Lucius Manlius Vulso (Praetor 218 BC)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lucius Manlius Vulso was 218 BC. BC, in the first year of the Second Punic War , a praetor of the Roman Republic . It probably belonged to 216 BC. To the missing after the battle of Cannae .

Life

Lucius Manlius Vulso came from the patrician dynasty of the Manlier and was perhaps a son of the consul from 256 and 250 BC. BC, Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus . Nothing is known about its early life. Although he and Gaius Atilius Serranus only on the occasion of their unsuccessful candidacy for the consulate from 216 BC. Are referred to by their full names by the Roman historian Titus Livius , they are most likely associated with the two praetors Lucius Manlius and Gaius Atilius of the year 218 BC. BC, which Livy and the Greek historian Polybius always use without their nicknames.

About the beginning of 218 BC The establishment of the Roman colonies Placentia (today's Piacenza ) and Cremona took place annoyed and encouraged by the prospect of the Punic general Hannibal's imminent arrival in northern Italy, the Boier of the Po plain rose around the middle of 218 BC. Against the Romans. They were joined by the Insubres . Together they drove the Roman colonists from Piacenza and Cremona and besieged the refugees in Mutina (today's Modena ).

The praetor (probably peregrinus ) Manlius, charged with protecting the new colonies, marched with his army against the rebellious Boier to Mutina. But they set an ambush in a wooded area and fell upon the Romans as soon as the praetor and his troops appeared at this point. This raid resulted in the death of many of Manlius' soldiers. The praetor and the other survivors gathered when they got back into the open country and retreated to Tannetum (now Taneto in the Italian province of Reggio Emilia ), where they were besieged by the Boians. The praetor Gaius Atilius Serranus now came to the aid of the trapped Manlius with a legion that should actually have served the consul Publius Cornelius Scipio for the fight against Hannibal in Spain . Thereupon the Boier withdrew.

From the remark of Livy that at the end of 217 BC When the order for the construction of a temple of Concordia was awarded, which the praetor Lucius Manlius had praised two years earlier during a soldiers' revolt in Gaul, the ancient historian Friedrich Münzer concludes that this news relates to mutinies that took place among the warriors of Lucius Manlius Vulso broke out on the occasion of the fighting against the Boier. As early as 216 BC The promised sanctuary could be consecrated in BC.

After the consul Scipio was unable to stop Hannibal's advance from Spain to Gaul and then across the Alps , he returned around November 218 BC. Back to northern Italy and took over the command of the armies of the Praetors Manlius and Atilius, which he sent back to Rome . The consul Hannibal went against these troops, but suffered a severe defeat against the great Punic general in a cavalry battle on the Ticinus .

In the election for the consulate of the year 216 BC BC Manlius and his former colleague Atilius appeared as candidates, but they were unsuccessful because Gaius Terentius Varro made the running. After the devastating defeat of the Romans in the Battle of Cannae (216 BC), many of them were captured. Hannibal offered their ransom, but the Senate wanted nothing to do with them. According to a subsidiary tradition, Livy tells us that ten ambassadors first came to Rome for the purpose of negotiations and later three others, namely Lucius Manlius, Lucius Scribonius and Gaius Calpurnius. The latter three, as they had not been successful in their application to ransom the prisoners, returned to Hannibal. Friedrich Münzer believes that the Lucius Manlius mentioned by Livius on this occasion is with some probability identical with the Lucius Manlius Vulso dealt with here; Likewise, the core of the Livian narrative is historical; Manlius would really have been one of the many Romans who went missing in the battle of Cannae.

literature

Remarks

  1. ^ Friedrich Münzer : Manlius 92). In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume XIV, 1, Stuttgart 1928, Col. 1223.
  2. ↑ Polybios 3, 40, 3-10; Livy 21:25, 1-7.
  3. ↑ Polybios 3, 40, 11-14; Livy 21:17, 7; 21, 25, 8-26, 2.
  4. ↑ Livius 22, 33, 7 and 23, 21, 7, on this Friedrich Münzer: Manlius 92). In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume XIV, 1, Stuttgart 1928, Sp. 1222.
  5. ↑ Polybios 3, 56, 6; Livy 21, 39, 3; Appian , Hannibalica 5.
  6. ^ Livy 22, 35, 1f.
  7. ↑ Livy 22, 61, 5-10; on this Friedrich Münzer: Manlius 92). In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume XIV, 1, Stuttgart 1928, Col. 1223.
personal data
SURNAME Manlius Vulso, Lucius
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Roman praetor 218 BC Chr.
DATE OF BIRTH 3rd century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 3rd century BC Chr.