Publius Furius Philus (Consul 223 BC)

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Publius Furius Philus († 213 BC ) came from the Roman patrician family of the Furians and was 223 BC. Chr. Consul and 214 BC Chr. Censor .

ancestry

According to the testimony of the Fasti Capitolini and the Triumphal Acts, the father of Publius Furius Philus led the prenomen Spurius and his grandfather the prenomen Marcus . However, nothing is known about Furius' father or grandfather.

consulate

The surviving sources report about Furius only on the occasion of his rise to the consulate from 223 BC. BC, which he clothed together with Gaius Flaminius , the later unfortunate loser against Hannibal . Both consuls had the task of fighting the northern Italian Celts against which Rome had been fighting since 225 BC. Waged war. The two main sources of Flaminius consistently aversed tradition are Polybius , based on Quintus Fabius Pictor , who is primarily interested in the military, and Titus Livius , whose over the year 223 BC. The book dealing with the history of the year is lost, but can be partially reconstructed through later excerpts and through allusions in Livy 's surviving books. According to Livy, the consuls had been ordered by letter from the Senate to return from the theater of war to Rome and resign from their office because of unfavorable omens . Flaminius only opened the document after he had defeated the Celts, and used this success as a pretext for legitimizing his campaign. Furius had a share both in Flaminius' victory and in his insubordination towards the Senate. Both consuls then held a triumph over the Gauls and Ligurians according to the testimony of the Triumphal Acts .

First years of war against Hannibal

After Gaius Flaminius in 217 BC Was killed in the Battle of Lake Trasimeno against Hannibal, Furius was made Praetor urbanus for 216 BC. Elected. When the Romans suffered another devastating defeat against the great Punic general at the Battle of Cannae that year , Furius and Marcus Pomponius Matho convened the Senate to discuss the measures necessary to defend the capital. Shortly thereafter, Furius took command of the naval forces. He embarked for North Africa, but was seriously injured in a battle near the coast. Therefore he was forced to sail to Sicily again .

Censorship and death

214 BC Furius exercised the censorship, with the consul from 227 BC. BC, Marcus Atilius Regulus , was his official. After the heavy defeat of Cannae, the son of Furius of the same name had heard of the plans of Lucius Caecilius Metellus and other young nobles to escape from Italy by sea, and reported about them. The ancient historian Friedrich Münzer , however, doubts the existence of this son, as he is not mentioned later. In any case, Furius and Atilius punished Metellus, who was officiating as quaestor during their censorship, and all those involved in his earlier escape plans with ruthless severity and transferred them to the Aerarians . Despite its degradation, Metellus was named for 213 BC. Elected to the tribune of the people and now wanted to bring the censors to court, but could not implement this plan due to the resistance of the other tribunes.

Furius died in 213 BC even before the lustrum was carried out . After which Atilius resigned as censor. Until his death, Furius had also been an Augur .

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ Fasti Capitolini ; among others
  2. ↑ Polybios 2, 32, 1-2, 33, 9.
  3. ^ Friedrich Münzer : Flaminius 2). In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume VI, 2, Stuttgart 1909, Col. 2497 f.
  4. ↑ Livy 22, 35, 5ff.
  5. ↑ Livy 22:55, 1.
  6. ↑ Livy 22:57, 8; Appian , Hannibalica 27.
  7. ↑ Livius 23, 21, 2 (most of the illustration has been canceled).
  8. ↑ Livy 24:11 , 6.
  9. ^ Livy 22, 53, 4.
  10. ^ Friedrich Münzer: Furius 81). In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume VII, 1, Stuttgart 1910, Col. 361.
  11. ↑ Livy 24, 18, 1ff .; Valerius Maximus 2, 9, 8 and 5, 6, 8.
  12. ↑ Livy 24, 43, 2f.
  13. ^ Livy 24, 43, 4 and 25, 2, 1.
personal data
SURNAME Furius Philus, Publius
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Philus, Publius Furius
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Roman consul 223 BC BC and censor 214 BC Chr.
DATE OF BIRTH 3rd century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 213 BC Chr.