Marcus Herennius was

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 93 BC. Although a plebeian and an indifferent orator, he defeated Lucius Marcius Philippus in the consular election for 93 BC.

Pliny Pliny may refer to: People * Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE), ancient Roman nobleman, scientist, historian, and author of ''Naturalis Historia'' (''Pliny's Natural History'') * Pliny the Younger (died 113), ancient Roman statesman, orator, w ...

mentions the consulate of Herennius as remarkable for the quantity of Cyrenaic silphium --

Ferula tingitana ''Ferula tingitana'', the giant Tangier fennel, is a species of the Apiaceae genus ''Ferula''. Despite the name, the plant is not a type of fennel proper, which belongs to another genus (''Foeniculum''). ''Ferula tingitana'' is a tall perennial ...

Sprengel, Rei Herbar., p. 84 -- then brought to Rome. This costly drug was worth a silver

denarius The denarius (, dēnāriī ) was the standard Roman silver coin from its introduction in the Second Punic War to the reign of Gordian III (AD 238–244), when it was gradually replaced by the antoninianus. It continued to be minted in very ...

per pound; and the mercantile connections of the Herennii in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

may have caused this unusual supply.

References

1st-century BC Roman consuls 2nd-century BC births Herennii Year of death unknown {{AncientRome-politician-stub