M. Junius Silanus (consul 109)

[Rugged Indoorsman]

Hello all,

 

As I've mentioned in another thread I started, my wife and I are writing a story set in Rome, starting 110BC and continuing from there for (an as yet) an indeterminate amount of years.

 

Our plans for the main character is that she will be the daughter of M. Junius Silanus who will soon become Consul in 109 along with Q. Caecilius Metellus Numidicus. However, I'm currently having trouble finding out very much information on him; other than the fact that he becomes consul in 109 and was soundly beaten by the Cimbri in Transalpine Gaul. Later, in 104 he was charged by tribune Cn. Domitus Ahenobarbus of having fought without the commission of the people and largely being to blame for the troubles as a result of the war. He was acquitted almost unanimously. Also, Cicero is known to have praised his oratorical abilities.

 

He was also the likely father of D. Junius Silanus, future step-father of the (in)famous M. Brutus; but that is too far in the future to come into any plans for our immediate concerns.

 

Beyond this, I can't find much else at all about him.

 

I was hoping that those more knowledgable than I can suggest either sources with more detail; or perhaps some thoughts on other details of his character and who his likely friends and rivals may have been, as well as his possible stance on various things.

 

Also, on a related note, are there any maps of the Republic & it's provinces from this time period?

 

Thanks,

RI.

[Nephele]

Broughton gives the following information on Marcus Iunius Silanus: He was the son of Decimus Iunius Silanus, and the grandson of Decimus Iunius Silanus.

 

His magisterial career is as follows:

 

Tribune of the Plebs by 123, when he was "author of a Lex de repetundis subsequent to the Lex Calpurnia of 149 and before the Lex Acilia of 123."

 

Praetor in Spain in either 113 or 112. (112 being "the latest possible date under the Lex Villia.")

 

Consul in 109: "Silanus abrogated a number of laws which reduced military service, and suffered in Gaul a serious defeat at the hands of the Cimbri, either in 109 or 108, for which he was tried and acquitted in 104." (see below)

 

Probably proconsul in 108, when he held command in Gaul.

 

In 104, Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus "accused Silanus of beginning the war with the Cimbri illegally [see above] but failed to convict him."

 

I can supply primary source references from Broughton for more in-depth research, if you need them -- there are many.

 

-- Nephele

[M. Porcius Cato]

Also, on a related note, are there any maps of the Republic & it's provinces from this time period?

 

See here.

[Rugged Indoorsman]

Most of reply snipped.

 

-

 

I can supply primary source references from Broughton for more in-depth research, if you need them -- there are many.

 

-- Nephele

 

The above information was exactly the sort of thing that I was looking for. Detailed references would be great, if it isn't too much trouble, although it may be a few weeks before I can get my hands on the resources.

 

Also, M. Porcius Cato; that link was excellent. No maps (with working links at least) on ten years either side of the date I'm looking at, but territorial gains seem to have been relatively minor in this stage, with Africa seeming to be about the extent. I should be able to put something together from a blank map and judicious use of Photoshop.

 

Thank you!

 

-RI.

[Primus Pilus]

As for Silanus, there isn't much primary source material. Check his entry in the William Smith Dictionary. He is Silanus #4, the source material is provided at the end of the entry.

[Nephele]

The above information was exactly the sort of thing that I was looking for. Detailed references would be great, if it isn't too much trouble, although it may be a few weeks before I can get my hands on the resources.

 

I realize now (thanks to PP! ) that I should have more precisely stated previously that Broughton provides a number of ancient sources, not all of them primary. Here you go:

 

For sources relating to Silanus as tribune of the plebs in 123 BCE, Broughton cites:

Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum, 1

[Rugged Indoorsman]

I realize now (thanks to PP! ) that I should have more precisely stated previously that Broughton provides a number of ancient sources, not all of them primary. Here you go:

 

For sources relating to Silanus as tribune of the plebs in 123 BCE, Broughton cites:

Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum, 1

[Nephele]

Thank you for the comprehensive list; are any of these available online in English? I've looked for a few but have had no luck yet; although a part of that problem may be not knowing where to look in the first place.

 

You're welcome. You probably need to visit your public library for these. If your public library doesn't have Harvard's Loeb Classical Library translations in the collection, they should be able to interloan these for you from another library. Print up the pages I've linked below and give these to the librarian, so he/she will know what you're looking for:

 

Velleius Paterculus

Florus

Cicero, Divinatio in Caecilium 67 ("Against Caecilius") and Actio in Verrem ("Against Verres") 2.2.118

 

Sorry I don't have a link for this one -- you'll have to copy it down:

 

Commentaries on Speeches of Cicero, by Quintus Asconius Pedianus; R.G. Lewis; Jill Harries; Albert Curtis Clark (Oxford University Press, 2006).

 

Here's a link to an online version of Livy's Periochae for you, at Livius.org. It's not much more than a passing reference to Silanus, though:

 

Livy, Periochae 65 "Consul Marcus Junius Silanus unsuccessfully fought against the Cimbrians. The Senate ignored the envoys of the Cimbrians who demanded land and a place to settle."

 

Also, does anyone know enough about this particular era to make a reasonable guess/assumption as to who M. Junius Silanus' likely friends and enemies would be in the senate and elsewhere?

 

I think it's a safe bet that Cn. Domitius Ahenobarbus was an enemy of Silanus, considering that Ahenobarbus prosecuted Silanus over the Cimbri incident when Ahenobarbus was Tribune of the Plebs in 104 BCE. Other than that, I would suggest digging up whatever you can from the sources provided -- or perhaps others here might have a bit more insight into who Silanus' friends and enemies may have been.

 

-- Nephele

[Primus Pilus]

RI, this thread has many English links...

 

Ancient Source Links

[Rugged Indoorsman]

Thanks Primus Pilus & Nephele for the links; they're not directly useful for this current research I'm doing, but look very promising and useful for others.

 

With regards to M. Junius Silanus again, I'm thinking that (at least for my purposes) he'll be allied with M. Aurelius Scaurus and Q. Caecilius Metellus (as well as their families.) He served as consul along with the latter and for the former, both were prosecuted by Gn. Domitus Ahenobarbus in 104BCE. Since I also seem to recall that Scaurus and some of the Metellii were also alligned, it made sense to me. Plus, there is a lot more information available on those two figures than Silanus

 

So, as for others, beyond those two: I imagine that he'll be strongly opposed to the Marian faction once it starts to gain steam. Are there any other prominent factions from that period that would make for good friends and enemies?

 

Finally, how much is the disasterous loss against the Cimbri likely to have stained his family name and career from that point on?

 

I had some questions on elections for senatorial offices, and particularly the election 'campaigns', but I may start another topic for that once I compose my thoughts on it some more.

 

Thanks!

-RI.