Marcus Claudius Marcellus was a Roman politician who was elected
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 throug ...
in 51 BC.
Marcellus was elected curule
aedile
''Aedile'' ( ; la, aedīlis , from , "temple edifice") was an elected office of the Roman Republic. Based in Rome, the aediles were responsible for maintenance of public buildings () and regulation of public festivals. They also had powers to enf ...
in 56 BC. In 52 BC he was elected
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 throug ...
, together with
Servius Sulpicius Rufus
Servius Sulpicius Rufus (c. 105 BC – 43 BC), was a Roman orator and jurist. He was consul in 51 BC.
Biography Early life
He studied rhetoric with Cicero, accompanying him to Rhodes in 78 BC, though Sulpicius decided subsequently to pursue lega ...
, for the following year. During his consulship Marcellus proved himself to be a zealous partisan 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 ...
and the ''
optimates
Optimates (; Latin for "best ones", ) and populares (; Latin for "supporters of the people", ) are labels applied to politicians, political groups, traditions, strategies, or ideologies in the late Roman Republic. There is "heated academic dis ...
'', and urged the Senate to extreme measures against
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 ...
, managing to establish that the subject of recalling Caesar should be discussed on 1 March of the following year. He also considered the ''
lex Vatinia
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 Ci ...
'' invalid, removing Roman citizenship from citizens of
Comum, and caused a senator of Comum, who happened to be in Rome, to be
scourged
A scourge is a whip or lash, especially a multi-thong type, used to inflict severe corporal punishment or self-mortification. It is usually made of leather.
Etymology
The word is most commonly considered to be derived from Old French ''escorg ...
, a punishment Roman citizens were exempted from under the
Lex Porcia.
[Hardy, Ernest G. (1924). ''Some Problems in Roman History'': 143-4.]
Upon the start of 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 ...
, Marcellus fled Rome with the ''optimates'' and joined the Republican army in
Epirus
sq, Epiri rup, Epiru
, native_name_lang =
, settlement_type = Historical region
, image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg
, map_alt =
, map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinrich ...
. After the
Battle of Pharsalus
The Battle of Pharsalus was the decisive battle of Caesar's Civil War fought on 9 August 48 BC near Pharsalus in central Greece. Julius Caesar and his allies formed up opposite the army of the Roman Republic under the command of Pompey. P ...
, Marcellus abandoned opposition to Caesar, and withdrew in an honorable exile to
Mytilene
Mytilene (; el, Μυτιλήνη, Mytilíni ; tr, Midilli) is the capital of the Greek island of Lesbos, and its port. It is also the capital and administrative center of the North Aegean Region, and hosts the headquarters of the University of ...
, where he was left unmolested by Caesar. His cousin
Gaius Claudius Marcellus petitioned the dictator for clemency, as did Cicero in his ''
Pro Marcello
''Pro Marcello'' is a speech by Marcus Tullius Cicero. It is Latin for ''On behalf of Marcellus''.
Background
Marcus Claudius Marcellus was descended from an illustrious Roman family, and had been Consul with Servius Sulpicius Rufus, in which offi ...
''. This was granted near the close of 46 BC, though Marcellus did not start out for Rome until the middle of 45 BC.
[Abbott, Frank F. (1909). ''Commentary on Selected Letters of Cicero'']
4.12
/ref> En route near Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
he was murdered by one of his own attendants, P. Magius Chilo, an event that some attributed to Caesar, but Cicero suggested was almost certainly caused by a dispute between Magius and Marcellus.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 estab ...
, ''Epistulae ad Atticum'
13.10.
/ref>
Marcellus was the son of another Marcus Claudius Marcellus
Marcus Claudius Marcellus (; 270 – 208 BC), five times elected as consul of the Roman Republic, was an important Roman military leader during the Gallic War of 225 BC and the Second Punic War. Marcellus gained the most prestigious award a Roma ...
, ''aedile curulis'' in 91 BC; the brother of Gaius Claudius Marcellus Maior
Gaius Claudius Marcellus (before 91 BC – c. 48 BC) was a Consul of the Roman Republic in 49 BC.
Family and political career
The Claudii Marcelli were a plebeian family, members of the ''nobiles'' with a long history of consulships throughout ...
, consul in 49 BC and the cousin of Gaius Claudius Marcellus Minor
Gaius Claudius Marcellus (88 BC – May 40 BC) was a Roman Senate, Roman senator who served as Roman consul, Consul in 50 BC. He was a friend to Roman senator Cicero and an early opponent of Julius Caesar.
He was also noteworthy for marrying ...
, consul in 50 BC.
References
Further reading
* Hardy, Ernest G. (1924) ''Some Problems in Roman History''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Claudius Marcellus, Marcus (consul 703 AC)
45 BC deaths
1st-century BC Roman consuls
Marcus (consul 703 AC)
Correspondents of Cicero
Optimates