Why not Actium? What's your reasoning?

[P.Clodius]

End of the Republic was the 2nd Settlement of 23BC

Why not Actium? What's your reasoning?

When all the powers associated with the principate of Augustus and his succesor Tiberius were accumilated. I think the most significant grant of 23BC was Imperium Maius .

[M. Porcius Cato]

When all the powers associated with the principate of Augustus and his succesor Tiberius were accumilated. I think the most significant grant of 23BC was Imperium Maius .

 

Seems to me that the popular election of the tribune with the right of veto is a defining element of the republican system, the one that distinguished the "Royal Rule of Sulla" and all the other dictators from the normal system. Who was the last popularly elected tribune with full tribunician powers?

[P.Clodius]

When all the powers associated with the principate of Augustus and his succesor Tiberius were accumilated. I think the most significant grant of 23BC was Imperium Maius .

 

Seems to me that the popular election of the tribune with the right of veto is a defining element of the republican system, the one that distinguished the "Royal Rule of Sulla" and all the other dictators from the normal system. Who was the last popularly elected tribune with full tribunician powers?

That's a good question and worth looking into..But what I meant above was the acquisition of Imperium Maius was the crowing cherry. Tribunicia Potestas was a valuable and powerful element of the early prinicipate, but outside of Rome what did it mean? Very little me thinks. 27BC Augustus acquires powers of a tribune along with command of all the army except for Africa (Tunisia). 23BC he get Imperium Maius, Imperium meaning the right to rule and Maius meaning greater than. In other words, he outranks EVERY other consul, ex-consul, proconsul, praetor, and propraetor. An accumilation of legal powers that was the final nail in the coffin of the republic.

[M. Porcius Cato]

23BC he get Imperium Maius, Imperium meaning the right to rule and Maius meaning greater than. In other words, he outranks EVERY other consul, ex-consul, proconsul, praetor, and propraetor. An accumilation of legal powers that was the final nail in the coffin of the republic.

 

Sure, I don't doubt the importance of 23 as a major event. It's just that by this point there is no divided government in any real sense. If bills can't be proposed in the senate and voted by the people with the possibility of tribunician veto, the state isn't the old republic.