The gens Laelia was a plebeian family at

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. The first of the gens to obtain the

consulship A consul held the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic ( to 27 BC), and ancient Romans considered the consulship the second-highest level of the ''cursus honorum'' (an ascending sequence of public offices to which politic ...

was

Gaius Laelius Gaius Laelius was a Roman general and statesman, and a friend of Scipio Africanus, whom he accompanied on his Iberian campaign (210–206 BC; the Roman Hispania, comprising modern Spain and Portugal) and his African campaign (204–202 BC). His c ...

in 190 BC.''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', vol. II, p. 704 ("Laelia Gens").

Branches and cognomina

The only family name of the Laelii was ''Balbus'', a common

cognomen A ''cognomen'' (; plural ''cognomina''; from ''con-'' "together with" and ''(g)nomen'' "name") was the third name of a citizen of ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. Initially, it was a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became here ...

, referring to one who stammers. A few of the Laelii used personal surnames, such as ''Sapiens'' ("wise"), by which the Laelius who was a friend of the younger Scipio Africanus was sometimes known.

Members

Early Laelii

* Gaius Laelius, grandfather of Gaius Laelius, consul in 190 BC. * Gaius Laelius C. f., the father of Gaius Laelius, consul in 190 BC. * Gaius Laelius C. f. C. n., consul in 190 BC, was a friend of the elder Scipio Africanus, to whom he acted as

legate Legate may refer to: *Legatus, a higher ranking general officer of the Roman army drawn from among the senatorial class :*Legatus Augusti pro praetore, a provincial governor in the Roman Imperial period *A member of a legation *A representative, ...

throughout the Second Punic War. After his consulship, he helped colonize the territory of the

Boii The Boii (Latin plural, singular ''Boius''; grc, Βόιοι) were a Celtic tribe of the later Iron Age, attested at various times in Cisalpine Gaul ( Northern Italy), Pannonia (Hungary), parts of Bavaria, in and around Bohemia (after whom ...

. He was appointed to several other commissions and embassies through 170. * Gaius Laelius C. f. C. n. Sapiens, consul in BC 140, and a close friend of the younger Scipio Africanus. He initially favoured agrarian reform, but after meeting resistance abandoned the effort, and opposed the efforts of the Gracchi, leading his aristocratic contemporaries to call him ''Sapiens'', "the wise". He was erudite and refined, but a less persuasive speaker than some of his contemporaries. * Laelia C. f. C. n. Major, married Quintus Mucius Scaevola, the augur. Laelia was renowned for her graceful and eloquent speech, dignified and sincere, upon which

Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the esta ...

remarked, and which she passed down to her daughters, as well as her son-in-law, the orator

Lucius Licinius Crassus Lucius Licinius Crassus (140–91 BC) was a Roman orator and statesman. He was considered the greatest orator of his day, most notably by his pupil Cicero. Crassus is also famous as one of the main characters in Cicero's work '' De Oratore'', a d ...

. * Laelia C. f. C. n. Minor, married Gaius Fannius Strabo.

Laelii Balbi

* Decimus Laelius, one of

Pompey Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (; 29 September 106 BC – 28 September 48 BC), known in English as Pompey or Pompey the Great, was a leading Roman general and statesman. He played a significant role in the transformation of ...

's lieutenants during the

Sertorian War The Sertorian War was a civil war fought from 80 to 72 BC between a faction of Roman rebels ( Sertorians) and the government in Rome (Sullans). The war was fought on the Iberian Peninsula (called ''Hispania'' by the Romans) and was one of the ...

