Gnaeus Papirius Carbo was

Roman consul A consul held the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic ( to 27 BC), and ancient Romans considered the consulship the second-highest level of the ''cursus honorum'' (an ascending sequence of public offices to which politic ...

in 113 BC, together with

Gaius Caecilius Metellus Caprarius Gaius Caecilius Metellus Caprarius (born c. 160 BC) was a consul of the Roman Republic in 113 BC with Gnaeus Papirius Carbo. He served under Scipio Aemilianus in Numantia around 133 BC. He was praetor in 117 BC. His proconsulship in Thrace in 112� ...

Life

He was according to

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 esta ...

(''ad Fam.'' ix. 21) the father of the Carbo of the same name, who was thrice consul, whereas this latter is called 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 ...

(II 26) a brother of

Gaius Papirius Carbo Arvina Gaius Papirius Carbo Arvina (c. 124 – 82 BC) was a Roman orator and politician. He was an opponent of the reforms championed by the tribune Marcus Livius Drusus and the orator Lucius Licinius Crassus, and held the plebeian tribunate the year ...

. This difficulty may be solved by supposing that the word ''frater'' in Velleius is equivalent to ''frater patruelis'' or cousin. (Perizon., ''Animadv. Hist.'' p. 96.) During his consulship, he was ordered by the Senate to take legions to defend the Alps from the migration of the

Cimbri The Cimbri (Greek Κίμβροι, ''Kímbroi''; Latin ''Cimbri'') were an ancient tribe in Europe. Ancient authors described them variously as a Celtic people (or Gaulish), Germanic people, or even Cimmerian. Several ancient sources indicate that ...

. There, he shadowed the Germanic tribe and ambushed them near Noreia. At the ensuing

Battle of Noreia The Battle of Noreia, in 113 BC, was the opening battle of the Cimbrian War fought between the Roman Republic and the migrating Proto-Germanic tribes, the Cimbri and the Teutons (Teutones). It ended in defeat, and near disaster, for the Romans. ...

, although Carbo held the advantage in terrain and surprise, his forces were overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of Cimbrian warriors, and disastrously defeated. The Cimbri, while smashing the Roman army, did not advance into Italy, seemingly looking for some place to settle. He was afterwards accused by Marcus Antonius for provoking and then losing the Battle of Noreia. Securing a conviction, Carbo committed suicide rather than depart for exile, taking a solution of

vitriol Vitriol is the general chemical name encompassing a class of chemical compound comprising sulfates of certain metalsoriginally, iron or copper. Those mineral substances were distinguished by their color, such as green vitriol for hydrated iron( ...

(''atramentum sutorium'', Cic., ''ad Fam.'' IX 21; Liv., ''Epit.'' 63.).

Sources

* Details a broad narrative history of history from the death of the

Gracchi brothers The Gracchi brothers were two Roman brothers, sons of Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus who was consul in 177 BC. Tiberius, the elder brother, was tribune of the plebs in 133 BC and Gaius, the younger brother, was tribune a decade later i ...

to the dictatorship of Sulla.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Papirius Carbo, Gnaeus 641 2nd-century BC Roman consuls 2nd-century BC Roman generals Ancient Romans who committed suicide Carbo, Gnaeus 641 People of the Cimbrian War