Quintus Salvidienus Rufus Salvius

Denarius minted by Salvidienus (he uses the name Q. Salvius here) with the head of Octavian

Quintus Salvidienus Rufus Salvius († 40 BC ; also Q. Salvius ) was a Roman politician and general of the triumvirate, next to Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa the closest friend of Octavian (later Augustus ) in the first years of his rise.

Salvidienus came from a humble background and is said to have been a shepherd as a young man. Perhaps his rise as an officer began under Gaius Julius Caesar . He accompanied (like Agrippa) Octavian when he was in Apollonia at the time of Caesar's assassination . Early 42 BC As a legate , he commanded Octavian's fleet in the battle against Sextus Pompeius . After initial successes that earned him the title of emperor , he was defeated by Pompey on the Strait of Messina . 41 BC BC Salvidienus was supposed to march to Spain with six legions , but was prevented from doing so by Gaius Asinius Pollio , Quintus Fufius Calenus and Publius Ventidius Bassus . After Octavian had called him back, he went together with him and Agrippa in the Peruvian war against Lucius Antonius . In the course of this campaign he conquered and destroyed the city of Sentinum .

40 BC After the death of Quintus Fufius Calenus , Salvidienus became governor of the Gallic provinces. For the following year he was appointed consul by Octavian - without having previously held another position on the senatorial course honorum . However, after the conclusion of the Treaty of Brundisium with Octavian, Marcus Antonius accused him of wanting to defend himself in the conflict that preceded the treaty. Octavian called Salvidienus to him, had him convicted of high treason and executed by the Senate; according to another version, Salvidienus committed suicide.

literature

• Jörg Fündling : Salvidienus. In: The New Pauly (DNP). Volume 10, Metzler, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-476-01480-0 , Sp. 1271 f.
• Hans Georg Gundel : Salvidienus. In: The Little Pauly (KlP). Volume 4, Stuttgart 1972, Sp. 1525 f.
• Friedrich Münzer : Salvidienus 4). In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume IA, 2, Stuttgart 1920, Sp. 2019-2021 ( online ).

Remarks

1. ↑ On coins that he minted during his Gallic proconsulate, he called himself Q. Salvius . Ronald Syme ( The Roman Revolution , Oxford 2002, p. 129) thought it possible that he romanized his non-Roman gentile name in this way; DR Shackleton Bailey ( Two studies in Roman nomenclature , 1976) suggested that he was adopted by a Salvius.
2. ↑ ^{a b} Velleius Paterculus 2, 76, 4 .
3. ^ ^{A b} Cassius Dio 48, 33, 1 ( English translation ).
4. ^ Velleius Paterculus 2, 59, 5 . Brutus in Cicero, Epistulae ad Brutum 25, 4 .
5. ↑ ^{a b} Titus Livius , periocha 123 .
6. ^ ^{A b} Cassius Dio 48, 18 ( English translation ).
7. ↑ CIL 10, 8337 , sling leads with the inscription Q (uintus) Salv (idienus) in the (perator) .
8. ^ Appian , Civil Wars 5:27 ; 31-35 ( English translation ). CIL 11, 6721 , No. 17, slingshot with the inscription Rufus imp (erator) .
9. ^ Appian, Civil Wars 5, 66 ( English translation ).
10. ^ Suetonius , Augustus 66 .
11. ↑ Titus Livius, periocha 127 .