Lucius Aurelius Cotta (Consul 144 BC)

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Lucius Aurelius Cotta was a Roman senator and politician in the 2nd century BC. In the year 144 BC He officiated as consul .

Origin and family environment

Lucius Aurelius Cotta came from the main branch of the Cottae of the gens Aurelia , one since the 3rd century BC. Plebeian family appearing in the fasting , from the 3rd to the 1st century BC. BC was one of the most influential families of the plebeian nobility and provided the republic with numerous consuls during this period, including those from the side branches with the Cognomina Orestes and Scaurus . The important via Aurelia (from Rome north to Pisa ) was also built by a member of this family.

Lucius Aurelius Cotta was the son and grandson of a Lucius. The cottae all only wore the prenomina Gaius, Lucius or Marcus, so that the exact filiations cannot always be determined with certainty.

Life and political career

The beginnings of Cotta's political career are as little known as the year of his birth. What is certain is that it was around 154 BC. BC held the office of tribune of the people . No later than 147 BC He officiated as praetor . Since he was 144 BC Chr. Together with Servius Sulpicius Galba held the consulate, he must have been at least 43 years old at that time, as this was the minimum age for the election to the consul. When he argued with his counterpart about the transfer of the supreme command in Spain to put down the local uprisings of the local population under Viriathus , Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus succeeded in not entrusting the war to either of the two consuls and instead the supreme command of Quintus Fabius Maximus Aemilianus , the previous one Roman commander, was extended.

138 BC Cotta was accused by Scipio Aemilianus of extortion; Defended by the consular Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus , he was acquitted by the jury, ostensibly to avoid the impression that the request of his noble opponent had been given in to. In this, Valerius Maximus follows Cicero , who had put forward this thesis in his speech Divinatio in Q. Caecilium . Appian, on the other hand, claimed Cotta bribed his judges.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Valerius Maximus , Facta et dicta memorabilia 6, 5, 4.
  2. ↑ Fasti Capitolini ad annum 144 BC Chr .; among others
  3. ↑ Valerius Maximus, Facta et dicta memorabilia 6, 4, 2.
  4. ^ Appian , Iberica 65.
  5. ^ Cicero , Divinatio in Q. Caecilium 69; Cicero, Pro L. Murena 58; Cicero, Pro M. Fonteio 38; Cicero, Brutus 81; Livy , Ab urbe condita , Periochae from Oxyrhynchos 55; Valerius Maximus, Facta et Dicta memorabilia 8, 1 para. 12; Tacitus , Annals 3, 66; Appian, Civil Wars 1, 22.
  6. ^ Appian, Civil Wars 1, 22.
personal data
SURNAME Aurelius Cotta, Lucius
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Cotta, Lucius Aurelius
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Roman consul 144 BC Chr.
DATE OF BIRTH 2nd century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 2nd century BC Chr.