Manius Aquillius (101 BC)
Encyclopedia
Manius Aquillius member of the ancient Roman
gens Aquillia, was consul
in 101 BC.
Probably a son of Manius Aquillius
consul in 129 BC, he was a loyal follower of Gaius Marius
. During the election campaign for Marius' fourth consulship, Aquillius was left in command of the army in case the migrating Cimbri
attacked before Marius could return to command the army himself.
As a reward for his loyal services, Gaius Marius ran with Aquillius under a joint ticket for the consulship of 101 BC. After the consulship, with Rome struggling with famine caused by the slave revolt on Sicily, Aquillius was sent to put it down. Aquilius completely subdued Salvius
and his insurgents, and got a triumph
in Rome in 100 BC. In 98 BC, Aquillius was accused by Lucius Fufius
of maladministration in Sicily. In the trial he was defended by Marcus Antonius Orator
, and, even if there were strong proofs of his guilt, he was acquitted because of his bravery in the war.
In 88 BC he went into Asia as one of the consular legates to prosecute the war against Mithridates VI of Pontus
and his allies. He was defeated near Protostachium. Aquillius was attempting to make his way back to Italy and managed to make it to Lesbos where he was delivered to Mithridates by the inhabitants of Mytilene
. After being taken to the mainland, he was then placed on a donkey and paraded back to Pergamon
. On the trip he was forced to confess his supposed crimes against the peoples of Anatolia. Aquillius' father, the elder Manius Aquillius was a former Roman governor of Pergamon and was hated for the egregious taxes that he imposed. It was generally thought that Manius Aquillius the younger would follow in the footsteps of his father as a tax profiteer and was hated by some of the local peoples.
Aquillius was then moved to and executed at the Theater of Dionysus which sits on a hill of the Acropolis. It was the same stage where Mithradates had announced war against Rome. A large bonfire was made in the center and Aquillius was dragged behind a horse rode by a soldier called Bastarna. The soldier's name comes from the ancient tribe Bastarnae
of eastern Carpathian mountains. He was locally famous and known for being exceptionally tall. Aquillius was dragged around the bonfire as gold coins were melted down in crucibles. Aquillius was then held down and the molten hot gold was poured down his throat for an agonizing death. In addition to instilling Roman fear, Mithradates likely hoped to express some sadistic symbolism for the fate of the greedy. The method of execution became famous and was repeated by Parthian contemporaries in the death of M. Licinius Crassus
who was at the time the richest man in Rome and a member of the First Triumvirate
.
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...
gens Aquillia, was consul
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
in 101 BC.
Probably a son of Manius Aquillius
Manius Aquillius (129 BC)
Manius Aquillius, member of the ancient Roman gens Aquillia, was Consul in 129 BC. He put an end to the war which had been carried on against Aristonicus, the son of Eumenes II king of Pergamon, and which had been almost terminated by his predecessor, Marcus Perperna...
consul in 129 BC, he was a loyal follower 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...
. During the election campaign for Marius' fourth consulship, Aquillius was left in command of the army in case the migrating Cimbri
Cimbri
The Cimbri were a tribe from Northern Europe, who, together with the Teutones and the Ambrones threatened the Roman Republic in the late 2nd century BC. The Cimbri were probably Germanic, though some believe them to be of Celtic origin...
attacked before Marius could return to command the army himself.
As a reward for his loyal services, Gaius Marius ran with Aquillius under a joint ticket for the consulship of 101 BC. After the consulship, with Rome struggling with famine caused by the slave revolt on Sicily, Aquillius was sent to put it down. Aquilius completely subdued Salvius
Salvius
Salvius was a flute player who was proclaimed king by the rebelling slaves of ancient Sicily during the Second Servile War. He assumed the name Tryphon, from Diodotus Tryphon, a Seleucid ruler. For some time, he waged war against the Romans....
and his insurgents, and got 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...
in Rome in 100 BC. In 98 BC, Aquillius was accused by Lucius Fufius
Lucius Fufius
Lucius Fufius was a Roman orator, who was an elder contemporary of Cicero. In 98 BC he accused Manius Aquillius of extortion during the consulship of Aquillius in Sicily in 101 BC. The accused, defended by Marcus Antonius Orator, was acquitted. Lucius Fufius had a quarrelsome personality with...
of maladministration in Sicily. In the trial he was defended by Marcus Antonius Orator
Marcus Antonius Orator
Marcus Antonius Orator was a Roman politician of the Antonius family and one of the most distinguished Roman orators of his time. He was also the grandfather of the famous general and triumvir, Mark Antony.-Career:...
, and, even if there were strong proofs of his guilt, he was acquitted because of his bravery in the war.
In 88 BC he went into Asia as one of the consular legates to prosecute the war against Mithridates VI of Pontus
Mithridates VI of Pontus
Mithridates VI or Mithradates VI Mithradates , from Old Persian Mithradatha, "gift of Mithra"; 134 BC – 63 BC, also known as Mithradates the Great and Eupator Dionysius, was king of Pontus and Armenia Minor in northern Anatolia from about 120 BC to 63 BC...
and his allies. He was defeated near Protostachium. Aquillius was attempting to make his way back to Italy and managed to make it to Lesbos where he was delivered to Mithridates by the inhabitants of Mytilene
Mytilene
Mytilene is a town and a former municipality on the island of Lesbos, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Lesbos, of which it is a municipal unit. It is the capital of the island of Lesbos. Mytilene, whose name is pre-Greek, is built on the...
. After being taken to the mainland, he was then placed on a donkey and paraded back to Pergamon
Pergamon
Pergamon , or Pergamum, was an ancient Greek city in modern-day Turkey, in Mysia, today located from the Aegean Sea on a promontory on the north side of the river Caicus , that became the capital of the Kingdom of Pergamon during the Hellenistic period, under the Attalid dynasty, 281–133 BC...
. On the trip he was forced to confess his supposed crimes against the peoples of Anatolia. Aquillius' father, the elder Manius Aquillius was a former Roman governor of Pergamon and was hated for the egregious taxes that he imposed. It was generally thought that Manius Aquillius the younger would follow in the footsteps of his father as a tax profiteer and was hated by some of the local peoples.
Aquillius was then moved to and executed at the Theater of Dionysus which sits on a hill of the Acropolis. It was the same stage where Mithradates had announced war against Rome. A large bonfire was made in the center and Aquillius was dragged behind a horse rode by a soldier called Bastarna. The soldier's name comes from the ancient tribe Bastarnae
Bastarnae
The Bastarnae or Basternae were an ancient Germanic tribe,, who between 200 BC and 300 AD inhabited the region between the eastern Carpathian mountains and the Dnieper river...
of eastern Carpathian mountains. He was locally famous and known for being exceptionally tall. Aquillius was dragged around the bonfire as gold coins were melted down in crucibles. Aquillius was then held down and the molten hot gold was poured down his throat for an agonizing death. In addition to instilling Roman fear, Mithradates likely hoped to express some sadistic symbolism for the fate of the greedy. The method of execution became famous and was repeated by Parthian contemporaries in the death of M. 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...
who was at the time the richest man in Rome and a member of the First Triumvirate
First Triumvirate
The First Triumvirate was the political alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar, Marcus Licinius Crassus, and Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus. Unlike the Second Triumvirate, the First Triumvirate had no official status whatsoever; its overwhelming power in the Roman Republic was strictly unofficial influence, and...
.