Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus (Consular Tribune 438 BC)

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Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus was a 5th century BC Roman politician. In the years 438, 425 and (possibly) 420 BC. He officiated as a military tribune with consular authority . Presumably wrongly in individual ancient sources, a dictatorship of 437 BC is attributed to him . And a consulate 428 BC. Attributed to BC.

family

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus belonged to the Quinctii Cincinnati , a side branch of the patrician Gens Quinctia . He was the eldest son of the politician Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus , who lived in 460 BC. Chr. Consul and v in the years 458 and 439 of. He was a dictator and was praised for his virtue in antiquity. In addition to the consular tribune of the year 438 BC He had two other, younger sons, namely Kaeso Quinctius , who was rejected by his father and had to go into exile because of the affair over the planned Lex Terentilia , and Titus Quinctius Pennus Cincinnatus , who died in 431 and 428 BC. Consul as well as 426 and possibly 420 BC Was a consular tribune ( see below ). Lucius is said to have been a "young man" in 437.

His son Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus also served three times as a military tribune with consular power, namely in 386, 385 and 377 BC. He was probably also the father of Gaius Quinctius Cincinnatus , who lived in 377 BC. Was a consular tribune.

First consular tribunate

In 438 BC In BC, Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus was elected to the military tribune with consular authority for the first time, together with Mamercus Aemilius Mamercinus and Lucius Iulius Iullus, despite the unpopularity of his extremely class-conscious father with the plebeians . During his tenure, the colony of Fidenae rebelled against Rome, drove out the Roman garrison and allied with Lars Tolumnius , the Etruscan king of Veji . The four ambassadors sent by Rome were killed on his orders. This incident sparked Rome's Second War against Veii .

In the same year the consul elections for 437 BC were held. Organized. One of the elected consuls, Lucius Sergius , remained victorious over the Vejer on the Aniene River and was given the nickname Fidenas .

Magister equitum

The victory on the Aniene had resulted in heavy losses on both sides. The consular army emerged very weak, so that the Senate in 437 BC. Chr. Mamercinus used as dictator. After the ranks were replenished, Mamercinus selected Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus as Magister equitum and the almost seventy-year-old Quinctius Capitolinus Barbatus and Marcus Fabius Vibulanus as military leaders. The dictator succeeded in pushing Rome's enemies back over the Aniene again. The Etruscans then set up their army camp near Fidenae after they had received additional reinforcement from an army of the Faliskers .

Despite numerical inferiority, the legionaries of the Roman army were able to win an overwhelming victory against Fidenae and his allies, which was celebrated with a triumph in Rome.

Other ascribed offices

According to the font "Viri illustres urbis Romae" ("Famous men of the city of Rome"), which is part of the Corpus Aurelianum and incorrectly attributed to Aurelius Victor , Quinctius is said to be in 437 BC. Have officiated as dictator. But this is not proven in any other source.

The ancient historian Diodorus lists Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus and Aulus Sempronius Atratinus as consuls couple between the officials of the years 428 and 427 BC. It is probably an interpolation , especially since Titus Livius does not name a consulate of the two.

Second consular tribunate

Together with Aulus Sempronius Atratinus , Lucius Furius Medullinus and Lucius Horatius Barbatus , Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus was founded in 425 BC. Appointed as consular tribune for the second time. Veji was granted a twenty-year truce and a three-year truce was concluded with the Aequers .

Third Consular Tribunate

Whether Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus 420 BC BC was consular tribune a third time is not certain. Titus Livius names him as an official along with Marcus Manlius Vulso , Lucius Furius Medullinus and Aulus Sempronius Atratinus. In the list of Roman consuls, which is included in the Fasti Capitolini , the entry "Cincinnatus II" (= the second term of office of a Cincinnatus) is given for this year. It could be a mistake by the stonemason who forgot the third “I” sign. However, it is also possible that this year his brother Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus (after his first term of office 426 BC for the second time) officiated as consular tribune.

This year there were no armed conflicts with neighboring peoples, but there was great tension in the city itself because of the upcoming Quaestor election , which this year will be at the expense of the senators . In the election under the chairmanship of Aulus Sempronius, only patricians obtained the offices of quaestors. This aroused the anger of the tribunes Aulus Antistius, Sextus Pompilius and Marcus Canuleius, because they had envisaged a new law, according to which new offices could now also be filled by plebeians .

Gaius Sempronius Atratinus , the nephew of Aulus Sempronius, was in return in the same year by the tribunes because of his warfare in 423 BC. Against the Volscians and sentenced to a payment of 15,000 aces .

In the course of the third consular tribunate, the trial of the Vestal Virgin Postumia, who had been accused of poor lifestyle but was then acquitted, also ran.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Titus Livius , Ab Urbe condita IV, 17.9.
  2. ↑ Titus Livius , Ab Urbe condita IV, 16.
  3. ↑ Titus Livius, Ab Urbe condita IV, 17.
  4. ^ T. Robert S. Broughton : The magistrates of the Roman Republic. Volume 1: 509 BC-100 BC American Philological Association, New York 1951, p. 59.
  5. ↑ Titus Livius, Ab Urbe condita IV, 2.20.
  6. ^ Pseudo-Aurelius Victor, Viri illustres urbis Romae 25.1.
  7. ^ Hans Georg Gundel : Quinctius 28. In: Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswwissenschaft (RE). Volume XXIV, Stuttgart 1963, Col. 1023-1024, here Col. 1024.
  8. ^ Diodor , Bibliothéke historiké XII, 75.1.
  9. ^ Christian Müller: Quinctius I, 8. In: The New Pauly (DNP). Volume 10, Metzler, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-476-01480-0 , Sp. 707.
  10. ↑ Titus Livius, Ab Urbe condita IV, 35.
  11. ^ T. Robert S. Broughton : The magistrates of the Roman Republic. Volume 1: 509 BC-100 BC American Philological Association, New York 1951, p. 67.
  12. ↑ Titus Livius, Ab Urbe condita IV, 44.
  13. ^ Hans Georg Gundel : Quinctius 28. In: Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswwissenschaft (RE). Volume XXIV, Stuttgart 1963, Col. 1023-1024, here Col. 1024.
  14. ↑ Robert M. Ogilvie : A commentary on Livy, Books 1-5. Clarendon Press, Oxford 1965, p. 600.
  15. ↑ Titus Livius, Ab Urbe condita IV, 44.
  16. ^ T. Robert S. Broughton : The magistrates of the Roman Republic. Volume 1: 509 BC-100 BC American Philological Association, New York 1951, p. 71.
personal data
SURNAME Quinctius Cincinnatus, Lucius
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Roman politician
DATE OF BIRTH 5th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 5th century BC Chr.