|
Quintus Hortensius
Quintus Hortensius Hortalus (114–50 BC) was a Roman lawyer, an orator and a statesman. Politically he belonged to the Optimates. He was consul in 69 BC alongside Quintus Caecilius Metellus Creticus. His nickname was ''Dionysia'', after a famous actress. After his retirement Hortensius took up fish-breeding as a hobby. Cicero spoke of him as a ''Piscinarius'' – 'fish fancier'. Biography At the age of nineteen he made his first speech at the bar and shortly afterwards successfully defended Nicomedes III or IV of Bithynia, one of Rome's dependants in the East, who had been deprived of his throne by his brother. From that time his reputation as an advocate was established. Through his marriage to Lutatia, daughter of Quintus Lutatius Catulus and Servilia, he was attached to the aristocratic party, the ''optimates''. During and after Lucius Cornelius Sulla's dictatorship the courts of law were under the control of the Senate, the judges themselves being senators. Endnote: In ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic ( ) was the era of Ancient Rome, classical Roman civilisation beginning with Overthrow of the Roman monarchy, the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom (traditionally dated to 509 BC) and ending in 27 BC with the establishment of the Roman Empire following the War of Actium. During this period, Rome's control expanded from the city's immediate surroundings to hegemony over the entire Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean world. Roman society at the time was primarily a cultural mix of Latins (Italic tribe), Latin and Etruscan civilization, Etruscan societies, as well as of Sabine, Oscan, and Greek cultural elements, which is especially visible in the Ancient Roman religion and List of Roman deities, its pantheon. Its political organisation developed at around the same time as direct democracy in Ancient Greece, with collective and annual magistracies, overseen by Roman Senate, a senate. There were annual elections, but the republican system was an elective olig ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Quaestor
A quaestor ( , ; ; "investigator") was a public official in ancient Rome. There were various types of quaestors, with the title used to describe greatly different offices at different times. In the Roman Republic, quaestors were elected officials who supervised the state treasury and conducted audits. When assigned to provincial governors, the duties were mainly administrative and logistical, but also could expand to encompass military leadership and command. It was the lowest ranking position in the ' (course of offices); by the first century BC, one had to have been quaestor to be eligible for any other posts. In the Roman Empire, the position initially remained as assistants to the magistrates with financial duties in the provinces, but over time, it faded away in the face of the expanding imperial bureaucracy. A position with a similar name (the ') emerged during the Constantinian period with judicial responsibilities. Etymology ''Quaestor'' derives from the Latin verb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gaeta
Gaeta (; ; Southern Latian dialect, Southern Laziale: ''Gaieta'') is a seaside resort in the province of Latina in Lazio, Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, it is from Rome and from Naples. The city has played a conspicuous part in military history; its walls date to Ancient Rome, Roman times and were extended and strengthened in the 15th century, especially throughout the history of the Kingdom of Naples (later the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies). Present-day Gaeta is a fishing port and a renowned seaside resort. NATO has a naval base here. In 2025, it received the Blue Flag beach, blue and green flags from Foundation for Environmental Education, FEE for the twelfth consecutive year. It is one of the I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy"). History Ancient times Ancient Caieta was situated on the slopes of the Torre di Orlando, a promontory overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. It was inhabited by the Oscan language ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Villa Della Palombara
The Villa della Palombara was a large, sumptuous ancient Roman villa. It is now an archaeological site located within the pine forest of Castel Fusano near Ostia (Rome), Ostia, Italy. It originally may have belonged to the famous orator Quintus Hortensius Hortalus, Hortensius (114–50 BC). It would have impressed with its exceptional proportions covering about 4 hectares. It was built on the seashore overlooking the sea, on the ancient Via Severiana between ancient Ostia Antica, Ostia and Laurentum. Due to build up of sand it is now 600m from the beach. The villa was rediscovered in 1713 and erroneously identified with the villa of Pliny the Younger who had a villa nearby at Laurentum described in a letter addressed to his friend Gallus and probably located at Villa Magna. History Excavations have identified 6 building phases from the mid-1st century BC to the beginning of the 3rd century AD. In the first phase (first half 1st c. BC to early 1st c. AD) the villa was built ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pro Plancio
The , sometimes named as the , or the , was a speech given by the Roman lawyer and statesman Cicero in September 54 BCE. In the speech, delivered in the Roman Forum, Cicero defended , who had been elected as aedile (a junior civic official) the previous year, against a charge of electoral malpractice () levelled by , one of his defeated opponents. The outcome of the trial is not known, though it is often suggested that Cicero won. Plancius was prosecuted under the , which criminalised the improper use of electoral associations (); the prosecution, conducted by Laterensis with the assistance of Lucius Cassius Longinus, appears to have offered little evidence that Plancius had specifically committed this crime, rather than more general electoral infractions. In the , Cicero defends Plancius's character and asserts the legitimacy of his election, claiming that Laterensis had made his prosecution under the in order to benefit from its unusual process of jury selection, which a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ambitus
In ancient Roman law, ''ambitus'' was a crime of political corruption, mainly a candidate's attempt to influence the outcome (or direction) of an election through bribery or other forms of soft power. The Latin word ''ambitus'' is the origin of the English word "ambition" which is another of its original meanings; ''ambitus'' was the process of "going around and commending oneself or one's protégés to the people," an activity liable to unethical excesses. In practice, bringing a charge of ''ambitus'' against a public figure became a favored tactic for undermining a political opponent. The '' Lex Baebia'' was the first law criminalizing electoral bribery, instituted by M. Baebius Tamphilus during his consulship in 181 BC. The passage of Rome's first sumptuary law the previous year suggests that the two forms of legislation are related; both were aimed at curbing wealth-based inequities of power and status within the governing classes. The temptation to indulge in bribery ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pompey
