Tiberius Canutius or Cannutius was

tribune of the plebs Tribune of the plebs, tribune of the people or plebeian tribune ( la, tribunus plebis) was the first office of the Roman Republic, Roman state that was open to the plebs, plebeians, and was, throughout the history of the Republic, the most importan ...

in 44 BC, the year of

Caesar's Caesar's is a restaurant on Avenida Revolución in Tijuana, Mexico, famous as the home of the Caesar salad. Restaurateur Caesar Cardini, an Italian immigrant, opened the restaurant in 1923, and it is now under chef Javier Plascencia, leading ...

assassination. As a supporter of the senatorial party, he opposed the

triumvirs A triumvirate ( la, triumvirātus) or a triarchy is a political institution ruled or dominated by three individuals, known as triumvirs ( la, triumviri). The arrangement can be formal or informal. Though the three leaders in a triumvirate are ...

, resorting to military force during the

Perusine War The Perusine War (also Perusian or Perusinian War, or the War of Perusia) was a civil war of the Roman Republic, which lasted from 41 to 40 BC. It was fought by Lucius Antonius and Fulvia to support Mark Antony against his political enemy Octav ...

. He was captured and put to death by

Octavianus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...

in 40 BC.

Tribunate

As ''tribunus plebis'' in 44 BC, Canutius was violently opposed to

Marcus Antonius Marcus Antonius (14 January 1 August 30 BC), commonly known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general who played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic from a constitutional republic into the autoc ...

, one of Caesar's closest allies. In the aftermath of Caesar's murder, a rift developed between Antonius and Octavianus, Caesar's grandnephew. Towards the end of October, Octavianus approached the city of Rome, and Canutius went out to meet him, in order to learn his intentions. Upon Octavianus declaring against Antonius, Canutius conducted him into the city, and spoke to the people on his behalf. Shortly afterward, Octavianus went into

Etruria Etruria () was a region of Central Italy, located in an area that covered part of what are now most of Tuscany, northern Lazio, and northern and western Umbria. Etruscan Etruria The ancient people of Etruria are identified as Etruscan civiliza ...

, and Antonius returned to Rome. When the latter summoned the

senate 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 ...

to the

Capitol A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity. Specific capitols include: * United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. * Numerous ...

on November 28, in order to declare Octavianus an enemy of the state, he would not allow Canutius and two of his fellow tribunes,

Decimus Carfulenus Decimus Carfulenus, called Carsuleius by Appianus, was a Roman statesman from the time of the Civil War to the Battle of Mutina, in which he perished. Biography Carfulenus served under Caesar in the Alexandrine War, B.C. 47. Hirtius describes him ...

and Lucius Cassius Longinus, to approach the Capitol, lest they should put their veto upon the decree of the senate. After the departure of Antonius from Rome to prosecute the war against Decimus Junius Brutus in

Cisalpine Gaul Cisalpine Gaul ( la, Gallia Cisalpina, also called ''Gallia Citerior'' or ''Gallia Togata'') was the part of Italy inhabited by Celts (Gauls) during the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. After its conquest by the Roman Republic in the 200s BC it was con ...

, Canutius had full scope for indulging his hostility to Antonius, and constantly attacked him in the most furious manner, ''continua rabie lacerabat''.

Perusine War

Upon the establishment of the triumvirate in the following year, BC 43, Canutius is said by

Velleius Paterculus Marcus Velleius Paterculus (; c. 19 BC – c. AD 31) was a Roman historian, soldier and senator. His Roman history, written in a highly rhetorical style, covered the period from the end of the Trojan War to AD 30, but is most useful for the per ...

to have been included in the proscription and put to death; but this is a mistake, for he was engaged in the Perusine War, BC 40. As Octavianus had deserted the senatorial party, Canutius became one of his enemies, and accordingly he joined

Fulvia Fulvia (; c. 83 BC – 40 BC) was an aristocratic Roman woman who lived during the Late Roman Republic. Fulvia's birth into an important political dynasty facilitated her relationships and, later on, marriages to Publius Clodius Pulcher, Gai ...

and

Lucius Antonius Lucius Antonius is a combination of ''praenomen'' and family name ''( nomen)'' used by ancient Roman men from a plebeian branch of the '' gens Antonia,'' including: * Lucius Antonius (brother of Mark Antony) * Lucius Antonius (grandson of Mark Ant ...

in their attempt to crush Octavianus. Canutius fell into his enemy's hands on the capture of

Perusia The ancient Perusia, now Perugia, first appears in history as one of the 12 confederate cities of Etruria. It is first mentioned in the account of the war of 310 or 309 BC between the Etruscans and the Romans. It took, however, an important par ...

, and was put to death by his orders.

References in literature

The Gaius Canutius mentioned by

Suetonius Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (), commonly referred to as Suetonius ( ; c. AD 69 – after AD 122), was a Roman historian who wrote during the early Imperial era of the Roman Empire. His most important surviving work is a set of biographies ...

is probably the same person as Tiberius. Whether the Canutius spoken of by

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 ...

in his ''Dialogus de Oratoribus'' refers to Tiberius, or to the orator

Publius Canutius Publius Canutius or Cannutius was described by Cicero as the most eloquent orator of the senatorial order. Canutius was born in 106 B.C., the same year as Cicero. After the death of Publius Sulpicius Rufus, who was one of the most celebrated orato ...

, or a different person altogether, is quite uncertain.

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

, ''

Dialogus de Oratoribus The ''Dialogus de oratoribus'' is a short work attributed to Tacitus, in dialogue form, on the art of rhetoric. Its date of composition is unknown, though its dedication to Lucius Fabius Justus places its publication around 102 AD. Summary The ...

'', 21.

Footnotes

Ancient sources

Appian Appian of Alexandria (; grc-gre, Ἀππιανὸς Ἀλεξανδρεύς ''Appianòs Alexandreús''; la, Appianus Alexandrinus; ) was a Greek historian with Roman citizenship who flourished during the reigns of Emperors of Rome Trajan, Hadr ...

, ''Bellum Civile'', iii. 41, v. 49. *

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 Familiares'', xii. 3, 23, ''

Philippicae The ''Philippics'' ( la, Philippicae, singular Philippica) are a series of 14 speeches composed by Cicero in 44 and 43 BC, condemning Mark Antony. Cicero likened these speeches to those of Demosthenes against Philip II of Macedon; both Demo ...

'', iii. 9. {{SmithDGRBM 1st-century BC Romans Tribunes of the plebs

Tribunate

Perusine War

References in literature

See also

Footnotes

Ancient sources