Gaius Oppius

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Gaius Oppius was a Roman knight (1st century BC) and a confidante of Gaius Julius Caesar and Octavian .

Life

C. Oppius came from an old knightly family. Nothing is known about his activities in his younger years. He joined Caesar's entourage either during his propriety in Spain (61 BC) or at the latest at the beginning of the Gallic War (58 BC). Here Oppius acted as head of the intelligence service.

54 BC He left Gaul probably because of his poor health and returned to Rome as the authorized manager of Caesar. Together with Lucius Cornelius Balbus , Aulus Hirtius and Gaius Vibius Pansa Caetronianus , he handled the political business and the correspondence of the proconsul .

After the outbreak of the civil war against Pompey , Oppius, together with Balbus, was the most influential mediator between the former triumvirs , which is proven by the extensive correspondence of Cicero . Oppius and Balbus in particular acted as representatives of Caesar in his absence, although they did not even belong to the senatorial class at the time. From Cicero's letters it appears that their decisions always met with Caesar's approval.

After Caesar's murder, Oppius entered the personal service of his heir and adopted son Octavian. Oppius quickly became one of the most important advisors to the young Caesar Octavian. It is not clear whether it was a short time later or not until 30 BC. Died.

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According to Plutarch (Pomp. 10.4; Caes. 17), Oppius wrote a text about Caesar that has not been passed down. According to the Ars Grammatica des Charisius , Oppius was also the author of a biographical work on Scipio Africanus . He is also said to have written invectives against Cassius and Cleopatra .

In contrast to the information given in Suetons (Div. Jul. 56, 1), however, it can be regarded as impossible that Oppius is also the author of the pseudo-Caesarian writings on the civil war, bellum Alexandrinum and bellum Africum . Only in the case of the authorship of the bellum Hispaniense has there been disagreement to this day as to whether it should be ascribed to Hirtius or Oppius.

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  • Cicero, letters (especially ad Quintum fratrem 3.1; ad Atticum 4.17; ad familiares 6.8; 6.12)
  • Cicero, ad familiares 6,8,1 (December 46 BC): quod omnibus rebus perspexeram, quae Balbus et Oppius absente Caesare egissent, ea solere illi rata esse.

literature

personal data
SURNAME Oppius, Gaius
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Oppius, Caius
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Roman knight and confidante of Gaius Iulius Caesar and Octavian
DATE OF BIRTH before 58 BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 1st century BC Chr.