Gaius Julius Iulus (consul 482 BC)
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Gaius Julius Iullus ( 482–451 BC) was a Roman statesman, who held the
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 ...
ship in 482 BC. After a contentious election, he was chosen to represent the more moderate faction in Roman politics, while his colleague, Quintus Fabius Vibulanus, was elected by the aristocratic party. Both consuls led a Roman army against
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 ...
, but withdrew when the Veientes refused to confront them. Thirty years later, in 451, Julius was chosen a member of the first
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 ...
, alongside several other ex-consuls and other respected statesmen. Julius proved himself a man of good judgment and integrity, and helped to draw up the first ten tables of Roman law.''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', vol. II, p. 656.


Family

As his
filiation Filiation is the legal term for the recognized legal status of the relationship between family members, or more specifically the legal relationship between parent and child. As described by the Government of Quebec: Filiation is the relationship ...
reveals, Julius was the son of Gaius and grandson of Lucius. His father is generally supposed to have been the same Gaius Julius Iullus who was consul in 489 BC. Although only seven years elapsed between the two consulships, this would be perfectly reasonable, if the father had been an older man when he achieved the magistracy, and the son attained it while relatively young. Julius also had a brother, Vopiscus, who held the consulship in 473 BC. Julius' son and namesake was consul in 447.Broughton, vol. I, pp. 23, 29.


Consul

The consular elections for BC 482 were fraught with dissension between the aristocratic and popular parties. The aristocratic candidate was Appius Claudius, who was firmly opposed by the popular faction, which preferred older candidates whose even-handedness toward the plebeians had already been proven.Dionysius, viii. 90. The
tribunes of the plebs 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 ...
willingly used their veto power to prevent the comitia from meeting to elect Claudius, and there was talk of appointing a dictator, but more moderate voices prevailed, and Aulus Sempronius Atratinus was appointed
interrex The interrex (plural interreges) was literally a ruler "between kings" (Latin ''inter reges'') during the Roman Kingdom and the Roman Republic. He was in effect a short-term regent. History The office of ''interrex'' was supposedly created follow ...
instead. He was followed by
Spurius Larcius Spurius Larcius (surnamed Flavus or Rufus; 509–482 BC) was one of the leading men of the early Roman Republic, of which he was twice consul. However, his greatest fame was won as one of the defenders of the Sublician bridge against the army ...
, who presided over the election of Gaius Julius Iullus, representing the popular party, and Quintus Fabius Vibulanus for the aristocrats. Fabius had been consul three years earlier, and was acceptable to the plebeians, particularly compared with Claudius.Livy, ii. 43. During their year of office,
Latium Latium ( , ; ) is the region of central western Italy in which the city of Rome was founded and grew to be the capital city of the Roman Empire. Definition Latium was originally a small triangle of fertile, volcanic soil (Old Latium) on whi ...
was raided by 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 Roman territory by the Veientes. 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 ...
decided to ignore the threat from the Aequi in order to confront Veii, but the Veientes protested their innocence; and while Rome's attention was on Veii, a large Aequian force stormed and plundered the
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
town of
Ortona Ortona (Neapolitan language, Abruzzese: '; grc, Ὄρτων, Órtōn) is a coastal town and municipality of the Province of Chieti in the Italy, Italian region of Abruzzo, with some 23,000 inhabitants. In 1943 Ortona was the site of a Battle o ...
. As the Roman ambassadors returned from Veii, they encountered a Veientine force returning from a raid in Roman territory, prompting the senate to declare war.Dionysius, viii. 91. The question of war with Veii once again threatened the fragile peace between the orders at Rome, as the plebeians were still awaiting an allotment of land they had been promised four years earlier, and there was worry that the other
Etruscan __NOTOC__ Etruscan may refer to: Ancient civilization *The Etruscan language, an extinct language in ancient Italy *Something derived from or related to the Etruscan civilization **Etruscan architecture **Etruscan art **Etruscan cities ** Etrusca ...
cities would rally to Veii's aid, igniting a larger war. But the aristocratic party prevailed, and sent both consuls at the head of an army to confront the Veientes. The enemy, however, remained secure within Veii's impenetrable walls, and eventually the consular army was forced to withdraw, ravaging the Veientine territory as they went. The year closed without any other noteworthy events.


