Marcus Horatius Turrinus Barbatus ( 450–449 BC) was a Roman senator from the early

Republic A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

, who served as consul in 449 BC alongside

Lucius Valerius Poplicola Potitus Lucius Valerius Poplicola Potitus ( 450–449 BC) was a patrician who, together with Marcus Horatius Barbatus, opposed the second decemvirate in 449 BC when that body showed despotic tendencies. In honor of their efforts, the pair were elected c ...

. According to Roman historical tradition, he and Valerius played an important role in ending the

Decemvirate The decemviri or decemvirs (Latin for "ten men") were some of the several 10-man commissions established by the Roman Republic. The most important were those of the two Decemvirates, formally the " decemvirate with consular power for writing ...

and bringing harmony between the

patrician Patrician may refer to: * Patrician (ancient Rome), the original aristocratic families of ancient Rome, and a synonym for "aristocratic" in modern English usage * Patrician (post-Roman Europe), the governing elites of cities in parts of medieval ...

and

plebeian In ancient Rome, the plebeians (also called plebs) were the general body of free Roman citizens who were not patricians, as determined by the census, or in other words " commoners". Both classes were hereditary. Etymology The precise origins of ...

orders. To the two consuls are traditionally attributed the

Valerio-Horatian Laws The Valerio-Horatian laws ( la, leges Valeriae Horatiae) were three laws which were passed by the consuls of Rome for 449 BC, Lucius Valerius Poplicola Potitus and Marcus Horatius Barbatus. They restored the right of appeal to the people and introd ...

, which gave full force of law to measures passed by plebiscite, restored the right of any citizen to appeal to the people, and confirmed the sacrosanctity of

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 of ...

s. The historicity of these laws has been doubted. During his consulship, Horatius also held a command against the

Sabines The Sabines (; lat, Sabini; it, Sabini, all exonyms) were an Italic people who lived in the central Apennine Mountains of the ancient Italian Peninsula, also inhabiting Latium north of the Anio before the founding of Rome. The Sabines divid ...

, and celebrated a

triumph The Roman triumph (Latin triumphus) was a celebration for a victorious military commander in ancient Rome. For later imitations, in life or in art, see Trionfo. Numerous later uses of the term, up to the present, are derived directly or indirectl ...

, against the wishes of the Senate but supported by popular vote. The pairing of Valerius and Horatius has raised doubts about their authenticity due to the similarity with the pair

Publius Valerius Poplicola Publius Valerius Poplicola or Publicola (died 503 BC) was one of four Roman aristocrats who led the Overthrow of the Roman monarchy, overthrow of the monarchy, and became a Roman consul, the Collegiality#Collegiality in the Roman Republic, collea ...

and

Marcus Horatius Pulvillus Marcus Horatius Pulvillus was an aristocrat before and during the early Roman Republic at the time of the overthrow of the Roman monarchy. He was a suffect consul in 509 BC and elected again in 507 BC, according to the Varronian chronology. Bio ...

in 509 and 507 BC, but Ogilvie accepts the historicity of Horatius Barbatus himself.

Endnotes

References

* * * * * ''

Oxford Classical Dictionary The ''Oxford Classical Dictionary'' (''OCD'') is generally considered "the best one-volume dictionary on antiquity," an encyclopædic work in English consisting of articles relating to classical antiquity and its civilizations. It was first pub ...

'',
Valerius Poplicola Potitus, Lucius and Horatius Barbatus, Marcus
{{DEFAULTSORT:Horatius Turrinus Barbatus, Marcus 5th-century BC Roman consuls Barbatus, Marcus, Turrinus Roman triumphators