Gnaeus Cornelius Dolabella was a

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throu ...

of the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Ki ...

in 81 BC, with Marcus Tullius Decula, during the dictatorship of

Sulla Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (; 138–78 BC), commonly known as Sulla, was a Roman general and statesman. He won the first large-scale civil war in Roman history and became the first man of the Republic to seize power through force. Sulla had t ...

Biography

Possibly a

military tribune A military tribune (Latin ''tribunus militum'', "tribune of the soldiers") was an officer of the Roman army who ranked below the legate and above the centurion. Young men of Equestrian rank often served as military tribune as a stepping stone ...

in 89 BC, Dolabella soon was attached to the staff of Sulla as a legate, holding command of one of Sulla's fleets in 83 BC. In 82 BC, Dolabella saw action during

Sulla's civil war Sulla's civil war was fought between the Roman general Lucius Cornelius Sulla and his opponents, the Cinna-Marius faction (usually called the Marians or the Cinnans after their former leaders Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Cinna), in the y ...

, participating at the Battle of Sacriporto (Sacriportus) and the Battle of the Colline Gate. As a loyal lieutenant, Sulla made him consul in 81 BC, but the consuls of that year were only nominal, as Sulla had all the power in his hands. In 80 BC, Dolabella was made

proconsul A proconsul was an official of ancient Rome who acted on behalf of a consul. A proconsul was typically a former consul. The term is also used in recent history for officials with delegated authority. In the Roman Republic, military command, or ' ...

of Macedonia, a position which he held until 78 BC. In 77 BC Dolabella was granted a

triumph The Roman triumph (Latin triumphus) was a celebration for a victorious military commander in ancient Rome. For later imitations, in life or in art, see Trionfo. Numerous later uses of the term, up to the present, are derived directly or indirectl ...

for victories he had achieved while governor over the

Thracians The Thracians (; grc, Θρᾷκες ''Thrāikes''; la, Thraci) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Eastern and Southeastern Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied ...

, but shortly afterwards he was accused of

extortion Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence; the bulk of this article deals with such cases. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, ...

in Macedonia during his time as governor by the young

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...

and brought to trial. Prosecuted by Caesar, Dolabella was defended by

Gaius Aurelius Cotta Gaius Aurelius Cotta (124–73 BC) was a Roman statesman, orator, priest, and Academic Skeptic; he is not to be confused with Gaius Aurelius Cotta who was twice Consul in the 3rd century BC. Life Born in 124 BC, he was the uncle to Julius Caesa ...

and

Quintus Hortensius Quintus Hortensius Hortalus (114–50 BC) was a famous Roman lawyer, a renowned orator and a statesman. Politically he belonged to the Optimates. He was consul in 69 BC alongside Quintus Caecilius Metellus Creticus. His nickname was ''Dionysia'' ...

. He was found not guilty and acquitted.

In fiction

Dolabella is a minor character in the

Colleen McCullough Colleen Margaretta McCullough (; married name Robinson, previously Ion-Robinson; 1 June 193729 January 2015) was an Australian author known for her novels, her most well-known being ''The Thorn Birds'' and '' The Ladies of Missalonghi''. Life ...

novel ''

Fortune's Favourites ''Masters of Rome'' is a series of historical novels by Australian author Colleen McCullough, set in ancient Rome during the last days of the old Roman Republic; it primarily chronicles the lives and careers of Gaius Marius, Lucius Corneliu ...

''. In the novel, just prior to the Battle of the Colline Gate, he blackmails Sulla into giving him the consulship in return for his support, which he threatened to withdraw due to Sulla's decision to pass him over when Sulla gave the command of one of his wings to

Marcus Licinius Crassus Marcus Licinius Crassus (; 115 – 53 BC) was a Roman general and statesman who played a key role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. He is often called "the richest man in Rome." Wallechinsky, David & Wallace, I ...

. The 2022 novel ''

Roma soy yo Roma or ROMA may refer to: Places Australia * Roma, Queensland, a town ** Roma Airport ** Roma Courthouse ** Electoral district of Roma, defunct ** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council *Roma Street, Brisbane, a st ...

'' («I am Rome»), by Spanish philologist, linguist and author

Santiago Posteguillo Santiago Posteguillo Gómez is a Spanish philologist, linguist and author, born in Valencia in 1967. He has become known for a number of novels set in Ancient Rome, especially his Scipio Africanus and Trajan trilogies. Biography Academic care ...

, known for a series of novels set in Ancient Rome, tells a fictional account based on well established historical facts, of how a young

prosecuted and brought Gnaeus Cornelius Dolabella to trial.Antón, Jacinto, Santiago Posteguillo persigue la sombra de Julio César en casa de Alejandro Magno, El País

References

Sources

* * T. Robert S. Broughton, ''The Magistrates of the Roman Republic, Vol II'' (1952). * Smith, William, ''A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, Vol. II'' (1880). {{DEFAULTSORT:Cornelius Dolabella, Gnaeus 1st-century BC Roman consuls Dolabella, Gnaeus Senators of the Roman Republic Roman governors of Macedonia