Marcus Popillius Laenas (Consul 139 BC)

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Marcus Popillius Laenas was a Roman politician around the middle of the 2nd century BC. Chr.

He was the son of the consul of the same name in 173 BC. Little is known of his early career: 154 BC. He was envoy in Liguria to investigate allegations of the Massalioten . 146 BC He belonged to the embassy to Corinth , which was chased away by the agitated crowd, which led to the dispatch of Lucius Mummius and ultimately to the destruction of Corinth.

In 139 BC BC Popillius was elected consul and received as provincia Hispania citerior , where he remained as proconsul the following year . His predecessor in the command, Quintus Pompeius , had signed a treaty with the inhabitants of Numantia , which resulted in an unconditional surrender ( deditio ), which he had withheld from the Numantines. When Popillius asked for the weapons to be handed over, they refused and sent an embassy to Rome. Popillius remained inactive until the circumstances were clarified before the Senate . After the Senate decided to continue the war, it attacked the walls of Numantia. The Roman army was ambushed and severely beaten. 137 BC He was replaced by Gaius Hostilius Mancinus . Because of this defeat he was ridiculed by the poet Gaius Lucilius . Nothing is known about his further life.

Sources and literature

  • Polybios , Historien, Book 38.12 (Corinth).
  • Martin Luik : The difficult path to world power. Rome's conquest of the Iberian Peninsula 218–19 BC Chr. Von Zabern, Mainz 2005, ISBN 3-8053-3471-0 , p. 74 (on Numantia).
personal data
SURNAME Popillius Laenas, Marcus
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Laenas, Marcus Popillius
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Roman politician, consul 139 BC Chr.
DATE OF BIRTH 2nd century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 2nd century BC Chr.