The ''lex Vatinia'' (probably passed in May or early June 59 BC) also known as the ''lex Vatinia de provincia Caesaris'' or the ''lex Vatinia de imperio Caesaris'', was legislation which gave Gaius Julius Caesar governorship of the provinces of

Cisalpine Gaul Cisalpine Gaul ( la, Gallia Cisalpina, also called ''Gallia Citerior'' or ''Gallia Togata'') was the part of Italy inhabited by Celts (Gauls) during the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. After its conquest by the Roman Republic in the 200s BC it was c ...

and Illyricum for five years. It was named after and proposed, in the

Tribal Assembly The Tribal Assembly (''comitia populi tributa'') was an assembly consisting of all Roman citizens convened by tribes (''tribus''). In the Roman Republic, citizens did not elect legislative representatives. Instead, they voted themselves on legisl ...

, by

plebeian tribune 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 ...

Publius Vatinius Publius Vatinius was a Roman politician during the last decades of the Republic. He served as a Caesarian-allied plebeian tribune in the year 59 – he was the tribune that proposed the law giving Caesar his Gallic command – and later fought on ...

. Along with the provinces, it also gave him the three legions already present there and the privilege of naming his own legates. Caesar also received

Titus Labienus Titus Labienus (c. 10017 March 45 BC) was a high-ranking military officer in the late Roman Republic. He served as tribune of the Plebs in 63 BC. Although mostly remembered as one of Julius Caesar's best lieutenants in Gaul, mentioned freq ...

as ''legatus cum imperio'' in the law; Labienus' appointment may have been, according to Syme, a sign of friendship between Pompey and Caesar. Caesar seemed to want to use the law to prepare for a war of choice against the kingdom of Dacia. However, after the unexpected death of the governor of

Transalpine Gaul Gallia Narbonensis (Latin for "Gaul of Narbonne", from its chief settlement) was a Roman province located in what is now Languedoc and Provence, in Southern France. It was also known as Provincia Nostra ("Our Province"), because it was th ...

, and at the proposal of Pompey and Piso, the senate also added to Caesar's assigned provinces the further Gaul as well, giving him another legion. According to Cicero and Suetonius, the senate's assignment was done out of fear that if they did not do so, a tribune would introduce and the people would pass further legislation assigning the province as well.

Impact

The army assigned to Caesar in Cisalpine Gaul and the provinces close to it would prove both useful in

Caesar's civil war Caesar's civil war (49–45 BC) was one of the last politico-military conflicts of the Roman Republic before its reorganization into the Roman Empire. It began as a series of political and military confrontations between Gaius Julius Caesar and ...

and, in the immediate term, for the protection of Caesar's legislative programme against repeal. The law – importantly – gave Caesar, as governor of the provinces, a chance to show his martial quality with great potential for military glory. To that end, he campaigned extensively in Germany, Britain, and Gaul; the selection of the provinces also helped in that the provincial populations were flush with Roman citizens who could be recruited for Caesar's campaigns. Caesar's position in Transalpine Gaul was annually reviewed by the senate. When the five year term expired, Caesar met with Pompey, Crassus, and others at the so-called Luca Conference where they renewed their political alliance and pushed through legislation to extend Caesar's Gallic commands in their entirety. The granting of a proconsulship in Gaul also gave Caesar legal immunity against prosecution by his political enemies and a number of armies. While Caesar did not appear to desire a war against his countrymen upon his prorogation ''pro consule'' to Gaul and Illyricum, the following

Gallic Wars The Gallic Wars were waged between 58 and 50 BC by the Roman general Julius Caesar against the peoples of Gaul (present-day France, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland). Gallic, Germanic, and British tribes fought to defend their home ...

and his subsequent personal popularity, led to a confrontation with the senate and Caesar's decision to go to war to protect his personal interests.

References

Sources * * * Roman law {{AncientRome-law-stub

Impact

See also

References