, who was slain in battle against Lucius Hirtuleius near the town of Lauro in 76 BC. * Decimus Laelius D. f., impeached Lucius Valerius Flaccus for ''repetundae'' in his administration of

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

, BC 59. During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, Laelius was a loyal commander and emissary in the Pompeian forces. * Decimus Laelius D. f. D. n. Balbus, quaestor ''pro praetore'' in Africa in 42 BC, took his own life following the defeat of Quintus Cornificius by Titus Sextius, who had been nominated proconsul by the

triumvirs A triumvirate ( la, triumvirātus) or a triarchy is a political institution ruled or dominated by three individuals, known as triumvirs ( la, triumviri). The arrangement can be formal or informal. Though the three leaders in a triumvirate are ...

. * Decimus Laelius D. f. D. n. Balbus, one of the quindecimvirs who oversaw the

ludi saeculares The Saecular Games ( la, Ludi saeculares, originally ) was a Roman religious celebration involving sacrifices and theatrical performances, held in ancient Rome for three days and nights to mark the end of a and the beginning of the next. A , sup ...

in 17 BC; he was consul in 6 BC. * Decimus Laelius D. f. D. n. Balbus, a

delator Delator (plural: ''delatores'', feminine: ''delatrix'') is Latin for a denouncer, one who indicates to a court another as having committed a punishable deed. Secular Roman law In Roman history, it was properly one who gave notice (''deferre'') t ...

during the reign of

Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was the second Roman emperor. He reigned from AD 14 until 37, succeeding his stepfather, the first Roman emperor Augustus. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC. His father ...

, accused Acutia, formerly the wife of Publius Vitellius, of ''majestas''; she was condemned, but the

tribune of the plebs Tribune of the plebs, tribune of the people or plebeian tribune ( la, tribunus plebis) was the first office of the Roman state that was open to the plebeians, and was, throughout the history of the Republic, the most important check on the power o ...

Junius Otho prevented Balbus from receiving a reward. Shortly thereafter, Balbus was himself condemned and banished, as one of the lovers of

Albucilla Albucilla (1st-century) was a Roman noblewoman, the wife of Satrius Secundus, and was known for having had many lovers. In the last year of the reign of the emperor Tiberius, 37 AD, she was accused of treason, or impiety, against the emperor ( ...

. He seems to have been rehabilitated, as he was consul ''suffectus'' in 46. * Laelia D. f. D. n., a

Vestal Virgin In ancient Rome, the Vestal Virgins or Vestals ( la, Vestālēs, singular ) were priestesses of Vesta, virgin goddess of Rome's sacred hearth and its flame. The Vestals were unlike any other public priesthood. They were chosen before puberty ...

who died in AD 64, was the daughter of Balbus, the consul of 46.

Others

* Decimus Laelius, mentioned in the Gracchan period, perhaps an ancestor of the Laelii Balbi. * Lucius Laelius, mentioned in an inscription dating from about 88 BC. * Publius Laelius L. f, mentioned in an inscription dating from about 88 BC. * Lucius Laelius, mentioned in an inscription from Pergamum, dating from the late Republic. * Lucius Laelius L. f., mentioned in an inscription from Pergamum, dating from the late Republic. * Laelia, wife of

Gaius Vibius Marsus Gaius Vibius Marsus, whom Tacitus calls "''vetustis honoribus studiisque illustris''", was a Roman senator active during the Principate. He was consul in 17 AD. Biography Marsus was Suffect consul for the second half of the year 17 with Lucius ...

. *

Laelius Felix Laelius is a name that can refer to: People * Gaius Laelius, a Roman statesman, who was consul in 190 BC and friend of Scipio Africanus *Gaius Laelius Sapiens (consul of 140 BC), a Roman statesman, son of the above, who was consul in 140 BC, and wa ...

, a jurist in the time of Hadrian.''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', vol. II, p. 143 ("Laelius Felix"). * Lucius Laelius Fuscus, a second-century soldier. * Laelius Bassus, a proconsul or legate under

Septimius Severus Lucius Septimius Severus (; 11 April 145 – 4 February 211) was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna (present-day Al-Khums, Libya) in the Roman province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through the customary suc ...

. * Marcus Laelius Maximus Aemilianus, consul in 227 AD.

