Lucius Arruntius was a Roman admiral. He saw action during the War with
Sextus Pompeius, and the war of
Mark Antony and Octavian (later named
Augustus). He is most notable for his participation during the
Battle of Actium, where he was in command of victorious Augustus' central division. He was also instrumental in convincing Octavian to pardon
Gaius Sosius
Gaius Sosius ( 39–17 BC) was a Roman general and politician who featured in the wars of the late Republic as a staunch supporter of Mark Antony. Under the latter's patronage he held important state offices and military commands, serving a ...
, one of Mark Antony's generals, after his capture. Arruntius was consul in 22 BC as the colleague of
Marcus Claudius Marcellus Aeserninus
Marcus Claudius Marcellus Aeserninus is a name used by several men of the ''gens Claudia'', including:
*Marcus Claudius Marcellus Aeserninus is mentioned by Cicero as a young man at the trial of Verres (70 BC), on which occasion he appeared as a ...
.
Life
Arruntius came of an opulent family at the Volscian city of
Atina. His wealth made him a target in the proscriptions of the
Second Triumvirate
The Second Triumvirate was an extraordinary commission and magistracy created for Mark Antony, Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, and Octavian to give them practically absolute power. It was formally constituted by law on 27 November 43 BC with a ...
, which he evaded by arming his ''
clientes'' and slaves then fighting his way to the Italian coast, from whence he sailed to join the forces of Sextus Pompeius. At some point after the
Pact of Misenum was concluded in 39 BC, Arruntius was one of several Pompeians who switched sides and became a supporter of Octavian.
Martha Hoffman Lewis included Arruntius among those elevated to patrician status in 29 BC. He attended the
Ludi Saeculares in 17 BC according to an inscription as a ''
quindecimviri sacris faciundis''. According to Gaius Stern, he appears on the Ara Pacis within the
college of the ''quindecimviri sacris faciundis''.
A Lucius Arruntius is also mentioned in
Seneca's ''
Epistulae morales ad Lucilium'' as an imitator of
Sallustius' literary style and as the author of a historical work on the
Punic War.
[''Epistulae morales'', 114.17] This could either be the Arruntius mentioned above or his son.
Family
He had a son,
Lucius Arruntius
Lucius Arruntius was a Roman admiral. He saw action during the War with Sextus Pompeius, and the war of Mark Antony and Octavian (later named Augustus). He is most notable for his participation during the Battle of Actium, where he was in command ...
, consul AD 6, who played a prominent role in the Senate after Augustus died.
Sources
* Hoyos, B. (1989). A Forgotten Roman Historian: L. Arruntius and the ‘True’ Causes of the First Punic War. Antichthon, 23, 51–66. doi:10.1017/S0066477400003683
* Martha Hoffman Lewis, ''The Official Priests of Rome under the Julio-Claudians. A Study of the Nobility from 44 B.C. to 68 A.D.'', Rome 1955.
* Gaius Stern, ''Women Children and Senators on the Ara Pacis Augustae'', University of California Berkeley dissertation 2006.
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arruntius, Lucius (consul 732 AUC)
1st-century BC Romans
Ancient Roman admirals
Lucius (consul 732 AUC)
Arruntius, Lucius (732 AUC)
Year of birth uncertain
1st-century BC Roman consuls