Gaius Lucilius Hirrus

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Gaius Lucilius Hirrus was a Roman politician of the late Republic , a businessman and probably the great-nephew of the poet Gaius Lucilius .

Life

Lucilius is first mentioned for the year 67 BC. Mentioned in Bruttium as the owner of large herds of cattle . He received training as an agricultural entrepreneur from the model farmer Gnaeus Tremelius Scrofa mentioned in Marcus Terentius Varros de re rustica . The poet Gaius Lucilius already owned agricultural goods in Bruttium, which is why it is assumed that Lucilius Hirrus' father was his main heir.

The assumed relationship also means that Lucilius Hirrus was a cousin of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus , which makes his involvement in politics and for Pompey understandable. In 54 BC Hirrus applied for the office of tribune of the people . After his election, and before his appointment on December 10, he announced that he would move to appoint Pompey as dictator. The process earned him the enmity of influential senators such as Cicero and Cato Uticensis .

In the following years, Hirrus applied for various offices without success. 52 BC BC he was defeated by Cicero in the by-election for the college of augurs , 51 BC. Against Marcus Caelius Rufus in an election for aedile . Cicero in particular made him a lot of ridicule, especially because of his poor pronunciation or a language mistake.

During the civil war , like Pompey, he seems to have come to an understanding with the Senate Party and appears as its supporter. He gathered troops for Pompey in Picenum , but when Caesar marched into Corfinium with Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus , they were trapped and capitulated. Hirrus himself seems to have escaped, since Caesar does not name him among the captured senators.

After the Pompeians moved to Greece, he was sent on a diplomatic mission to the Parthians . He was assured that he would be considered for the election of the Praetor even in absentia . In the camp at Pharsalos the victory certain Pompeians fought already of compliance with this promise. According to Cassius Dio , the Roman ambassador not named by him was captured by the Parthians. This is probably why Hirrus was prevented from actively participating in the further course of the civil war.

After his return to Rome he managed to come to an understanding with Caesar. Pliny reports that Lucilius attended Caesar's triumphal procession in 45 BC. 6,000 moray eels delivered. After the dictator's assassination, he soon followed his party comrades again and became 43 BC. Put on the proscription list by the triumvirs . His land and fish ponds were auctioned. He fled to Sicily , where he successfully supported Sextus Pompeius . Later news about him are not known.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The full name C. Lucilius C. f. Pup. Hirrus in Cicero, ad familiares 8, 8, 5 .
  2. ↑ Varro, de re rustica 2, 1, 2 .
  3. ↑ Cicero, ad Familiares 2, 9, 1-2 ; 2, 10, 1 ; 2, 15, 1 ; 8, 2, 2 ; 8, 3, 1 ; 8, 4, 3 ; 8, 9, 1 ; ad Atticum 5, 19, 3 .
  4. ^ Caesar, bellum civile 1, 15 .
  5. ^ Caesar, bellum civile 1, 23, 2 .
  6. ↑ Caesar: bellum civile 3, 82 .
  7. ^ Cassius Dio 42, 2, 5 ( English translation ).
  8. ^ Pliny, Naturalis historia 9, 171 .
personal data
SURNAME Lucilius Hirrus, Gaius
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Hirrus, Gaius Lucilius
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Roman politician and businessman
DATE OF BIRTH 1st century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 1st century BC Chr.