Publius Licinius Crassus Dives

Publius Licinius Crassus Dives (* around 240 BC; † 183 BC ) was at the end of the 3rd and the beginning of the 2nd century BC. An important statesman of the Roman Republic . He acted from 212 BC. Until his death as Pontifex Maximus and was also 210 BC. Chr. Censor and 205 BC Chr. Consul .

ancestry

Publius Licinius Crassus Dives, whose father and grandfather also led the prenomen Publius , came from the plebeian family of the Licinier . Due to an extraordinary inheritance, he possessed such a considerable fortune that he was the first representative of his clan to be nicknamed Dives (the "rich"). His capital and good relationships with the Scipions made it possible for him to become an important figure in the political and religious life of Rome at the time.

Early career

Nothing is known about Crassus' youth and upbringing. He already held the religious office of pontiff at the beginning of the Second Punic War , at least since before 216 BC. His position as a curular aedile , which he established in 212 BC. He used to win popular favor by organizing pompous games. Despite his relatively young age, he was therefore surprisingly able to prevail as a candidate in the election of the Pontifex Maximus, which took place in the same year, against two significantly higher-ranking and older competitors, Quintus Fulvius Flaccus and Titus Manlius Torquatus . He was the third plebeian holder of the high priesthood and during the Roman Republic with almost 30 years in office the longest serving holder of this most important religious position in Rome. An excellent knowledge of pontifical law is ascribed to him.

As Quintus Fulvius Flaccus in 210 BC Chr. Was determined to dictator to ensure the implementation of the consular elections, he received by a plebiscite Crassus as equestrian leader ( Magister equitum ) to the side. In the same year, Crassus was able to take up the high office of censor before reaching the consulate. Together with his colleague Lucius Veturius Philo he took the 219 BC. BC for unjust distribution of booty, Marcus Livius Salinator was sentenced to the Senate again . Before the two censors could develop any further official duties, however, Veturius Philo died, so that Crassus had to give up his position.

After Crassus in 211 BC BC had dismissed the Flamen Dialis for minor reasons, a successor could not be found so quickly, since this spiritual office did not seem desirable for a political career because of its severe restrictions. 209 BC BC the young and ambitious patrician Gaius Valerius Flaccus had to become a new Flamen against his will under pressure from Crassus, which - as Crassus wanted - largely eliminated him from political activity. The tendentious account of the Roman historian Titus Livius , on the other hand, justifies the actions of the Pontifex Maximus with his alleged endeavor to force Flaccus to lead a more modest life. A year later (208 BC) Crassus took up the office of praetor and was appointed praetor peregrinus - since he was not allowed to leave Italy as pontifex maximus . Despite his resistance exercised through his function as praetor, he could not prevent Flaccus from successfully demanding a seat in the Senate for himself by recourse to an old law of the Flemish Dialis, which had not been applied for a long time. Livius tried to disguise this fact in his presentation by, among other things, designating the praetor who was resisting as Lucius Licinius .

As a vestal virgin in 206 BC Chr. Violated her duty of supervision and let the holy fire go out, Crassus ordered her flogging and then released her from her position.

consulate

After Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus at the end of 206 BC. When the victorious general had returned from the Spanish theater of war, he became consul for 205 BC with the comitia headed by the outgoing patrician consul and friend of the Scipions, Lucius Veturius Philo . Elected. He wanted to bring the war against the Punians to North Africa and bring it to a happy conclusion as soon as possible. So that his counterpart could not challenge him for this task, Crassus, whom his religious office forced to remain in Italy, was appointed co-consul. As a province, Crassus was assigned Bruttium in southern Italy, where Hannibal fought his last retreat battles on the Apennine Peninsula, while Scipio went to Sicily , from where he could consider the possibility of crossing to Africa. One of the most important senators at the time, Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus , was extremely hostile to Scipio and is said to have tried in vain to persuade Crassus to protest against this provision.

During his time as a consulate, Crassus could not distinguish himself militarily, as there were hardly any armed conflicts in Bruttium due to the severe epidemics that plagued himself and the enemy soldiers.

Proconsul in gross

With the approval of the Senate, Crassus did not have to travel to Rome to hold the elections, but was allowed to appoint a dictator to fulfill this task, namely Quintus Caecilius Metellus , his previous co-commander in the war against Hannibal. He waged war for another year in Bruttium, without more precise information about his military successes being possible due to the contradicting sources. According to the tradition given by Livy, he was supposed to be in 204 BC Have helped significantly in the alleged victory of the then consul Publius Sempronius Tuditanus over Hannibal at Kroton . The war historian Appian reports that Crassus had spun off the city of Consentia and other places from the Punic that year, while Livy ascribes the transfer of Consentia and other cities to the consul Tuditanus, but also to his successor in office Gnaeus Servilius Caepio in 203 BC. Early 203 BC. BC Crassus left the theater of war in Bruttium; Tuditanus now took his position as the new proconsul.

Further career and death

The few details about Crassus' career after his recall from Bruttium are mostly related to his appearance as Pontifex Maximus. He is mentioned in this function, among other things, on the occasion of the vows that were made in 200 BC. For a victory of the Romans in their forthcoming second war against the Macedonian king Philip V , as well as on the occasion of that oath that 191 BC. For a Roman success against the Aetolians and Antiochus III. was pronounced. When Quintus Fabius Pictor, who held the office of Flemish Quirinalis in 189 BC, When he became praetor, he got into an argument with Crassus, who wanted to prevent Pictor from leaving Rome despite his religious office and going on a military mission in the province of Sardinia assigned to him . After heated debates in the Senate, Pictor had to obey the demand of the Pontifex Maximus.

Crassus died in early 183 BC. He was buried in a glamorous funeral service.

literature

• Friedrich Münzer : Licinius 69). In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume XIII, 1, Stuttgart 1926, Sp. 331-333.

Remarks

1. ↑ The ancient historian Friedrich Münzer calculates this approximate date of birth of the Crassus Dives from his known year of death 183 BC. And Plutarch's remark ( Cicero 25, 3) that no Crassus was older than 60 years.
2. ↑ Fasti Capitolini : Publius Licinius Crassus Dives P. f. P. n.
3. ^ Cf. Cassius Dio , Fragment 57, 52.
4. ↑ Cf. Pliny , Natural History 21, 6.
5. ^ Livius 25, 5, 2-4 (tendentious).
6. ↑ Livy 27: 5, 19.
7. ↑ Livy 27: 6, 17f. and 27, 34, 6.
8. ^ Livy 26, 23, 8.
9. ↑ Livy 27: 8, 4-10; 27, 21, 5; 27, 22, 3; Valerius Maximus 6, 9, 3 (Livius' presentation follows); on this F. Münzer, RE XIII 1, Sp. 331.
10. ↑ Livy 28:11 , 6; Valerius Maximus 1, 1, 6 (after Livius).
11. ↑ Fasti Capitolini; Livy 38, 38, 6 and 12; Diodor 27, 2, 1; Appian , Hannibalica 55; Cassius Dio, fragment 57, 52; Zonaras 9, 11.
12. ↑ Plutarch, Fabius 25, 4.
13. ↑ Livy 28:46, 15.
14. ↑ Livy 29:10 , 1-3.
15. ↑ Livy 29, 36, 6-9.
16. ^ Appian, Hannibalica 56.
17. ^ Livy 29, 38, 1 and 30, 19, 10.
18. ↑ Livy 31, 9, 7f. and 36, 2, 3.
19. ↑ Livius 37, 51, 1-5.
20. ↑ Livy 39, 46, 1-3.