Gaius Sextius Calvinus (consul 124 BC)
Encyclopedia
Gaius Sextius Calvinus was a consul
of the Roman Republic
in 124 BC. During his consulship, he joined M. Fulvius Flaccus
in waging war against the Ligures
, Saluvii, and Vocontii
in the Mediterranean region of present-day France
. He continued as proconsul
in Gaul for 123–122. He had held office as praetor
no later than 127.
Sextius is most noted for giving his name to Aquae Sextiae, "the Baths of Sextius," a site of thermal springs
that is modern-day Aix-en-Provence
. There he established a garrison (castellum
) below the Saluvian oppidum
of Entremont.
Sextius played a significant role in the military operations, concluded by Domitius Ahenobarbus
and Fabius Maximus
around 120 BC, that led to the annexation of Transalpine Gaul as a Roman province
. He and Fulvius Flaccus were able to create a mile-wide line of communication
linking the territory of longtime Roman ally Massilia (present-day Marseilles) to Cisalpine Gaul
, already under Roman control. He was given a triumph
for victories over the three Gallic nations in 122.
Around 92 BC, a G. Sextius Calvinus of praetorian rank restored an altar dedicated to sei deo sei divae
("whichever god or goddess"). Although most often identified as the son of the consul of 124 BC, the elder Sextius is believed by E. Badian to have been responsible for the inscription
.
The small altar was found near Sant'Anastasia on the lower west part of the Palatine Hill
in 1829. Made of travertine
, it has the hourglass shape that came into use in Rome around the time of the Second Punic War
. The Ara Calvini ("Altar of Calvinus"), sometimes called the Ara Dei Ignoti ("Altar of the Unknown God"), is in the collections of the Antiquario Palatino (Palatine Hill Museum).
Roman consul
A consul served in the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic.Each year, two consuls were elected together, to serve for a one-year term. Each consul was given veto power over his colleague and the officials would alternate each month...
of the Roman Republic
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
in 124 BC. During his consulship, he joined M. Fulvius Flaccus
Marcus Fulvius Flaccus (consul 125 BC)
Marcus Fulvius Flaccus was a Roman senator and an ally of the Gracchi. He became an administrator of the agrarian reform in 130 BC, and as a solution to the problem of land division among the allied cities, proposed Roman citizenship for the allies' citizens, thus introducing a question that vexed...
in waging war against the Ligures
Ligures
The Ligures were an ancient people who gave their name to Liguria, a region of north-western Italy.-Classical sources:...
, Saluvii, and Vocontii
Vocontii
The Vocontii were a Gallic people who lived on the east bank of the Rhône.-Location:Their main towns were Lucus Augusti and Vasio , but they occupied an extensive territory stretching from Vercors in the north, the buttresses of Mont Ventoux in the south-west, Manosque in the south-east and...
in the Mediterranean region of present-day France
Southern France
Southern France , colloquially known as le Midi is defined geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Gironde, Spain, the Mediterranean, and Italy...
. He continued as proconsul
Proconsul
A proconsul was a governor of a province in the Roman Republic appointed for one year by the senate. In modern usage, the title has been used for a person from one country ruling another country or bluntly interfering in another country's internal affairs.-Ancient Rome:In the Roman Republic, a...
in Gaul for 123–122. He had held office as praetor
Praetor
Praetor was a title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to men acting in one of two official capacities: the commander of an army, usually in the field, or the named commander before mustering the army; and an elected magistratus assigned varied duties...
no later than 127.
Sextius is most noted for giving his name to Aquae Sextiae, "the Baths of Sextius," a site of thermal springs
Hot spring
A hot spring is a spring that is produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater from the Earth's crust. There are geothermal hot springs in many locations all over the crust of the earth.-Definitions:...
that is modern-day Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence
Aix , or Aix-en-Provence to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, is a city-commune in southern France, some north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix is...
. There he established a garrison (castellum
Castellum
A castellum is a small Roman detached fort or fortlet used as a watch tower or signal station. The Latin word castellum is a diminutive of castra , which in turn is the plural of castrum ; it is the source of the English word "castle".The term castellum was also used to refer to a settling or...
) below the Saluvian oppidum
Oppidum
Oppidum is a Latin word meaning the main settlement in any administrative area of ancient Rome. The word is derived from the earlier Latin ob-pedum, "enclosed space," possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *pedóm-, "occupied space" or "footprint."Julius Caesar described the larger Celtic Iron Age...
of Entremont.
