Lucius Cornelius Merula (died 87 BC) was a politician and priest of the late

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 Ki ...

Biography

Lucius Cornelius Merula held the office of '' flamen Dialis'' (high priest of

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but slightly less than one-thousand ...

), and wore the ''flamen''s cap at all times, unlike the other ''flamines'' who only wore it while performing sacrifices. In 87 BC, during the civil war between the consuls Gnaeus Octavius and Cinna, he was appointed

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 throu ...

by the former in place of his rival, who had been driven from the city. He negotiated the return of Cinna and Marius from banishment, and abdicated his consulship. However, false charges were made against him during Marius's purges of his political enemies, and he committed

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and ...

, opening his veins in the

Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus The Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, also known as the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus ( la, Aedes Iovis Optimi Maximi Capitolini; it, Tempio di Giove Ottimo Massimo; ) was the most important temple in Ancient Rome, located on the Capitolin ...

and imploring the gods to avenge him on Cinna and his allies. He had first taken care to remove his ''flamens cap, for it was considered a sin for a ''flamen'' to wear it at his death. The position of ''Flamen Dialis'' was now vacant. Marius's fourteen-year-old nephew

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...

was nominated to fill it in 86 BC by Marius and Cinna. Scholars disagree but this nomination was annulled by Sulla subsequently. The position was not filled again until under

Augustus 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 Pr ...

, between 16 and 10 BC, dated by

Cassius Dio Lucius Cassius Dio (), also known as Dio Cassius ( ), was a Roman historian and senator of maternal Greek origin. He published 80 volumes of the history on ancient Rome, beginning with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy. The volumes documented the ...

to 11 BC, but

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 ...

to 15 BC.Tac. ''Ann''3.58. Note that many translators wrongly edit Tacitus to match Dio instead of editing Dio to match Tacitus (the more reliable historian), again see Stern ''op. cit''.

References

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, Ha ...

, ''Civil Wars'
1.65
*

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 ...

, ''Roman History'
2.20
* Florus, ''Epitome of Roman History'' 2.9 *

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 The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τ� ...

, ''Julius'
1
*

, ''Roman History'
54.35
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cornelius Merula, Lucius 87 BC deaths 1st-century BC Roman consuls 1st-century BC clergy Ancient Romans who committed suicide Merula, Lucius Flamines Dialis Priests of the Roman Republic Roman patricians Year of birth unknown