Lucius Calpurnius Bestia (consul)

Last updated

Lucius Calpurnius Bestia was a Roman senator, tribune of the plebs in 121 BC, and consul in 111. Having been appointed to the command of the operations against Jugurtha, he at first carried on the campaign energetically, but soon, having been heavily bribed, concluded a disgraceful peace. On his return to Rome he was brought to trial for his conduct and condemned, in spite of the efforts of Marcus Aemilius Scaurus who, though formerly his legate and alleged to be equally guilty himself, was one of the judges - apparently Scaurus defended him extremely eloquently during the proceedings, but then turned round and voted to condemn him. [1]

He may be the same man as, or the father of, the Bestia who encouraged the Italians in their revolt, and went into exile (90) to avoid punishment under the law of Quintus Varius Severus, whereby those who had secretly or openly aided the Italian allies against Rome were to be brought to trial. [2] Both Cicero and Sallust express a high opinion of Bestia's abilities, but his love of money corrupted him. He is mentioned in a Carthaginian inscription as one of a board of three, perhaps an agricultural commission. [1] [3]

His daughter was Calpurnia (d. 82 BC), wife of Publius Antistius and mother of Antistia, Pompey's first wife. Calpurnia committed suicide in 82 BC, after her husband's murder and her daughter's divorce [4] [5] .

Notes

  1. 1 2 Chisholm 1911.
  2. Appian, Bell. Civ. i. 37; Valerius Maximus viii. 6. 4.
  3. See Sallust, Jugurtha; Cicero, Brutus, xxxiv. 128; for the general history, A. H. J. Greenidge, History of Rome, vol. i. (1904), pp. 346 foll.
  4. Hejduk, Julia Dyson (2014). Clodia: A Sourcebook. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, p.245
  5. Hallett, Judith P. (2014) [1984]. Fathers and Daughters in Roman Society: Women and the Elite Family. Princeton University Press, p.141

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catiline</span> Roman politician, senator and soldier (c.108–62 BC)

Lucius Sergius Catilina, known in English as Catiline, was a Roman politician and soldier, best known for instigating the Catilinarian conspiracy, a failed attempt to violently seize control of the Roman state in 63 BC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jugurtha</span> 2nd-century BC King of Numidia

Jugurtha or Jugurthen was a king of Numidia. When the Numidian king Micipsa, who had adopted Jugurtha, died in 118 BC, Jugurtha and his two adoptive brothers, Hiempsal and Adherbal, succeeded him. Jugurtha arranged to have Hiempsal killed and, after a civil war, defeated and killed Adherbal in 112 BC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sallust</span> Roman historian and politician (86 BC - c. 35 BC)

Gaius Sallustius Crispus, usually anglicised as Sallust, was a Roman historian and politician from a plebeian family. Probably born at Amiternum in the country of the Sabines, Sallust became a partisan of Julius Caesar, circa 50s BC. He is the earliest known Latin-language Roman historian with surviving works to his name, of which Conspiracy of Catiline, The Jugurthine War, and the Histories remain extant. As a writer, Sallust was primarily influenced by the works of the 5th-century BC Greek historian Thucydides. During his political career he amassed great and ill-gotten wealth from his governorship of Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus (consul 58 BC)</span> Roman politician

Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus was a Roman senator and the father-in-law of Julius Caesar through his daughter Calpurnia. He was reportedly a follower of a school of Epicureanism that had been modified to befit politicians, as Epicureanism itself favoured withdrawal from politics. Piso was consul in the year 58 BC with Aulus Gabinius as his colleague.

Marcus Aemilius Scaurus was a Roman statesman who served as consul in 115 BC. He was also a long-standing princeps senatus, occupying the post from 115 until his death in late 89 or early 88 BC, and as such was widely considered one of the most prestigious and influential politicians of the late Republic.

Gaius Aurelius Cotta was a Roman statesman, orator, priest, and Academic Skeptic; he is not to be confused with Gaius Aurelius Cotta who was consul twice in the 3rd century BCE.

Publius Cornelius Lentulus Sura was one of the chief figures in the Catilinarian conspiracy. He was also the step-father of the future triumvir Mark Antony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jugurthine War</span> 2nd-century BC war between the Kingdom of Numidia and the Roman Republic

The Jugurthine War was an armed conflict between the Roman Republic and king Jugurtha of Numidia, a kingdom on the north African coast approximating to modern Algeria. Jugurtha was the nephew and adopted son of Micipsa, king of Numidia, whom he succeeded on the throne, overcoming his rivals through assassination, war, and bribery.

