Lucius Marcius Censorinus (consul 39 BC)
Encyclopedia
Lucius Marcius Censorinus was a consul
of the Roman Republic
in 39 BC, during the Second Triumvirate
. He and his colleague Gaius Calvisius Sabinus had been the only two senators
who tried to defend Julius Caesar
when he was assassinated on the Ides of March
in 44 BC, and their consulship under the triumvirate was a recognition of their loyalty.
Marcius Censorinus was proconsul
of Macedonia
and Achaea
42–40 BC. He and a Fabius Maximus
were the last proconsuls honored abroad with the title "savior and founder" and with a festival bearing their names before the establishment of the imperial monarchy
under Augustus
. Following the civil wars of the 40s
, Censorinus took possession of Cicero
's beloved house on the Palatine
.
were a branch of the plebeian
gens
Marcia, but Ronald Syme
notes their "ancestral prestige, barely conceding precedence to the patriciate." They had been supporters of Gaius Marius
and were consistent populares
throughout the civil wars of the 80s and 40s–30s
. Lucius's father, who had the same name, was one of Sulla's enemies in 88 BC.
Censorinus's daughter (or possibly his sister) married the L. Sempronius Atratinus who was suffect consul in 34 BC. His son Gaius Marcius Censorinus was consul in 8 BC.
in 43 BC, evidently praetor urbanus before he went to Mutina
in support of Marcus Antonius
, if a caustic remark by Cicero is to be trusted. Along with others who joined Antonius, he was declared a public enemy by the senate
.
After the Battle of Philippi
in 42 BC, Antonius left Censorinus in charge of Macedonia
and Achaea
, where he remained as proconsul until he was relieved by Asinius Pollio in late 40 BC.
Censorinus celebrated a triumph
over Macedonia on the first day of his consulship in 39 BC. It has been argued that the triumph was meant to display a new concordia, the recently reaffirmed unity among the triumvirs
and their power to honor their supporters, and marked Censorinus's achievements only secondarily. Like his consular colleague Calvisius Sabinus, Censorinus began as a partisan of Antonius, but successfully navigated the political shoals as Octavian acquired sole power.
Among his other rewards for loyalty, Censorinus was allowed to buy Cicero's house on the Palatine, which the orator had exerted such strenuous efforts to restore after its confiscation in connection to his exile. Its value was reckoned at 3,500,000 sesterces. Although the Palatine house, along with Cicero's other confiscated property following his death, was sold ostensibly at public auction, the symbolism of its possession can hardly have been left to chance. The house next passed to T. Statilius Taurus, whom Cicero notoriously associated with Calvisius.
As consuls, Censorinus and Calvisius brought a proposal to the senate
on behalf of representatives from Aphrodisias
, who complained of abuses during the civil wars. The city was accordingly granted status as an independent ally and received additional benefits and privileges.
of 17 BC, Censorinus occupies the most senior position, second only to Marcus Agrippa. He would have been a member of this priestly college
(collegium) as early as 31 BC, and in 17 would have been of rather advanced age.
Because he is known to have been active during this time, he is sometimes thought to be the Marcius Censorinus to whom Horace
addresses Carmen 8 of his fourth book of odes. This Censorinus is identified more often as Lucius's son Gaius, the lesser-known consul of 8 BC.
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 39 BC, during the Second Triumvirate
Second Triumvirate
The Second Triumvirate is the name historians give to the official political alliance of Octavius , Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, and Mark Antony, formed on 26 November 43 BC with the enactment of the Lex Titia, the adoption of which marked the end of the Roman Republic...
. He and his colleague Gaius Calvisius Sabinus had been the only two senators
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
who tried to defend Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
when he was assassinated on the Ides of March
Assassination of Julius Caesar
The assassination of Julius Caesar was the result of a conspiracy by approximately forty Roman senators who called themselves Liberators. Led by Gaius Cassius Longinus and Marcus Junius Brutus, they stabbed Julius Caesar to death in the Theatre of Pompey on the Ides of March 44 BC...
in 44 BC, and their consulship under the triumvirate was a recognition of their loyalty.
