Gaius Junius Bubulcus Brutus

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Gaius Junius Bubulcus Brutus came from the Roman family of Junier and was in the last two decades of the 4th century BC. As three times consul (317, 313, 311 BC), censor (307 BC) and dictator (302 BC) one of the leading representatives of the nobility of the plebeians . Above all, it was he who established the reputation of his family and established friendly ties to some noble families of the patricians , such as the Aemilians . He played an important role in the fighting during the long Second Samnite War , but the exact course of his campaigns cannot be reconstructed due to the uncertain tradition.

Name, sources and ancestry

The entire name of Gaius Junius Bubulcus Brutus including the information that his father and grandfather also led the praenomen Gaius can be found in a total of six surviving passages of the Fasti Capitolini and the Triumphal Acts. The two most important sources for his life are the 19th and 20th books of the universal history of the Sicilian historian Diodor and the 9th and 10th books of the Roman annals of Titus Livius . No nicknames of Junius Bubulcus are mentioned by Diodorus, while Livius gives his first nickname Bubulcus .

First consulate

The first time Junius Bubulcus was found in 317 BC. Elected consul; he held this highest state office together with Quintus Aemilius Barbula . Livy states that Junius Bubulcus took the Apulian fortress of Forentum , while, according to Diodorus, this conquest did not take place until the next year of the consulate.

Second consulate

Junius Bubulcus does not appear in the sources until four years later (313 BC) on the occasion of his election as his second consulate, which he held together with Lucius Papirius Cursor, who was elected to the highest magistrate for the fifth time . The reconquest of Fregellae , which was previously taken by the Samnites , and the storming of Nola by the Romans are reported unanimously from the representations that have been preserved; however, Diodorus and some sources of Livy attribute the war successes not to the consuls but to a dictator. According to Diodor Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus , this was Gaius Poetelius Libo Visolus according to Livius and the Capitoline fasts . According to Diodor's report, the consuls had the task of encamping opposite the main enemy army and of binding them; they should also ensure the protection of the cities allied with Rome. Livy states that some annalists allowed Junius Bubulcus to play a greater military role by conquering Nola and two other cities in Campania and choosing the dictator only for the ritual driving of nails. In the opinion of the ancient historian Friedrich Münzer , the last-mentioned tradition is likely to be the least trustworthy, but the military actions cannot be precisely traced due to the contradicting sources. The same historian also has little faith in the statement that Junius Bubulcus in 312 BC. Officiated as Magister equitum of the dictator Gaius Sulpicius Longus .

Third consulate

The consuls couple from 317 BC BC also occurred in 311 BC. The highest office of state, Iunius Bubulcus for the third time and Quintus Aemilius Barbula for the second time. According to Livius, the consuls are said to have criticized the refilling of vacant positions in the Senate by the revolutionary censor Appius Claudius Caecus as shameful. Caecus had, for example, violating old traditions, had sons of freedmen admitted to the Senate. Münzer holds these remarks by Livy on Roman domestic politics in 311 BC. BC for unreliable and does not believe in a bad relationship between the consuls and the censor.

The course of 311 BC The wars completed in BC are represented completely differently by Livius and Diodorus. With certainty it should only be inferred from the reports that Junius Bubulcus was able to celebrate greater successes over the Samnites. According to Diodorus, both consuls fought in Apulia, first defeated a large force of the Samnites and were subsequently able to conquer some cities. However, their location cannot be localized and, moreover, the place names given are corrupted. Livius gives two different theaters of war for the two consuls; accordingly the campaign of Junius Bubulcus is said to have taken place in Samnium and that of his colleague in Etruria . Because the Roman garrison of Cluvianum was first forced to surrender by hunger and then slaughtered, Junius Bubulcus acted particularly cruelly against the inhabitants after his reconquest of the city. The storming of the important Samnite city of Bovianum was a foray in particular . The Romans were then lured into a trap by being told by some apparently defected enemies that there were large herds of cattle in a forest. When Junius Bubulcus got there with his army and his soldiers scattered in search of prey, they were attacked by a strong opposing army and initially surprised. After an encouraging speech by the consul, who called on gods like Jupiter and Mars in his distress , the Romans rallied and fought back the Samnites. In this apparently heavily decorated and dubious depiction of Livy, the triumph of Junius Bubulcus mentioned by the acts of triumph is missing , as is his vow - mentioned later - to build a temple for the goddess Salus , although according to this report he invokes the Roman gods as he is ambushed.