Sextius played a significant role in the military operations, concluded by Domitius Ahenobarbus
Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus (consul 122 BC)
Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus was consul of Rome in 122 BC. He was the son of the Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus who was consul in 162 BC....
and Fabius Maximus
Quintus Fabius Maximus Allobrogicus
Quintus Fabius Maximus Allobrogicus, was a Roman statesman and general.Fabius Maximus Allobrogicus, a member of the patrician gens Fabia, was the son of Quintus Fabius Maximus Aemilianus, consul of 145 BC...
around 120 BC, that led to the annexation of Transalpine Gaul as a Roman province
Roman province
In Ancient Rome, a province was the basic, and, until the Tetrarchy , largest territorial and administrative unit of the empire's territorial possessions outside of Italy...
. He and Fulvius Flaccus were able to create a mile-wide line of communication
Line of communication
A line of communication is the route that connects an operating military unit with its supply base. Supplies and reinforcements are transported along the line of communication. Therefore, a secure and open line of communication is vital for any military force to continue to operate effectively...
linking the territory of longtime Roman ally Massilia (present-day Marseilles) to Cisalpine Gaul
Cisalpine Gaul
Cisalpine Gaul, in Latin: Gallia Cisalpina or Citerior, also called Gallia Togata, was a Roman province until 41 BC when it was merged into Roman Italy.It bore the name Gallia, because the great body of its inhabitants, after the expulsion of the Etruscans, consisted of Gauls or Celts...
, already under Roman control. He was given a triumph
Roman triumph
The Roman triumph was a civil ceremony and religious rite of ancient Rome, held to publicly celebrate and sanctify the military achievement of an army commander who had won great military successes, or originally and traditionally, one who had successfully completed a foreign war. In Republican...
for victories over the three Gallic nations in 122.
Ara Calvini
Si deus si dea
Si deus si dea is an Archaic Latin phrase meaning "whether god or goddess", used to address a deity of unknown gender. It was also written sive deus sive dea, sei deus sei dea, or sive mas sive femina ....
("whichever god or goddess"). Although most often identified as the son of the consul of 124 BC, the elder Sextius is believed by E. Badian to have been responsible for the inscription
Epigraphy
Epigraphy Epigraphy Epigraphy (from the , literally "on-writing", is the study of inscriptions or epigraphs as writing; that is, the science of identifying the graphemes and of classifying their use as to cultural context and date, elucidating their meaning and assessing what conclusions can be...
.
The small altar was found near Sant'Anastasia on the lower west part of the Palatine Hill
Palatine Hill
The Palatine Hill is the centermost of the Seven Hills of Rome and is one of the most ancient parts of the city...
in 1829. Made of travertine
Travertine
Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, especially hot springs. Travertine often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, and cream-colored varieties. It is formed by a process of rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate, often at the mouth of a hot...
, it has the hourglass shape that came into use in Rome around the time of the Second Punic War
Second Punic War
The Second Punic War, also referred to as The Hannibalic War and The War Against Hannibal, lasted from 218 to 201 BC and involved combatants in the western and eastern Mediterranean. This was the second major war between Carthage and the Roman Republic, with the participation of the Berbers on...
. The Ara Calvini ("Altar of Calvinus"), sometimes called the Ara Dei Ignoti ("Altar of the Unknown God"), is in the collections of the Antiquario Palatino (Palatine Hill Museum).
Sources
- Diodorus SiculusDiodorus SiculusDiodorus Siculus was a Greek historian who flourished between 60 and 30 BC. According to Diodorus' own work, he was born at Agyrium in Sicily . With one exception, antiquity affords no further information about Diodorus' life and doings beyond what is to be found in his own work, Bibliotheca...
34.23 - CiceroCiceroMarcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
, Epistulae ad familiares 7.2.9 - LivyLivyTitus Livius — known as Livy in English — was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people. Ab Urbe Condita Libri, "Chapters from the Foundation of the City," covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome well before the traditional foundation in 753 BC...
, Periocha 61 - Velleius Paterculus 1.15.4
- StraboStraboStrabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea...
4.1.5 - Acta Triumphalia for 122 BC (DegrassiAttilio DegrassiAttilio Degrassi was a pioneering Italian scholar of Latin epigraphy.Degrassi taught at the University of Padova where he taught, among others, the epigraphist Silvio Panciera, currently on the faculty of the University of Rome "La Sapienza"....
p. 82f., 560) - Eutropius 4.22