Marcus Claudius Glicia
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Comment: "briefly served as Dictator" is an insufficient claim of significance. K.e.coffman (talk) 21:33, 28 October 2018 (UTC)
| Marcus Claudius Gilcia | |
|---|---|
| Dictator of the Roman Republic | |
| In office | 249 BC |
| Magister equitum | None |
| Succeeded by | Aulus Atilius Calatinus |
Marcus Claudius Gilcia or Glycias was a freedman during the Roman Republic who briefly served as Dictator in 249 BC.[1]
Family
Gilcia was part of the gens Claudia, a family that had held the highest offices in the Roman state since the early 5th century BC and would go on to form an important part of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Gilcia, though, was a freedman of the family who had taken Claudius as his nomen and was thus not considered a man worthy of high office.[2]
Career
Gilcia served as the consul Publius Claudius Pulcher's viator,[3] a low-ranking officer who was tasked with summoning persons before the senior magistrate.
In 249 BC, Pulcher was given command of the Roman navy for operations around Sicily during the First Punic War. Before the Battle of Drepana, when the sacred chickens refused to eat, he ordered them to be cast into the sea. His impious actions were blamed for the subsequent defeat. Upon hearing of the result of the battle, the Senate recalled him to Rome and ordered him to appoint a Dictator to resume operations in his place.[4]
Making a mockery of the request, Pulcher nominated Gilcia, whose position would demean the office of Dictator.[5] Gilcia's tenure was short-lived. He was never able to appoint a magister equitum and was forced to resign by the Senate. The more suitable Aulus Atilius Calatinus was appointed in his stead and became the first Dictator to lead a Roman army outside of Italy.[6]
After laying down the office, Gilcia furthered the controversy by attending the Roman games wearing a purple-bordered toga, a symbol of the dictatorship and thus something to which he was not considered to be entitled.[7] His appointment and actions after it were picked up by Suetonius and used to show the dishonourable side of the Claudian family history.[8]
References
Bibliography
- T.R.S Broughton, The Magistrates of the Roman Republic, American Philological Association (1952).
- Livy, Periochae [1]
- Suetonius, Life of Tiberius, [2]