Quintus Poppaedius Silo (sometimes seen as ''Pompaedius'') (died 88 BC) was a leader of the Italian tribe of the

Marsi The Marsi were an Italic people of ancient Italy, whose chief centre was Marruvium, on the eastern shore of Lake Fucinus (which was drained for agricultural land in the late 19th century). The area in which they lived is now called Marsica. ...

and one of the leaders of the Italian rebels during the Social War against

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. Poppaedius was called the 'heart and soul' of the rebellion. He was a friend of Marcus Livius Drusus the Younger. A story told by

Plutarch Plutarch (; grc-gre, Πλούταρχος, ''Ploútarchos''; ; – after AD 119) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for his ''P ...

tells of Silo making a visit to his friend Marcus Livius and meeting the children of the house. In a playful mood he asked the children's support for his cause. All of them nodded and smiled except

Cato the Younger Marcus Porcius Cato "Uticensis" ("of Utica"; ; 95 BC – April 46 BC), also known as Cato the Younger ( la, Cato Minor), was an influential conservative Roman senator during the late Republic. His conservative principles were focused on the pr ...

, who stared at the guest with most suspicious looks. Silo demanded an answer from him and seeing no response took Cato and hung him by the feet out of the window. Even then, Cato would not say anything. In 91 BC, Poppaedius led 10,000 Marsi in a march on Rome to support Drusus' pro-Italian legislation. They were met by Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus, the Pontifex Maximus, who persuaded them to go back. After Drusus's murder, the Social War started and Silo became the military leader of the Marsi. At the start of the War, twelve Italian tribes formed ''Italia'', their own state in Italy (as an alternative to the Roman Republic), and Silo was elected one of two Italian

consuls A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...

. As 'consul' Silo was given command of the Marsic group (Marsi,

Paeligni The Paeligni or Peligni were an Italic tribe who lived in the Valle Peligna, in what is now Abruzzo, central Italy. History The Paeligni are first mentioned as a member of a confederacy that included the Marsi, Marrucini, and Vestini, with which ...

Vestini () were an Italic tribe who occupied the area of the modern Abruzzo (central Italy), included between the Gran Sasso and the northern bank of the Aterno river. Their main centres were ''Pitinum ''(near modern L'Aquila), ''Aufinum ''(Ofena), ''Pe ...

Marrucini The Marrucini were an Italic tribe that occupied a small strip of territory around the ancient ''Teate'' (modern Chieti), on the east coast of Abruzzo, Italy, limited by the Aterno and Foro Rivers. Other Marrucinian centers included ''Ceio'' (Sa ...

Picentes The name Picentes or Picentini refers to the population of Picenum, on the northern Adriatic coastal plain of ancient Italy. Their endonym, if any, is not known for certain. There is linguistic evidence that the Picentini comprised two different ...

Frentani The Frentani were an Italic tribe occupying the tract on the southeast coast of the Italian peninsula from the Apennines to the Adriatic, and from the frontiers of Apulia to those of the Marrucini. They were bounded on the west by the Samnites, wi ...

), whereas his consular colleague

Gaius Papius Mutilus Gaius Papius Mutilus was a Samnite noble who is best known for being the leader of the southern rebels who fought against the army of Rome in the Social War of 91-88 BC (also known as the Italic War); was member of the clan Variani/Varriano.Horn ...

was given command of the Samnite group. During the second year of the war (90 BC) he tricked and ambushed the Roman

praetor Praetor ( , ), also pretor, was the title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to a man acting in one of two official capacities: (i) the commander of an army, and (ii) as an elected '' magistratus'' (magistrate), assigned to discharge vario ...

Quintus Servilius Caepio and slaughtered his army. Poppaedius is said to have killed Caepio himself, as Poppaedius held Caepio responsible for the murder of his friend Drusus. He then went after Caepio's co-commander

Gaius Marius Gaius Marius (; – 13 January 86 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. Victor of the Cimbric and Jugurthine wars, he held the office of consul an unprecedented seven times during his career. He was also noted for his important refor ...

, Rome's most experienced general, but was unable to force a decisive engagement. This led Poppaedius to challenge Marius: 'So if you are such a great general, Marius, why not come down rom your fortificationsand fight it out?' To this Marius retorted 'Well, if you think you are any good a general, why don't you try to make me?' During 89 BC the fortunes of war turned against the Italian rebels. Poppaedius, now fighting in

Samnium Samnium ( it, Sannio) is a Latin exonym for a region of Southern Italy anciently inhabited by the Samnites. Their own endonyms were ''Safinim'' for the country (attested in one inscription and one coin legend) and ''Safineis'' for the The lan ...

, recaptured the Samnite capital Bovianum which had been taken by

Lucius Cornelius Sulla Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (; 138–78 BC), commonly known as Sulla, was a Roman general and statesman. He won the first large-scale civil war in Roman history and became the first man of the Republic to seize power through force. Sulla ha ...

.Philip Matyszak, ''Cataclysm 90 BC'', p. 108. After Bovianum he tried to eject the Romans from Apulia but he was killed in battle by Drusus's brother,

Mamercus Aemilius Lepidus Livianus Mamercus Aemilius Lepidus Livianus (died c. 62 BC) was a Roman politician and military commander who was consul in 77 BC. Biography Livianus was a well connected and influential figure in Late Republican politics. A member of the aristocratic par ...

.Thomas Broughton, ''The Magistrates of the Roman Republic'', vol II, p. 42; Philip Matyszak, ''Cataclysm 90 BC'', p. 108.

Fiction

Silo appears as a supporting character in the first two novels of

Colleen McCullough Colleen Margaretta McCullough (; married name Robinson, previously Ion-Robinson; 1 June 193729 January 2015) was an Australian author known for her novels, her most well-known being ''The Thorn Birds'' and ''The Ladies of Missalonghi''. Life ...

's ''Masters of Rome'' series;

The First Man in Rome ''The First Man in Rome'' is a 1990 historical novel by Australian author Colleen McCullough, and the first in her ''Masters of Rome'' series. The cast includes most of the major historical figures of the late Roman Republic, including Gaius Ma ...

and

The Grass Crown ''The Grass Crown'' is the second historical novel in Colleen McCullough's ''Masters of Rome'' series, published in 1991. The novel opens shortly after the action of ''The First Man in Rome''. Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla eat dinner ...

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Poppaedius Silo, Quintus 1st-century BC rulers Roman-era inhabitants of Italy Italic people Military personnel killed in action Year of birth unknown 88 BC deaths Marsi