Marcius Censorinus was 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...
of Macedonia
Macedonia (Roman province)
The Roman province of Macedonia was officially established in 146 BC, after the Roman general Quintus Caecilius Metellus defeated Andriscus of Macedon, the last Ancient King of Macedon in 148 BC, and after the four client republics established by Rome in the region were dissolved...
and Achaea
Achaea (Roman province)
Achaea, or Achaia, was a province of the Roman Empire, consisting of the Peloponnese, eastern Central Greece and parts of Thessaly. It bordered on the north by the provinces of Epirus vetus and Macedonia...
42–40 BC. He and a Fabius Maximus
Quintus Fabius Maximus (consul 45 BC)
Quintus Fabius Maximus was a general and statesman of the late Roman Republic. He was a member of the patrician gens Fabia...
were the last proconsuls honored abroad with the title "savior and founder" and with a festival bearing their names before the establishment of the imperial monarchy
Principate
The Principate is the first period of the Roman Empire, extending from the beginning of the reign of Caesar Augustus to the Crisis of the Third Century, after which it was replaced with the Dominate. The Principate is characterized by a concerted effort on the part of the Emperors to preserve the...
under Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
. Following the civil wars of the 40s
Roman civil wars
There were several Roman civil wars, especially during the late Republic. The most famous of these are the war in the 40s BC between Julius Caesar and the optimate faction of the senatorial elite initially led by Pompey and the subsequent war between Caesar's successors, Octavian and Mark Antony in...
, Censorinus took possession of Cicero
Cicero
Marcus 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...
's beloved house on the Palatine
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...
.
Family
The Marcii CensoriniMarcius Censorinus
Marcius Censorinus was a name used by a branch of the plebeian gens Marcia of ancient Rome. The cognomen Censorinus was acquired through Gaius Marcius Rutilus, the first plebeian censor, whose son used it...
were a branch of the plebeian
Plebs
The plebs was the general body of free land-owning Roman citizens in Ancient Rome. They were distinct from the higher order of the patricians. A member of the plebs was known as a plebeian...
gens
Gens
In ancient Rome, a gens , plural gentes, referred to a family, consisting of all those individuals who shared the same nomen and claimed descent from a common ancestor. A branch of a gens was called a stirps . The gens was an important social structure at Rome and throughout Italy during the...
Marcia, but Ronald Syme
Ronald Syme
Sir Ronald Syme, OM, FBA was a New Zealand-born historian and classicist. Long associated with Oxford University, he is widely regarded as the 20th century's greatest historian of ancient Rome...
notes their "ancestral prestige, barely conceding precedence to the patriciate." They had been supporters of Gaius Marius
Gaius Marius
Gaius Marius was a Roman general and statesman. He was elected consul an unprecedented seven times during his career. He was also noted for his dramatic reforms of Roman armies, authorizing recruitment of landless citizens, eliminating the manipular military formations, and reorganizing the...
and were consistent populares
Populares
Populares were aristocratic leaders in the late Roman Republic who relied on the people's assemblies and tribunate to acquire political power. They are regarded in modern scholarship as in opposition to the optimates, who are identified with the conservative interests of a senatorial elite...
throughout the civil wars of the 80s and 40s–30s
Roman civil wars
There were several Roman civil wars, especially during the late Republic. The most famous of these are the war in the 40s BC between Julius Caesar and the optimate faction of the senatorial elite initially led by Pompey and the subsequent war between Caesar's successors, Octavian and Mark Antony in...
. Lucius's father, who had the same name, was one of Sulla's enemies in 88 BC.
Censorinus's daughter (or possibly his sister) married the L. Sempronius Atratinus who was suffect consul in 34 BC. His son Gaius Marcius Censorinus was consul in 8 BC.
Political and military career
Censorinus was praetorPraetor
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...
in 43 BC, evidently praetor urbanus before he went to Mutina
Battle of Mutina
The Battle of Mutina was fought on April 21, 43 BC between the forces of Mark Antony and the forces of Gaius Vibius Pansa Caetronianus and Aulus Hirtius, who were providing aid to Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus.-Prelude:...
in support of Marcus Antonius
Mark Antony
Marcus Antonius , known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. As a military commander and administrator, he was an important supporter and loyal friend of his mother's cousin Julius Caesar...