Publius Rutilius Rufus was a Roman statesman, soldier, orator and historian of the Rutilia gens, as well as a great-uncle of Gaius Julius Caesar. He achieved the highest political office in the Roman Republic when he was elected consul in 105 BC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aurelia gens</span> Ancient Roman family

The gens Aurelia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome, which flourished from the third century BC to the latest period of the Empire. The first of the Aurelian gens to obtain the consulship was Gaius Aurelius Cotta in 252 BC. From then to the end of the Republic, the Aurelii supplied many distinguished statesmen, before entering a period of relative obscurity under the early emperors. In the latter part of the first century, a family of the Aurelii rose to prominence, obtaining patrician status, and eventually the throne itself. A series of emperors belonged to this family, through birth or adoption, including Marcus Aurelius and the members of the Severan dynasty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hiempsal II</span>

Hiempsal II was a king of Numidia. He was the son of Gauda, half-brother of Jugurtha, and was the father of Juba I.

Lucius Aurelius Cotta was a Roman politician from an old noble family who held the offices of praetor, consul and censor. Both his father and grandfather of the same name had been consuls, and his two brothers, Gaius Aurelius Cotta and Marcus Aurelius Cotta, preceded him as consul in 75 and 74 BC respectively. His sister, Aurelia, was married to Gaius Julius Caesar, brother-in-law to Gaius Marius and possibly Lucius Cornelius Sulla, and they were the parents of the famous general and eventual dictator, Gaius Julius Caesar.

Gaius Memmius was a Roman politician. He was murdered by Gaius Servilius Glaucia during the disturbances that rocked Rome during the violent uprising and suppression of Lucius Appuleius Saturninus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bocchus I</span> King of Mauretania

Bocchus, often referred to as Bocchus I for clarity, was king of Mauretania from c. 111 – 80 BCE. He was father-in-law to the Numidian king Jugurtha, with whom he initially allied against the Romans in the Jugurthine War, a lengthy and indecisive conflict.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calpurnia gens</span> Ancient Roman family

The gens Calpurnia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome, which first appears in history during the third century BC. The first of the gens to obtain the consulship was Gaius Calpurnius Piso in 180 BC, but from this time their consulships were very frequent, and the family of the Pisones became one of the most illustrious in the Roman state. Two important pieces of Republican legislation, the lex Calpurnia of 149 BC and lex Acilia Calpurnia of 67 BC were passed by members of the gens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucius Cassius Longinus (consul 107 BC)</span> Roman statesman and general

Lucius Cassius Longinus was consul of the Roman Republic in 107 BC. His colleague was Gaius Marius, then serving the first of his seven consulships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaius Porcius Cato (consul 114 BC)</span> Roman senator and general

Gaius Porcius Cato was a Roman politician and general, notably consul in 114 BC. He was the son of Marcus Porcius Cato Licinianus and grandson of Cato the Censor.

Spurius Postumius Albinus was a politician of ancient Rome, of patrician rank, of the 2nd century BC. He was consul in 110 BC, and was sent to Africa to carry on the war against Jugurtha, the king of Numidia. He made vigorous preparations for war, but when he reached the province he did not adopt any active measures, but allowed himself to be deceived by the artifices of Jugurtha, who constantly promised to surrender. Many persons supposed that his inactivity was intentional, and that Jugurtha had bought him over. When Albinus departed from Africa, he left his brother Aulus Postumius Albinus in command. After the defeat of the latter he returned to Numidia, but in consequence of the disorganized state of his army, he did not prosecute the war, and handed over the army in this condition, in the following year, to the consul Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus. He was condemned by the Lex Mamilia, which was passed to punish all those who had been guilty of treasonable practices with Jugurtha.

The gens Sextia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome, from the time of the early Republic and continuing into imperial times. The most famous member of the gens was Lucius Sextius Lateranus, who as tribune of the plebs from 376 to 367 BC, prevented the election of the annual magistrates, until the passage of the lex Licinia Sextia, otherwise known as the "Licinian Rogations," in the latter year. This law, brought forward by Sextius and his colleague, Gaius Licinius Calvus, opened the consulship to the plebeians, and in the following year Sextius was elected the first plebeian consul. Despite the antiquity of the family, only one other member obtained the consulship during the time of the Republic. Their name occurs more often in the consular fasti under the Empire.

Lucius Calpurnius Bestia was a Roman politician, and one of the Catilinarian conspirators.

References