Decemvir

Thirty years after Julius' consulship, a committee of ten distinguished statesmen was selected to draw up a body of laws based on Roman tradition and Greek models. Julius was among the sitting senators chosen to serve as decemvir, alongside several other ex-consuls, and the consul-elect, Appius Claudius. Taking office in 451, the decemvirs assembled the first Ten Tables, to the unanimous approval of the Roman people.Dionysius, x. 55–58. Despite the considerable power that they held, the decemvirs demonstrated their mildness and willingness to work together for the public good. Never was this better exemplified than when a heinous crime was revealed to Julius. A corpse was found buried in the house of Publius Sestius. Although Sestius' guilt appeared obvious, and Julius would have been entitled to pass judgment upon the man, he instead ordered that Sestius be brought to trial, and Julius himself assumed the burden of the prosecution. The decemvirs stepped down at the end of their year of office, and were replaced by a second decemvirate, of whom only Claudius remained from the first; his true intentions toward the people soon became evident, as he dominated his colleagues and drew up two more tables of law that were deeply unfavourable to the plebeians. When they continued in office the following year without bothering to stand for re-election, the people rose against the decemvirs, and withdrew to the
Aventine Hill The Aventine Hill (; la, Collis Aventinus; it, Aventino ) is one of the Seven Hills on which ancient Rome was built. It belongs to Ripa, the modern twelfth ''rione'', or ward, of Rome. Location and boundaries The Aventine Hill is the sou ...
, the site of the plebeian secession in 494, which had led to the establishment of the plebeian tribunes. Julius was one of three envoys dispatched by the senate to negotiate with the plebeians. The decemvirs were soon overthrown, and the consular government restored.Diodorus, xii. 24, 25.


See also

*
Julia gens The gens Julia (''gēns Iūlia'', ) was one of the most prominent patrician (ancient Rome), patrician families in ancient Rome. Members of the gens attained the highest dignities of the state in the earliest times of the Roman Republic, Republic ...


Footnotes


References


Bibliography

* Titus Livius (
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 ...
), ''
Ab Urbe Condita ''Ab urbe condita'' ( 'from the founding of the City'), or ''anno urbis conditae'' (; 'in the year since the city's founding'), abbreviated as AUC or AVC, expresses a date in years since 753 BC, the traditional founding of Rome. It is an exp ...
'' (History of Rome). *
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 ...
, ''
De Republica ''De re publica'' (''On the Commonwealth''; see below) is a dialogue on Roman politics by Cicero, written in six books between 54 and 51 BC. The work does not survive in a complete state, and large parts are missing. The surviving sections derive ...
''. *
Dionysius of Halicarnassus Dionysius of Halicarnassus ( grc, Διονύσιος Ἀλεξάνδρου Ἁλικαρνασσεύς, ; – after 7 BC) was a Greek historian and teacher of rhetoric, who flourished during the reign of Emperor Augustus. His literary sty ...
, ''Romaike Archaiologia''. *
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 ...
, ''
Bibliotheca Historica ''Bibliotheca historica'' ( grc, Βιβλιοθήκη Ἱστορική, ) is a work of universal history by Diodorus Siculus. It consisted of forty books, which were divided into three sections. The first six books are geographical in theme, ...
'' (Library of History). *
Quintus Asconius Pedianus Quintus Asconius Pedianus (BC 9 - AD 76) was a Roman historian. There is no evidence that Asconius engaged in a public career, but he was familiar both with Roman government of his time and with the geography of the city. He may, therefore, have w ...
, ''Orationum Ciceronis pro Cornelio de Maiestate'', ed. A. C. Clark (1907). * ''
Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology The ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'' (1849, originally published 1844 under a slightly different title) is an encyclopedia/biographical dictionary. Edited by William Smith, the dictionary spans three volumes and 3,700 p ...
'', William Smith, ed., Little, Brown and Company, Boston (1849). * T. Robert S. Broughton, ''The Magistrates of the Roman Republic'', American Philological Association (1952). {{DEFAULTSORT:Julius Iullus, Gaius 272 5th-century BC Roman consuls Gaius 272