Lucius Volcatius Tullus (consul 66 BC)
Encyclopedia
Lucius Volcatius Tullus was a Roman
politician who became consul
in 66 BC
alongside Manius Aemilius Lepidus.
by 69 BC
, and possibly Curator Viarum in 68 BC
, Tullus was elected consul
in 66 BC
. During his consulate, it was brought to his attention that Catiline
was intending to seek the consulship for 65 BC
. As Publius Clodius Pulcher
had declared he was intending to prosecute Catiline on charges of corruption while Catiline was governor of Africa, Tullus, after consultation with leading senators, and with the support of Marcus Licinius Crassus
and Julius Caesar
, refused to accept Catiline's nomination for the consulate with such charges hanging over his head. With the unravelling of the second Catilinian conspiracy, he approved of Cicero
’s measures against Catiline’s accomplices, and spoke up in support of Cicero in the Senate
.
Largely abandoning politics after his consulate he tried to stand aloof when the conflict between Pompey
and Julius Caesar
reached crisis point in late 50 BC. In January 49 BC
, he proposed sending peace envoys to Caesar to try to diffuse the situation. He, like many other senators, obeyed Pompey’s instructions and fled Rome
, but returned when Caesar summoned all members of the Senate to return. Beyond this, he took no part in the struggle, but remained quietly in Italy. He was the father of Lucius Volcatius Tullus
, consul in 33 BC
.
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...
politician who became consul
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...
in 66 BC
66 BC
Year 66 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Lepidus and Tullus...
alongside Manius Aemilius Lepidus.
Biography
Elected to the office of 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...
by 69 BC
69 BC
Year 69 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Hortalus and Metellus...
, and possibly Curator Viarum in 68 BC
68 BC
Year 68 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Metellus/Vatia and Rex...
, Tullus was elected consul
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...
in 66 BC
66 BC
Year 66 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Lepidus and Tullus...
. During his consulate, it was brought to his attention that Catiline
Catiline
Lucius Sergius Catilina , known in English as Catiline, was a Roman politician of the 1st century BC who is best known for the Catiline conspiracy, an attempt to overthrow the Roman Republic, and in particular the power of the aristocratic Senate.-Family background:Catiline was born in 108 BC to...
was intending to seek the consulship for 65 BC
65 BC
Year 65 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Cotta and Torquatus...
. As Publius Clodius Pulcher
Publius Clodius Pulcher
Publius Clodius Pulcher was a Roman politician known for his popularist tactics...
had declared he was intending to prosecute Catiline on charges of corruption while Catiline was governor of Africa, Tullus, after consultation with leading senators, and with the support of Marcus Licinius Crassus
Marcus Licinius Crassus
Marcus Licinius Crassus was a Roman general and politician who commanded the right wing of Sulla's army at the Battle of the Colline Gate, suppressed the slave revolt led by Spartacus, provided political and financial support to Julius Caesar and entered into the political alliance known as the...
and 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....
, refused to accept Catiline's nomination for the consulate with such charges hanging over his head. With the unravelling of the second Catilinian conspiracy, he approved 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 measures against Catiline’s accomplices, and spoke up in support of Cicero in 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...
.
Largely abandoning politics after his consulate he tried to stand aloof when the conflict between Pompey
Pompey
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as Pompey or Pompey the Great , was a military and political leader of the late Roman Republic...
and 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....
reached crisis point in late 50 BC. In January 49 BC
49 BC
Year 49 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Lentulus and Marcellus...
, he proposed sending peace envoys to Caesar to try to diffuse the situation. He, like many other senators, obeyed Pompey’s instructions and fled Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, but returned when Caesar summoned all members of the Senate to return. Beyond this, he took no part in the struggle, but remained quietly in Italy. He was the father of Lucius Volcatius Tullus
Lucius Volcatius Tullus (consul 33 BC)
Lucius Volcatius Tullus, was a Roman politician who was elected consul in 33 BC.-Biography:Tullus was the son of Lucius Volcatius Tullus; the consul of 66 BC. Elected praetor urbanus in 46 BC, in 45 BC he was alloted the province of Cilicia for his propraetorial governorship, which he held until 44...
, consul in 33 BC
33 BC
Year 33 BC was either a common year starting on Saturday, Sunday or Monday or a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar and a leap year starting on Saturday of the Proleptic Julian calendar...
.
Sources
- T. Robert S. BroughtonThomas Robert Shannon BroughtonThomas Robert Shannon Broughton was a Canadian classical scholar and leading Latin prosopographer of the twentieth century. He is especially noted for his definitive three-volume work, Magistrates of the Roman Republic ....
, The Magistrates of the Roman Republic, Vol II (1952). - Holmes, T. Rice, The Roman Republic and the Founder of the Empire, Vol. I (1923)
- Holmes, T. Rice, The Roman Republic and the Founder of the Empire, Vol. III (1923)
- Anthon, Charles & Smith, William, A New Classical Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography, Mythology and Geography (1860).