Spurius Nautius Rutilus was a

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 ...

of the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kin ...

in 411 and a

consular tribune A consular tribune was putatively a type of magistrate in the early Roman Republic. According to Roman tradition, colleges of consular tribunes held office throughout the fifth and fourth centuries BC during the so-called "Conflict of the Or ...

in 419, 416 and 404 BC. Nautius belonged to the

Nautia gens The gens Nautia was an old patrician family at ancient Rome. The first of the gens to obtain the consulship was Spurius Nautius Rutilus in 488 BC, and from then until the Samnite Wars the Nautii regularly filled the highest offices of the Roman R ...

, an old but rather small

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 ...

family. Nautius was the son of a Spurius Nautius Rutilus, the consular tribune in 424 BC and probably the forefather of later Nautia such as Spurius Nautius Rutilus, consul in 316 BC.

Career

Nautius first held the ''

imperium In ancient Rome, ''imperium'' was a form of authority held by a citizen to control a military or governmental entity. It is distinct from ''auctoritas'' and ''potestas'', different and generally inferior types of power in the Roman Republic an ...

'' in 419 BC as one of four consular tribunes. His colleagues in the office were

Agrippa Menenius Lanatus Agrippa Menenius Lanatus (died 493 BC) was a consul of the Roman Republic in 503 BC, with Publius Postumius Tubertus. He was victorious over the Sabines and was awarded a triumph which he celebrated on 4 April, 503 BC. According to Livy, he als ...

, Publius Lucretius Tricipitinus and

Gaius Servilius Axilla Gaius Servilius Axilla (or Servilius Structus; 427–417 BC) was a Roman aristocrat and statesman during the early Republic. He held the senior executive offices of consul in 427 BC and consular tribune in 419, 418 and 417 BC. He also served as ...

. In this year, there was a conspiracy among the slaves of the city to revolt and take the Capitoline hill, but it was revealed to the senate and tribunes by two slaves who were accomplices in the plot. The ringleaders of the conspiracy were crucified and as a reward for their loyal service, the two slaves who had divulged the plot were given their freedom as well as a considerable sum of money.

Chronograph of 354 The ''Chronograph of 354'' (or "Chronography"), also known as the ''Calendar of 354'', is a compilation of chronological and calendrical texts produced in 354 AD for a wealthy Roman Christian named Valentinus by the calligrapher and illustrator ...

(Lanato et Rufillo) Nautius was elected for a second term as consular tribune in 416 BC together with Aulus Sempronius Atratinus,

Marcus Papirius Mugillanus Marcus Papirius Mugillanus was a consular tribune in 418 and 416 BC, and perhaps consul of the Roman Republic in 411. Papirius belonged to the Papiria gens, one of the oldest patrician families. The family had, according to legend, been among t ...

and Quintus Fabius Vibulanus. The year saw the proposal of a new

agrarian law Agrarian laws (from the Latin ''ager'', meaning "land") were laws among the Romans regulating the division of the public lands, or ''ager publicus''. In its broader definition, it can also refer to the agricultural laws relating to peasants and hu ...

by the tribunes of the plebs, Spurius Maecilius and Marcus Metilius, which was vetoed by their own colleagues. The actions of the consulars in regards to this law is unknown. In 411 BC Nautius was elected together with his former colleague Papirius to the consulship. As consuls they oversaw Rome during a period of famine and pestilence. Little is recorded of the events during this year but it was in the middle of a period of strife in Rome in regards to cries for agrarian reforms and wars against the

Aequi 300px, Location of the Aequi (Equi) in central Italy, 5th century BC. The Aequi ( grc, Αἴκουοι and Αἴκοι) were an Italic tribe on a stretch of the Apennine Mountains to the east of Latium in central Italy who appear in the early his ...

and the

Volsci The Volsci (, , ) were an Italic tribe, well known in the history of the first century of the Roman Republic. At the time they inhabited the partly hilly, partly marshy district of the south of Latium, bounded by the Aurunci and Samnites on the ...

ans. Nautius would be elected for a third and final term as consular tribune in 404 BC. His colleagues were

Gaius Valerius Potitus Volusus Gaius Valerius Potitus Volusus was a consul in 410 BC and consular tribune in 415, 407 and 404 BC of the Roman Republic. Valerius belonged to the Valeria gens, one of the oldest and possibly the most influential and powerful patrician gens of t ...