Footnotes

References

Bibliography

* Polybius, '' Historiae'' (The Histories). *

Marcus Tullius Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the esta ...

, ''

Brutus Marcus Junius Brutus (; ; 85 BC – 23 October 42 BC), often referred to simply as Brutus, was a Roman politician, orator, and the most famous of the assassins of Julius Caesar. After being adopted by a relative, he used the name Quintus Serv ...

, De Oratore,

Philippicae The ''Philippics'' ( la, Philippicae, singular Philippica) are a series of 14 speeches composed by Cicero in 44 and 43 BC, condemning Mark Antony. Cicero likened these speeches to those of Demosthenes against Philip II of Macedon; both Demo ...

, Laelius sive de Amicitia,

Tusculanae Quaestiones The ''Tusculanae Disputationes'' (also ''Tusculanae Quaestiones''; English: ''Tusculan Disputations'') is a series of five books written by Cicero, around 45 BC, attempting to popularise Greek philosophy in Ancient Rome, including Stoicism. It is s ...

, De Officiis,

De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum ''De finibus bonorum et malorum'' ("On the ends of good and evil") is a Socratic dialogue by the Roman orator, politician, and Academic Skeptic philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero. It consists of three dialogues, over five books, in which Cicero ...

Epistulae ad Atticum ''Epistulae ad Atticum'' (Latin for "Letters to Atticus") is a collection of letters from Roman politician and orator Marcus Tullius Cicero to his close friend Titus Pomponius Atticus. The letters in this collection, together with Cicero's ot ...

De Natura Deorum ''De Natura Deorum'' (''On the Nature of the Gods'') is a philosophical dialogue by Roman Academic Skeptic philosopher Cicero written in 45 BC. It is laid out in three books that discuss the theological views of the Hellenistic philosophies ...

De Republica ''De re publica'' (''On the Commonwealth''; see below) is a dialogue on Roman politics by Cicero, written in six books between 54 and 51 BC. The work does not survive in a complete state, and large parts are missing. The surviving sections derive ...

, Pro Flacco''. *

Gaius 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, and ...

, ''

Commentarii de Bello Civili ''Commentarii de Bello Civili'' ''(Commentaries on the Civil War)'', or ''Bellum Civile'', is an account written by Julius Caesar of his war against Gnaeus Pompeius and the Roman Senate. It consists of three books covering the events of 49–4 ...

'' (Commentaries on the Civil War). * Titus Livius (

Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding in ...

), '' Ab Urbe Condita'' (History of Rome). * Quintus Horatius Flaccus ( Horace), '' Satirae'' (Satires). *

Marcus Velleius Paterculus Marcus Velleius Paterculus (; c. 19 BC – c. AD 31) was a Roman historian, soldier and senator. His Roman history, written in a highly rhetorical style, covered the period from the end of the Trojan War to AD 30, but is most useful for the per ...

, ''Compendium of Roman History''. *

Valerius Maximus Valerius Maximus () was a 1st-century Latin writer and author of a collection of historical anecdotes: ''Factorum ac dictorum memorabilium libri IX'' ("Nine books of memorable deeds and sayings", also known as ''De factis dictisque memorabilibus'' ...

, ''

Factorum ac Dictorum Memorabilium ''Factorum ac dictorum memorabilium libri IX'' ("nine books of memorable deeds and sayings", also known as ''De factis dictisque memorabilibus'' or ''Facta et dicta memorabilia'') by Valerius Maximus (c. 20 BC – c. AD 50) was written arou ...

'' (Memorable Facts and Sayings). * Lucius Annaeus Seneca (

Seneca the Younger Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger (; 65 AD), usually known mononymously as Seneca, was a Stoic philosopher of Ancient Rome, a statesman, dramatist, and, in one work, satirist, from the post-Augustan age of Latin literature. Seneca was born in ...

