Titus Quinctius Capitolinus Barbatus

Titus Quinctius Capitolinus Barbatus (* around 505 BC in Rome , † after 423 BC ) was a politician and general of the Roman Republic . He was a six-time consul . As with all people of early Roman times, most of the recorded details about his life should be viewed with some caution.

family

Titus Quinctius Barbatus came from the patrician gens Quinctia , which was one of the oldest families in Rome. Nothing is known about his parents or his marriage, except that he had a son of the same name who was to hold the consulate in 421. The nickname Capitolinus could indicate the seat of the family on the hill of the same name.

Consul and military leader

A total of six consulates are ascribed to Titus Quinctius Barbatus, an astonishing number for the early Roman Republic. Despite his popularity, Titus Livius described him as a difficult character.

His first consulate in 471 BC. BC, together with Appius Claudius Crassus , an advocate of patrician rights, was marked by a dispute between his consul and the plebeians . From this dispute and through the mediation of Quinctius, the Lex Publilia was finally created . Militarily, he successfully led a Roman army against the Volscians . A transmitted episode proves his popularity with the people and soldiers after these domestic and foreign political successes: When a (false) rumor arose about enemy tribes marching on Rome, Titus Quinctius held the crowd back from panic with a speech.

468 BC He was elected consul again - together with Quintus Servilius Structus Priscus . Again he triumphed over the Volscians who fought with the Antiates . As triumvir agris dandis assignandisque (member of the three-man college for the selection of new settlers in the conquered areas) he was also involved in the establishment of some Coloniae in the area that had become Roman with the capital Antium, which earned him further supporters.

The third consulate followed just three years later, in 465 BC. BC, together with Quintus Fabius Vibulanus . Again Titus Quinctius had to go into battle, this time against the Aequer . He continued this dispute as proconsul the following year .

After a long pause - from 458 BC. A quaesture has come down to us - it was in 446 BC. Re-elected to the consulate - this time with Agrippa Furius Fusus . The latter and his troops were ambushed by the Aequer, from which Titus Quinctius was able to rescue him with a reserve army.

In his fifth consulate in 443 BC BC - with Marcus Geganius Macerinus - Titus Quinctius appears as a man of balance between the classes. Once again - for the sixth time - he dressed in 439 BC. Together with Agrippa Menenius Lanatus the consulate. He is said to have demanded the dictatorship for Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus from the Senate and also received approval in the fight against a conspiracy of a Spurius Maelius . The coup was quickly crushed, and Cincinnatus resigned and returned power to the Senate.

As a proconsul he went to war again the following year, this time against the Etruscans . He is mentioned for the last time in 423 BC. Mentioned when he defended Titus Quinctius Pennus Cincinnatus in old age before the popular assembly. Shortly thereafter, he appears to have died of natural causes.

When the Senate now met, everyone turned their gaze to Quinctius, and the most respected senators said that that popular assembly was worthy of the dignity of a consul, that it was worthy of so many consulates that he had already led, and worthy of his whole life, that was full of honorary posts that he often received and even more often earned.

literature

• Philip Matyszak: History of the Roman Republic. From Romulus to Augustus . Scientific Book Society, Darmstadt 2004, ISBN 3-534-17578-6 .

Individual evidence

1. ^ Titus Livius , Ab urbe condita IV, 41, 12.
2. ^ Titus Livius , Ab urbe condita III, 69.