Gnaeus Fulvius Flaccus

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Gnaeus Fulvius Flaccus came from the Roman plebeian family of the Fulvians and was 212 BC. BC Praetor . In this capacity he fled after a defeat by Hannibal and therefore had to go into exile. However, the historicity of this defeat is controversial in research.

Life

Gnaeus Fulvius Flaccus was a younger brother of the four-time consul Quintus Fulvius Flaccus . When this 212 BC Chr. Held the highest office of state for the third time, Gnaeus Fulvius Flaccus received the office of praetor and took over the supreme command of the Roman army stationed in Apulia . At first he won a few insignificant victories, which made him too carefree and let his military discipline slip. The summoned Hannibal was able to inflict a crushing defeat on him in a battle near Herdonia , in which supposedly only 2,000 of the 18,000 Roman soldiers were able to flee. Flaccus himself also managed to escape; he escaped his enemies happily on his horse and in the company of about 200 cavalrymen.

After Flaccus had resigned his position as praetor , the tribune Gaius Sempronius Blaesus brought charges against him for his inglorious behavior before and in the battle against Hannibal (211 BC). In his defense speech, Flaccus endeavored to hold his soldiers responsible for the defeat, while he himself proceeded cautiously in preparing and holding the battle and did not flee first, but was carried away by his fleeing troops. After hearing the prosecution and defense, the witnesses had their say on the third day who accused the praetor of having been the first to run away and thus provoking the escape of the rest of the army. As a result of these statements, the defendant no longer only had to expect a fine, but was faced with a capital lawsuit. The other tribunes declined to object and Flaccus' influential older brother Quintus could not help either. The former praetor drew the consequence of his unsuccessful defense of going into exile in Tarquinii , a punishment that was confirmed by a plebiscite.

In the opinion of some ancient historians, the account of the defeat of Flaccus and the process that followed is unhistorical.

A son of Flaccus was the suffect consul from 180 BC. Chr. , Another son perhaps that Gnaeus Fulvius , who 190 BC Officiated as Praetor peregrinus .

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ Livy 26, 3, 10f.
  2. ↑ Livy 25: 2, 5; 25, 3, 2 and 4.
  3. ↑ Livy 25:20, 5-21 , 10; Orosius 4, 16, 17; Silius Italicus 12, 467ff.
  4. ↑ Livy 26, 2, 7-3, 12 (heavily decorated); confused Valerius Maximus 2, 8, 3.
  5. ^ So the article Sempronius [I 10]. In: The New Pauly (DNP). Volume 11, Metzler, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-476-01481-9 , Sp. 387.
  6. ^ Livy 36, 45, 9 and 37, 2, 1; on this Friedrich Münzer: Fulvius 12). In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume VII, 1, Stuttgart 1910, column 230.
personal data
SURNAME Fulvius Flaccus, Gnaeus
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Roman praetor 212 BC Chr.
DATE OF BIRTH 3rd century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 3rd century BC BC or 2nd century BC Chr.