Publius Popillius Laenas

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Publius Poppilius Laenas was a Roman politician in the 2nd century BC.

Origin and family

Publius Popillius Laenas, son of a Gaius and grandson of Publius, came from an old plebeian family that had played an important role in Roman history since the 4th century BC and began in 359 BC. Brought forth several consuls. Marcus Popillius Laenas was after the admission of the plebeians to the offices in the year 366 BC. In the 2nd half of the 4th century BC Four times (maybe even five times) Roman consul .

Life

According to an inscription on a milestone found near the city of Forum Popillium in Lucania, which he founded, Publius Popillius Laenas was named in 135 BC. BC Praetor in Sicily and as such delivered 917 runaway slaves to their owners. With Publius Rupilius he was elected full consul for the year 132. As a representative of the Optimates , he was a staunch opponent of the Gracchi . In addition to fighting Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus and his followers, of whom he condemned several, he devoted himself primarily to road construction in Italy during his consulate. So he had the via Poppilia from Rhegium to Capua , named after him, built and equipped this road with milestones ( miliarii ). Also in his consulate he built the road from Ariminum to Atria, also called via Popillia . As he himself reported, he took over a demand from the Gracches who wanted to divide state land to settlers, and assigned parts of the ager publicus , which was leased as pastureland, to arable citizens (aratores). In this context he founded Forum Popillium in Lucania and a second settlement of the same name on Via Aemilia . Although the settlement of public pastureland corresponded to the demands of the supporters of the Gracchi, he and his colleague Rupilius proceeded with all severity against them and sentenced them to death without trial. Because of this illegal procedure, the surviving brother of Tiberius Gracchus, Gaius Sempronius Gracchus , took revenge in his tribunate in 123 BC. Through the lex Sempronia de provocatione and enforced Laenas' banishment because of the illegal killing of the Gracchian followers. Publius Laenas then had to go into exile to Nuceria , but was killed after the murder of Gaius Gracchus in 121 BC. Recalled due to a rogation of the tribune Lucius Calpurnius Bestia . The year of death of Publius Popillius Laenas is as unknown as the year of his birth.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ingemar König : The Roman State. Volume I: The Republic. Reclam, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 3-15-008834-8 , p. 204 ff.
  2. ↑ Ingemar König : The Roman State. Volume I: The Republic. Reclam, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 3-15-008834-8 , p. 204 f.
  3. ↑ CIL 1, 638 .
  4. ↑ Fasti Capitolini .
  5. ↑ Hans Volkmann : Popillius 9. In: Der Kleine Pauly (KlP). Volume 4, Stuttgart 1972, Sp. 1053.
  6. ^ Tenney Frank : An economic survey of Ancient Rome. Volume 3, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 1937, p. 246.
  7. ^ Cicero , Pro Cluentio 35, 95.
  8. ↑ Cicero, Brutus 34, 128.
personal data
SURNAME Popillius Laenas, Publius
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Poppilius Laenas, Publius
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Roman politician
DATE OF BIRTH 2nd century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 2nd century BC Chr.