), ''

Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium The ' (Latin for "Moral Letters to Lucilius"), also known as the ''Moral Epistles'' and ''Letters from a Stoic'', is a collection of 124 letters that Seneca the Younger wrote at the end of his life, during his retirement, after he had worked for ...

'' (Moral Letters to Lucilius), ''

Naturales Quaestiones ''Naturales quaestiones'' (''Natural Questions'') is a Latin work of natural philosophy written by Seneca around 65 AD. It is not a systematic encyclopedia like the ''Naturalis Historia'' of Pliny the Elder, though with Pliny's work it represent ...

'' (Natural Questions). * Sextus Julius Frontinus, ''Strategemata'' (Stratagems). *

Publius Cornelius Tacitus Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historians by modern scholars. The surviving portions of his two major works—the ...

, ''

Annales Annals are a concise form of historical writing which record events chronologically, year by year. The equivalent word in Latin and French is ''annales'', which is used untranslated in English in various contexts. List of works with titles contai ...

''. * Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus (

Plutarch Plutarch (; grc-gre, Πλούταρχος, ''Ploútarchos''; ; – after AD 119) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for hi ...

), ''Regum et Imperatorium Apophthegmata'' (Sayings of Kings and Commanders). * Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, ''De Viris Illustribus'' (Lives of Famous Men). * Appianus Alexandrinus (

Appian Appian of Alexandria (; grc-gre, Ἀππιανὸς Ἀλεξανδρεύς ''Appianòs Alexandreús''; la, Appianus Alexandrinus; ) was a Greek historian with Roman citizenship who flourished during the reigns of Emperors of Rome Trajan, Ha ...

), ''Hispanica'' (The Spanish Wars), ''Punica'' (The Punic Wars). * Aulus Gellius, ''Noctes Atticae'' (Attic Nights). * Lucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus (

Cassius Dio Lucius Cassius Dio (), also known as Dio Cassius ( ), was a Roman historian and senator of maternal Greek origin. He published 80 volumes of the history on ancient Rome, beginning with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy. The volumes documented the ...

), ''Roman History''. *

Julius Obsequens Julius Obsequens was a Roman writer active in the 4th or early 5th centuries AD, during late antiquity. His sole known work is the ''Prodigiorum liber'' (''Book of Prodigies''), a tabulation of the wonders and portents that had occurred in the Ro ...

, ''Liber de Prodigiis'' (The Book of Prodigies). * Joannes Zonaras, ''Epitome Historiarum'' (Epitome of History). * Scholia Bobiensa (

Bobbio Scholiast The Bobbio Scholiast (commonly abbreviated ''schol. Bob.'') was an anonymous scholiast working in the 7th century at the monastery of Bobbio and known for his annotations of texts from classical antiquity. He is a unique source for some information ...

), Cicero's ''Pro Flacco''. * ''

Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology The ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'' (1849, originally published 1844 under a slightly different title) is an encyclopedia/biographical dictionary. Edited by William Smith, the dictionary spans three volumes and 3,700 ...

'', William Smith, ed., Little, Brown and Company, Boston (1849). * George Davis Chase, "The Origin of Roman Praenomina", in ''Harvard Studies in Classical Philology'', vol. VIII (1897). * T. Robert S. Broughton, ''The Magistrates of the Roman Republic'', American Philological Association (1952). * Paul A. Gallivan, "The ''Fasti'' for the Reign of Claudius", in '' Classical Quarterly'', vol. 28, pp. 407–426 (1978). * John C. Traupman, ''The New College Latin & English Dictionary'', Bantam Books, New York (1995). * D.R. Shackleton-Bailey, ''Cicero: Letters to Atticus'', vol. 4, Cambridge University Press (2004). {{DEFAULTSORT:Laelia (gens) Roman gentes

Branches and cognomina

Members

Early Laelii

Laelii Balbi

Others

See also

Footnotes

References

Bibliography