Lucius Porcius Licinus (Praetor)

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Lucius Porcius Licinus was a member of the Roman plebeian family of the Porcians and 207 BC. BC Praetor .

Life

Lucius Porcius Licinus was the son of an unknown Marcus Porcius Licinus. It was first discovered during the Second Punic War in 211 BC. When, according to the Roman historian Titus Livius , he is said to have distinguished himself as a legate in the battle for Capua, which was besieged by the Romans . 210 BC He held the post of a plebeian aedile , donated statues for the goddess Ceres with his colleague Quintus Catius , which he paid with fines, and played splendid games.

With three other Roman nobles, Porcius Licinus was in 207 BC. Chr. Praetor and in this function took over the command of two legions in Gallia cisalpina , that is what is now northern Italy. According to a different tradition in Roman annals, however, he was a propaetor. In the meantime, Hannibal's younger brother Hasdrubal had moved from Spain across the Pyrenees to Gaul , had recruited Celtic mercenaries and was in the spring of 207 BC. BC with about 30,000 men crossed the Alps into the Po Valley . The strategic goal was the union with his brother Hannibal. As governor of Gallia cisalpina, Porcius Licinus was first confronted with Hasdrubal's advance, but his participation in the struggle against Hasdrubal is only mentioned by Livy, not by other sources such as Polybius or Appian , which are only partially preserved .

According to the Livian portrayal, Porcius Licinus initially limited himself to smaller raids and attacks on the advancing Hasdrubal without daring a decisive battle, as he had much smaller forces than his Punic opponent. At Sena Gallica on the Umbrian river Metaurus , he was able to lead his army to the consul Marcus Livius Salinator and set up his own camp next to that of the consul. At first the Romans decided to wage war until the second consul, Gaius Claudius Nero, arrived at their place at night. The latter had faced Hannibal and, after being informed of the opposing war plans with elite troops, quickly set out to join Livius Salinator, while he had left his main army behind to make it very difficult for Hannibal to pursue him. To deceive Hasdrubal about the reinforcements that had arrived, Claudius Nero's army was distributed to the two camps that had already been set up, instead of building another fortification for them. Nevertheless, this influx of troops did not escape the attention of the Punic military leader, who therefore decided to withdraw. The united Roman armed forces pursued him immediately and finally achieved that Hasdrubal had to face the fight with his back to the Metaurus. This is how the Battle of Metaurus came about, in which Porcius Licinus, according to Livius, commanded the Roman center. He therefore had to parry the enemy attack that was carried out with the war elephants at the center of the Punic line-up and the Ligurian contingents positioned behind them. Claudius Nero, in command of the Roman right wing, brought about the victory of the Romans with a clever tactical maneuver. Hasdrubal lost his life in the battle.

Later, Lucius Porcius Licinus does not appear in the tradition; his son of the same name was born in 184 BC. Chr. Consul .

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ Fasti Capitolini ad annum 184 BC Chr.
  2. ↑ Livy 26: 6, 1f .; Lucius Porcius Licinus is not mentioned in the parallel tradition.
  3. ^ Livy 27: 6, 19.
  4. ↑ Livy 27, 35, 1 and 27, 36, 11.
  5. ↑ Livy 28:10 , 12.
  6. ↑ Polybios 11, 1ff.
  7. ↑ Appian, Hannibalica 52f.
  8. ↑ Livy 27:46, 6.
  9. ↑ Livy 27:47, 4.
  10. ↑ Livy 27:48, 4.
personal data
SURNAME Porcius Licinus, Lucius
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Licinus, Lucius Porcius
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Roman praetor 207 BC Chr.
DATE OF BIRTH 3rd century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH after 207 BC Chr.