Manius Sergius Fidenas Manius Sergius Fidenas was a consular tribune of the Roman Republic in 404 and 402 BC. Sergius belonged to the Sergia gens, a young patrician gentes of the Republic which had first risen to become ''consulares'' with Lucius Sergius Fidenas in 43 ...

Publius Cornelius Maluginensis Publius may refer to: Roman name * Publius (praenomen) * Ancient Romans with the name: ** Publius Valerius Publicola (died 503 BC), Roman consul, co-founder of the Republic **Publius Clodius Pulcher (c. 93 BC – 52 BC), Republican politician * ...

Gnaeus Cornelius Cossus Gnaeus, also spelled Cnaeus, was a Roman praenomen derived from the Latin ''naevus'', a birthmark. It was a common name borne by many individuals throughout Roman history, including: Individuals *Gnaeus Acerronius Proculus, a consul of the Roman ...

and

Caeso Fabius Ambustus Caeso Fabius Ambustus was a four-time consular tribune of the Roman Republic around the turn of the 5th and 4th centuries BC. Caeso was quaestor in 409 BC, the first year the office was opened to the '' plebs'', and three of his colleagues were pl ...

. The year saw war with the Volscians and

Veii Veii (also Veius; it, Veio) was an important ancient Etruscan city situated on the southern limits of Etruria and north-northwest of Rome, Italy. It now lies in Isola Farnese, in the comune of Rome. Many other sites associated with and in the ...

. The Volscians were defeated and the city of

Artena Artena is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome, Italy. It is situated in the northwest of Monti Lepini, in the upper valley of the Sacco River. It is approximately southeast by rail, and direct from Rome. The economy is based ...

was captured while the

siege of Veii A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characterize ...

, which had begun the previous year, was maintained. In addition to their successful enterprises in the wars an expedition was sent to colonize

Velitrae Velletri (; la, Velitrae; xvo, Velester) is an Italian ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome, approximately 40 km to the southeast of the city centre, located in the Alban Hills, in the region of Lazio, central Italy. Neighbouring comm ...

Conflicting traditions

There exists some uncertainty if Spurius Nautius Rutilus was the consul of 411 BC or if that office should be ascribed to an otherwise unattested brother of his,

Gaius Nautius Rutilus Gaius Nautius Rutilus was consul of the Roman Republic in 475 BC and 458 BC. In his first consulship he was the senior consul, and his colleague was Publius Valerius Poplicola. Nautius was given command of Roman forces against the Volsci who had ...

. The ancient records disagree in regards to the

praenomen The ''praenomen'' (; plural: ''praenomina'') was a personal name chosen by the parents of a Roman child. It was first bestowed on the ''dies lustricus'' (day of lustration), the eighth day after the birth of a girl, or the ninth day after the bi ...

of the consul with

Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Ancient Rome, Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditiona ...

and

Cassiodorus Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Senator (c. 485 – c. 585), commonly known as Cassiodorus (), was a Roman statesman, renowned scholar of antiquity, and writer serving in the administration of Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths. ''Senator'' w ...

having him named Gaius while

Diodorus Siculus Diodorus Siculus, or Diodorus of Sicily ( grc-gre, Διόδωρος ; 1st century BC), was an ancient Greek historian. He is known for writing the monumental universal history ''Bibliotheca historica'', in forty books, fifteen of which su ...

has him named Spurius. The name of the consular tribune is attested as Spurius as shown in the ''

Fasti Capitolini The ''Fasti Capitolini'', or Capitoline Fasti, are a list of the chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, extending from the early fifth century BC down to the reign of Augustus, the first Roman emperor. Together with similar lists found at Rom ...

'' and the works of Livy and Diodorus. The Fasti is not preserved for the year 411 BC and other sources does not specify a praenomen. Following this the classicist Broughton identifies the consul of 411 as the same individual as the consular tribune of 419 BC.Broughton, vol i, pp.76-77 (note.1 pp.77)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nautius Rutilus, Spurius (consul 343 AUC) 5th-century BC Romans Rutilus, Spurius (consul 343 AUC) Roman consular tribunes Roman Republic

Career

Conflicting traditions

See also

References