Marcus Aquilius Regulus was a

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

, and notorious ''

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 ...

'' or informer who was active during the reigns of

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 un ...

and

Domitian Domitian (; la, Domitianus; 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was a Roman emperor who reigned from 81 to 96. The son of Vespasian and the younger brother of Titus, his two predecessors on the throne, he was the last member of the Flavi ...

. Regulus is one of the best known examples of this occupation, in the words of Steven Rutledge, due to "the vivid portrait we have of his life and career in

Pliny Pliny may refer to: People * Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE), ancient Roman nobleman, scientist, historian, and author of ''Naturalis Historia'' (''Pliny's Natural History'') * Pliny the Younger (died 113), ancient Roman statesman, orator, w ...

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

, and

Martial Marcus Valerius Martialis (known in English as Martial ; March, between 38 and 41 AD – between 102 and 104 AD) was a Roman poet from Hispania (modern Spain) best known for his twelve books of ''Epigrams'', published in Rome between AD 86 and ...

." Despite this negative reputation, Regulus was considered one of the three finest

orator An orator, or oratist, is a public speaker, especially one who is eloquent or skilled. Etymology Recorded in English c. 1374, with a meaning of "one who pleads or argues for a cause", from Anglo-French ''oratour'', Old French ''orateur'' (14th ...

s of Roman times. Rutledge points to the judgment of

Martianus Capella Martianus Minneus Felix Capella (fl. c. 410–420) was a jurist, polymath and Latin prose writer of late antiquity, one of the earliest developers of the system of the seven liberal arts that structured early medieval education. He was a nati ...

, who ranked him with Pliny the Younger and Fronto as the greatest Roman orators after

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 estab ...

. However, none of his speeches have survived from ancient times. According to Tacitus, his father was exiled under Nero and his wealth divided amongst his creditors, but does not name him.Tacitus, '' Histories''
IV.42
/ref> Paul von Rohden suggests his father might be identified with Lucius Aquillius L.f. Regulus, the pontifex and

quaestor A ( , , ; "investigator") was a public official in Ancient Rome. There were various types of quaestors, with the title used to describe greatly different offices at different times. In the Roman Republic, quaestors were elected officials who ...

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 ...

mentioned in . Tacitus also identifies Lucius Vipstanus Messalla as his half-brother, and it is generally assumed they shared the same mother; she has not been identified.

Life

His period of greatest notoriety was during the reign of Nero, when Regulus prosecuted

Marcus Licinius Crassus Frugi Marcus Licinius Crassus Frugi (flourished 1st century AD) was a Roman nobleman of consular rank who lived during the Roman Empire. Frugi's mother was an unnamed Roman woman, while his father was consul and governor Marcus Licinius Crassus Frugi. ...

Servius Cornelius Scipio Salvidienus Orfitus Servius Cornelius Scipio Salvidienus Orfitus was the name of several Roman men who lived during the early Roman Empire. They were descendants of Orfitus who was adopted by Servius Cornelius Scipio, an otherwise unknown member of the patrician bra ...

, and was involved in the cases of

Quintus Sulpicius Camerinus Peticus Quintus Sulpicius Camerinus Peticus (died 67) was a Roman senator during the reign of Nero. Life Camerinus served as suffect consul in 46 with Marcus Junius Silanus as his colleague, and as proconsul of Africa from 56 to 57. Camerinus was a me ...

and his son. Pliny claims he was as active in the reign of Domitian as he was during the reign of Nero, but we know very little about his activities during the later period. Following the conclusion of the

Year of Four Emperors A year or annus is the orbital period of a planetary body, for example, the Earth, moving in its orbit around the Sun. Due to the Earth's axial tilt, the course of a year sees the passing of the seasons, marked by change in weather, the hour ...

, Regulus was prosecuted by

Curtius Montanus Curtius may refer to: People * Curtia gens, the clan to which the Curtii family belonged ** Marcus Curtius, a noble of early Rome who rode his horse into the Lacus Curtius, which was then named after him ** Quintus Curtius Rufus, 1st century CE hi ...

for his activities as a ''delator''; during this trial he was ably defended by his half brother Vipstanus Messalla, and despite the appearance of Crassus Frugi's wife

Sulpicia Praetextata Sulpicia Praetextata () was an ancient Roman noblewoman who lived in the Roman Empire in the 1st century. Family background Praetextata was a member of the gens Sulpicia. She was the daughter of Quintus Sulpicius Camerinus Peticus, suffect consul ...

with their young children before the Senate, Regulus evaded punishment. Regulus found favor under

Vespasian Vespasian (; la, Vespasianus ; 17 November AD 9 – 23/24 June 79) was a Roman emperor who reigned from AD 69 to 79. The fourth and last emperor who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty that ruled the Empi ...

, and scholars argue over whether Regulus was awarded a suffect consulate in 84 or 85. While

Ronald Syme Sir Ronald Syme, (11 March 1903 – 4 September 1989) was a New Zealand-born historian and classicist. He was regarded as the greatest historian of ancient Rome since Theodor Mommsen and the most brilliant exponent of the history of the Roman ...

argues for the honor, Rutledge is less certain that he achieved this office.Rutledge, ''Imperial Inquisitions'', p. 194 According to Pliny, Regulus was in fear of his life following the assassination of Domitian. In one of his letters, Pliny describes how the man was intent on achieving a rapprochement with Pliny before Junius Mauricus could return from exile and possibly extract some revenge on Regulus for his relegation. Pliny was clearly hostile towards Regulus, for in another letter he recounts how Regulus indulged in legacy hunting, and presents an unsympathetic portrait of Regulus' mourning over the early death of his only son. Rutledge dates Regulus' death as "sometime before 106."Rutledge, ''Imperial Inquisitions'', p. 198

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aquilius Regulus, Marcus 1st-century Romans Senators of the Roman Empire Regulus, Marcus Aquilius Ancient Roman delatores