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (; 29 September 106 BC – 28 September 48 BC), known in English as Pompey ( ) or Pompey the Great, was a Roman general and statesman who was prominent in the last decades of the Roman Republic. As a young man, he was a partisan and protégé of the dictator Sulla, after whose death he achieved much military and political success himself. He was an ally and a rival of Julius Caesar, and died in civil war with him. A member of the senatorial nobility, Pompey entered into a military career while still young. He rose to prominence serving Sulla as a commander in the civil war of 83–81 BC. Pompey's success as a general while young enabled him to advance directly to his first consulship without following the traditional '' cursus honorum'' (the required steps to advance in a political career). He was elected as consul on three occasions (70, 55, 52 BC). He celebrated three triumphs, served as a commander in the Sertorian War, t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Titus Annius Milo
Titus Annius Milo (died 48 BC) was a Roman politician and agitator. The son of Gaius Papius Celsus, he was adopted by his maternal grandfather, Titus Annius Luscus. In 52 BC, he was prosecuted for the murder of Publius Clodius Pulcher and exiled from Rome. He was unsuccessfully defended by his friend, Marcus Tullius Cicero, in the speech '' Pro Milone''. Career Milo was an ally of Pompey and of the Optimates. He organized bands of armed slaves, hired thugs and gladiators in opposition to Clodius, who supported Pompey's rival, Julius Caesar, and the Populares. The two opposing factions clashed in the streets of Rome between 57 BC and 52 BC. Cursus honorum Milo was tribune of the plebs in 57 BC. He took a prominent role in recalling Cicero from exile after Clodius had arranged for his exile the previous year. In 56 BC, Milo was charged with illegal violence by Clodius. He was defended by Cicero and Pompey (among others). The trial led to riots between Milo's and Clodius's suppo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Publius Cornelius Sulla
Publius Cornelius Sulla (died ) was a politician of the late Roman Republic and the nephew of Lucius Cornelius Sulla. He was also a brother-in-law of Pompey, having married his sister Pompeia. Early life Publius Cornelius Sulla was the son of an otherwise unknown brother of Lucius Cornelius Sulla. Despite being Sulla's nephew, Publius does not seem have played a prominent role in either the civil war or the dictatorship of his famous uncle. However, he may have served as a junior officer during this time, alongside his contemporary Lucius Sergius Catilina, who is known to have served with distinction in the Sullan Civil Wars. Publius was later to be closely associated with Catiline, and it is possible that it was as fellow officers under his uncle that this association began. In 81 BC, during the dictatorship of his uncle, Cicero records that Publius used what influence he had through his close familial connection to request mercy for several of the proscribed, and was success ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lucius Licinius Murena (consul 62 BC)
Lucius Licinius Murena was a Roman politician and soldier. He was an officer ( legate) in the Third Mithridatic War, a governor (propraetor) of Gallia Transalpina from 64 to 63 BC and a consul in 62 BC. He stood trial because of charges of electoral bribery. Cicero, who defended him, immortalized him in one of his published speeches. Life Lucius Licinius Murena was son and namesake of Lucius Licinius Murena who had fought in the Second Mithridatic War. He began his public career as quaestor in c. 75 BC. When the Third Mithridatic War began, in 73 BC, Murena was appointed ''legatus'' for, Lucius Licinius Lucullus, the proconsul in charge of the Roman war effort in the east and a fellow Licinius. Murena served in the East for several years; he had the command of one of Lucullus's legions, and in 72 BC Lucullus even entrusted him with the siege of Amisus, a major Pontic city. In 65 BC, Murena was urban praetor and made himself popular by the magnificence of the games he provided. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gaius Rabirius (senator)
Gaius Rabirius was a Roman senator who was involved in the death of Lucius Appuleius Saturninus in 100 BC. Titus Labienus, a Tribune of the Plebs whose uncle had lost his life among the followers of Saturninus on that occasion, was urged by fellow Senator and patron Julius Caesar to accuse Rabirius of participating in the murder. Caesar's real objective was to warn the Senate against interference by force with popular movements, to uphold the sovereignty of the people and the inviolability of the person of the tribunes, at the time of the conspiracy of Lucius Sergius Catilina. The obsolete accusation of '' perduellio'' was revived, and the case was heard before Caesar and his cousin Lucius Julius Caesar as commissioners specially appointed (''duumviri perduellionis''). Rabirius was condemned, and the people, to whom the accused had exercised the right of appeal, were on the point of ratifying the decision, when Quintus Caecilius Metellus Celer pulled down the military flag from the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gaius Verres
Gaius Verres ( 114 – 43 BC) was a Roman magistrate, notorious for his misgovernment of Sicily. His extortion of local farmers and plundering of temples led to his prosecution by Cicero, whose accusations were so devastating that his defence advocate could only recommend that Verres should leave the country. Cicero's prosecution speeches were later published as the In Verrem, ''Verrines''. Biography Gaius Verres was born around 114 BC. Public career During Sulla's civil war, Sulla's Civil War, Verres deserted the government faction of Gaius Marius the Younger, Gaius Marius and Gaius Papirius Carbo (consul 85 BC), Carbo and went over to Sulla. Sulla made him a present of land at Benevento, Beneventum and secured him against punishment for embezzlement. In 80 BC, Verres served on the staff of Gnaeus Cornelius Dolabella (praetor 81 BC), Gnaeus Cornelius Dolabella, governor of Cilicia (Roman province), Cilicia. According to Cicero, the governor and his subordinate both ruthlessly p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