, if a caustic remark by Cicero is to be trusted. Along with others who joined Antonius, he was declared a public enemy by the senate
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
.
After the Battle of Philippi
Battle of Philippi
The Battle of Philippi was the final battle in the Wars of the Second Triumvirate between the forces of Mark Antony and Octavian and the forces of Julius Caesar's assassins Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus in 42 BC, at Philippi in Macedonia...
in 42 BC, Antonius left Censorinus in charge of Macedonia
Macedonia (Roman province)
The Roman province of Macedonia was officially established in 146 BC, after the Roman general Quintus Caecilius Metellus defeated Andriscus of Macedon, the last Ancient King of Macedon in 148 BC, and after the four client republics established by Rome in the region were dissolved...
and Achaea
Achaea (Roman province)
Achaea, or Achaia, was a province of the Roman Empire, consisting of the Peloponnese, eastern Central Greece and parts of Thessaly. It bordered on the north by the provinces of Epirus vetus and Macedonia...
, where he remained as proconsul until he was relieved by Asinius Pollio in late 40 BC.
Censorinus celebrated 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...
over Macedonia on the first day of his consulship in 39 BC. It has been argued that the triumph was meant to display a new concordia, the recently reaffirmed unity among the triumvirs
Second Triumvirate
The Second Triumvirate is the name historians give to the official political alliance of Octavius , Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, and Mark Antony, formed on 26 November 43 BC with the enactment of the Lex Titia, the adoption of which marked the end of the Roman Republic...
and their power to honor their supporters, and marked Censorinus's achievements only secondarily. Like his consular colleague Calvisius Sabinus, Censorinus began as a partisan of Antonius, but successfully navigated the political shoals as Octavian acquired sole power.
Among his other rewards for loyalty, Censorinus was allowed to buy Cicero's house on the Palatine, which the orator had exerted such strenuous efforts to restore after its confiscation in connection to his exile. Its value was reckoned at 3,500,000 sesterces. Although the Palatine house, along with Cicero's other confiscated property following his death, was sold ostensibly at public auction, the symbolism of its possession can hardly have been left to chance. The house next passed to T. Statilius Taurus, whom Cicero notoriously associated with Calvisius.
As consuls, Censorinus and Calvisius brought a proposal to the senate
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
on behalf of representatives from Aphrodisias
Aphrodisias
Aphrodisias was a small city in Caria, on the southwest coast of Asia Minor. Its site is located near the modern village of Geyre, Turkey, about 230 km from İzmir....
, who complained of abuses during the civil wars. The city was accordingly granted status as an independent ally and received additional benefits and privileges.
Priesthood
In the inscription that records the quindecimviri sacris faciundis who administered the Secular GamesSecular games
The Secular Games were a religious celebration, involving sacrifices and theatrical performances, held in ancient Rome for three days and nights to mark the end of a saeculum and the beginning of the next...
of 17 BC, Censorinus occupies the most senior position, second only to Marcus Agrippa. He would have been a member of this priestly college
Collegium
A collegium may be:*collegium , a term applied to any association with a legal personality in ancient Rome....
(collegium) as early as 31 BC, and in 17 would have been of rather advanced age.
Because he is known to have been active during this time, he is sometimes thought to be the Marcius Censorinus to whom Horace
Horace
Quintus Horatius Flaccus , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:...
addresses Carmen 8 of his fourth book of odes. This Censorinus is identified more often as Lucius's son Gaius, the lesser-known consul of 8 BC.
Selected bibliography
Unless otherwise noted, dates, offices, and citations of ancient sources from T.R.S. Broughton, The Magistrates of the Roman Republic (American Philological Association, 1952), vol. 2, pp. 338–339, 362, 374, 382, 386, 426–427; vol. 3 (1986), pp. 48–49.- Syme, RonaldRonald SymeSir Ronald Syme, OM, FBA was a New Zealand-born historian and classicist. Long associated with Oxford University, he is widely regarded as the 20th century's greatest historian of ancient Rome...
. The Roman Revolution. Oxford University Press, 1939, reissued 2002. - Syme, Ronald. The Augustan Aristocracy. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1986.