Publius Vatinius

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Publius Vatinius (* around 95 BC; † after 42 BC) was a Roman politician in the last decades of the Roman Republic .

Life

The family of Vatinius came from Reate, today's Rieti . 63 BC BC, in the year of Marcus Tullius Cicero's consulate , he was treasurer . Cicero sent him to Puteoli to prevent precious metal exports, but soon had to call him back because the population complained about the exploitation. Cicero later dated the outbreak of his criminal energy at this time. In the following year Vatinius went as a legacy under the proconsul Gaius Cosconius in the Spanish province of Hispania citerior .

59 BC Vatinius held the office of tribune and as such served the consul Gaius Iulius Caesar and his partners in the triumvirate, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus and Marcus Licinius Crassus . He introduced numerous laws, including the occupation of courts of law or the establishment of a colony in Novum Comum , but above all a law that Caesar entrusted the provinces of Gallia cisalpina and Illyria as proconsul for five years. According to Cicero's indictment, he used threats of violence against the augurs and Caesar's colleague Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus . Vatinius Caesar was also useful for other legislative proposals by intimidating political opponents with his thugs. He was also involved in the Vettius affair.

After his year in office as tribune, Vatinius accompanied Caesar as a legate to Gaul. As a legacy he returned in 56 BC. Back to Rome to run for the praetur . As a witness in court, he incriminated Publius Sestius, who was defended by Cicero . Cicero responded with the speech In P. Vatinium , which is a list of Vatinius' bad qualities and misdeeds.

As 55 BC When Pompey and Crassus became consuls, they made sure that their partisan Vatinius was elected praetor. After his tenure, Vatinius was accused of corruption by the speaker Gaius Licinius Macer Calvus . Despite his reservations, Cicero defended him. Vatinius was acquitted and returned in 51 BC. Back to Caesar as a legate, with whom he stayed even after the beginning of the civil war.

On the Apsus River in Epirus, Caesar sent in 48 BC. BC Vatinius with an offer of peace to Pompey. But while he was negotiating with Titus Labienus , they were ambushed with arrows. Vatinius was able to escape unharmed, but the peace negotiations were over. Vatinius later defended Brundisium against part of Pompey's fleet and took Cicero there at the end of the year. In the following year 47 BC Despite his serious illness, he defeated Marcus Octavius , a supporter of Pompey, in a sea battle and conquered Illyria for Caesar. For his achievements he was awarded the office of consul for the current year 47 BC. BC, which he and his colleague Quintus Fufius Calenus did not take up until the end of the year, about which Cicero made mocking remarks.

From the year 45 BC As proconsul, Vatinius was governor of Illyricum, which he completely recaptured with three legions. For his achievements, he became the Emperor proclaimed. After Caesar's murder, Vatinius prepared the defense of the region against Marcus Junius Brutus and for this purpose went to Dyrrachium ( Durrës ), but his legions overflowed to Brutus. Vatinius could not prevent this. Contrary to Cicero's tendentious assertion that Vatinius had delivered Dyrrachium and the army to Brutus, it can be assumed that he remained a staunch opponent of Caesar's murderers. In late 44 or early 43 he returned to Italy. For the year 43 nothing is reported about its activities. On July 31, 42 BC He celebrated a triumph for his successes in Illyria . After this mention in the Capitoline Lent nothing more is known about him.

Since 47 BC Vatinius (as the successor of Appius Claudius Pulcher ) was Augur , an office that he had sought in vain in the 1950s.

Relationship with the Pythagoreans

Cicero claims that Vatinius called himself a Pythagorean and took part in secret rites, including ritual murders of children. However, the claim that people were sacrificed is viewed by research as defamation. Vatinius probably had an interest in the religious and philosophical teachings of the Pythagoreans. It is uncertain whether he actually belonged to a Pythagorean group, such as the circle around Publius Nigidius Figulus .

literature

  • Yasmina Benferhat: Vatinius (P.). In: Richard Goulet (ed.): Dictionnaire des philosophes antiques , Volume 7, CNRS Éditions, Paris 2018, ISBN 978-2-271-09024-9 , pp. 134-136
  • Jean Cousin (Ed.): Cicéron, Discours , Vol. 14: Pour Sestius, Contre Vatinius . Les Belles Lettres, Paris 1965 (contains pp. 225–250 a description and discussion of Vatinius' curriculum vitae and pp. 251–282 the speech In Vatinium as well as other sources on Vatinius with French translation)
  • Hans Georg Gundel : Vatinius. In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume VIII A, 1, Stuttgart 1955, Col. 495-520.

Web links

Remarks

  1. ↑ Cicero, In Vatinium 11-12.
  2. ^ Cicero, In Vatinium 12.
  3. ↑ Suetonius , Caesar 28, 3.
  4. ↑ Cicero, In Vatinium 21-22 and 24.
  5. ^ Cicero, In Vatinium 35.
  6. ↑ Plutarch, Cato minor 42, 4.
  7. ^ According to Cicero for fear of Publius Clodius Pulcher (Cicero, Ad familiares 1, 9).
  8. ^ Hirtius, De bello Gallico 8, 46.
  9. ^ Caesar, De bello civili 3, 19.
  10. ^ Caesar, De bello civili 3, 100.
  11. ↑ Cicero, Ad Atticum 11, 5, 4.
  12. ^ De bello Alexandrino 43-47.
  13. ^ Cassius Dio 42, 55, 4.
  14. ↑ Macrobius , Saturnalia 2, 3, 5.
  15. ↑ Cicero, Ad familiares 5, 10b and 11. From this year, three letters from Vatinius to Cicero have survived ( Ad familiares 5, 9; 10a; 10b).
  16. ^ Gabriele Marasco: Appiano e il proconsolato di P. Vatinio in Illiria (45-43 a. C.) . In: Chiron 25, 1995, pp. 283-297, here: 291-297.
  17. ↑ Vatinius in Cicero, Ad familiares 5, 10a, 2.
  18. ^ Cicero, In Vatinium 19.
  19. ^ Cicero, In Vatinium 14.
  20. ↑ Hans Georg Gundel: Vatinius. In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume VIII A, 1, Stuttgart 1955, Col. 495-520, here: 517.
  21. ↑ Yasmina Benferhat: Vatinius (P.). In: Richard Goulet (ed.): Dictionnaire des philosophes antiques , Volume 7, Paris 2018, pp. 134-136, here: 135 f.
personal data
SURNAME Vatinius, Publius
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Politician of the outgoing Roman Republic
DATE OF BIRTH 2nd century BC BC or 1st century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH after 43 BC Chr.