Magister equitum and censorship

310 BC According to Livius, Junius Bubulcus is said to have acted as Magister equitum - as he did two years earlier - this time under the dictator Lucius Papirius Cursor, with whom he had held the second consulate. Both are credited with a brilliant victory in the fight against the Samnites. According to the Capitoline Lent, this war did not take place until 309 BC. In which only the dictator and his colonel, but no consuls were elected. Friedrich Münzer doubts the historicity of this Papirius dictatorship, because Diodorus, who was considered to be relatively credible for the Roman era, does not report anything about it.

As censor , Junius Bubulcus signed in 307 BC. A contract for the erection of the temple of Salus, which he had vowed in the Samnite War during his third consulate. Together with his colleague Marcus Valerius Maximus Corvinus , he also had roads built across the rural areas. The censors withdrew the senatorial title from a Lucius Annius because he had divorced his wife for no particular reason.

dictatorship

For the last time, Junius Bubulcus is found in sources 302 BC. Mentioned when he exercised the office of dictator, with a Marcus Titinius as a Magister equitum at his side. Allegedly his task consisted in the renewed submission of the Aequer , which he is said to have succeeded very quickly after a brief armed conflict, whereupon he held a triumph. Friedrich Münzer considers the rebellion of the Aequer and the successful campaign against them to be unhistorical, since this people as early as 304 BC. BC was decisively defeated. Furthermore, Livius reports that Junius Bubulcus consecrated the temple of Salus that he praised after the Aequer campaign. This sanctuary, built on the Quirinal , was decorated with wall frescoes by the patrician Gaius Fabius Pictor . About 89/88 BC Decimus Junius Silanus, who worked as a mint master, had the head of Salus depicted on his coins in an allusion to the temple building.

The the Spartan royal family of the Agiaden nationals Cleonymus landed in the dictatorship of Junius Bubulcus in Italy and profits generated in the Sallentines initially some success before he was forced by the Romans to retreat and turned to northern Italy. Livy states that some annalists ascribed a military success to the consul Marcus Aemilius Paullus over the Spartan prince, who therefore had to sail away again with his fleet, while according to other sources the dictator marched against Cleonymus, but only arrived after the agiadens had left . Friedrich Münzer considers the latter variant to be more likely and assumes that Junius Bubulcus only undertook the temple consecration during his dictatorship after he was no longer able to distinguish himself militarily against Cleonymos because of his early departure.

literature

Remarks

  1. F. Münzer, RE X, 1, Col. 1027.
  2. Fasti Capitolini; Livy 9:20, 7-21, 1; Diodor 19, 17, 1, et al
  3. ^ Livy 9:20, 9; Diodorus 19, 65, 7.
  4. Fasti Capitolini; Livy 9:28, 2; Diodor 19, 77, 1; among others
  5. Diodor 19, 101, 1-3.
  6. Livy 9:28 , 2-6.
  7. F. Münzer, RE X 1, Sp. 1028.
  8. Fasti Capitolini and Livy 9:29, 3; on this F. Münzer, RE X 1, Sp. 1028.
  9. Fasti Capitolini; Livy 9:30, 1; Diodorus 20, 3, 1; among others
  10. ^ Livy 9, 30, 1ff .; on this F. Münzer, RE X 1, Sp. 1029.
  11. Diodorus 20, 26, 3f.
  12. ^ Livy 9:31.
  13. Livy 9:38, 5; 9, 40, 7-10; Fasti Capitolini; on this F. Münzer, RE X 1, Sp. 1029.
  14. Fasti Capitolini; Livy 9:43, 25; 10, 1, 9; Valerius Maximus 2, 9, 2.
  15. Fasti Capitolini.
  16. ^ Livy 10, 1, 8f. and triumphal fasting; on this F. Münzer, RE X 1, Sp. 1029.
  17. ^ Livy 10: 1, 8f .; Valerius Maximus 8, 14, 6.
  18. Livius 10, 2, 1–3, on this F. Münzer, RE X 1, Sp. 1029f.