Publius Valerius Poplicola (consul 475 BC)

Last updated
Publius Valerius Poplicola
Died460 BC
NationalityRoman
Office Consul (475, 460 BC)

Publius Valerius Poplicola (died c. 460 BC) was consul of the Roman Republic in 475 BC and 460 BC, and interrex in 462 BC.

Prior to his consulship he was one of the two patricians sent by the senate to Sicily to retrieve grain to save Rome during a famine in 492 BC, returning a year later having succeeded. [1] [2] [3]

In his first consulship Valerius was assigned responsibility for the war against Veii and the Sabines. The Roman army was reinforced by auxiliaries from the Latin allies and the Hernici. [4]

The Sabine army was camped outside the walls of Veii. Valerius attacked the Sabine defences. The Sabines sallied forth from their camp, but the Romans had the better of the fighting, and took the gate of the Sabine camp. The forces of Veii then attacked from the city, but in some disorder, and a Roman cavalry charged routed the Veientes, giving Rome the overall victory. [5]

Valerius was awarded a triumph for the victory, which he celebrated on 1 May. [6]

In the aftermath of the pestilence that ravaged Rome in 463 BC (killing both consuls among others) Valerius was appointed interrex to hold the elections of 462 BC. [7] [8]

In his second consulship, enmity between the patricians and plebeians continued from the previous years, with the plebeian tribune Aulus Verginius making allegations that Caeso Quinctius, a prominent patrician who was exiled the previous year, was conspiring against the state and argued that this conspiracy should be investigated so that it may be put down before the rights of the Roman people could be suppressed by patrician tyranny. In response to this, Gaius Claudius Sabinus Regillensis, the consular colleague of Valerius, instead argued that the rumors of this conspiracy were baseless and were in fact contrived by the plebeian tribunes as an excuse to exile patricians who resisted plebeian demands.

This dispute however was interrupted by urgent news of a slave revolt on the Capitoline hill. This revolt was led by Appius Herdonius, a wealthy Sabine with designs either to break Rome's power or to attain regal authority. Under cover of darkness, Herdonius had seized the Capitoline hill with a force of around four thousand five hundred slaves and outcasts, slaughtering all who resisted them and summoning all slaves they could find on the hill to liberty. When the full gravity of the situation became known in the morning, the plebeians refused to help combat this insurgency unless the patricians granted them their long sought reforms. On the other hand, the ardent patricians, led by Gaius Claudius, were of the opinion that it would be preferable to fight off Herdonius without the aid of the vast bulk of the populous, even if foreign aid was required to do so, than to grant the plebeians their reforms. In reaction to such strife occurring even as part of the city was in hostile occupation, Valerius in a long speech exhorted the plebeians to help the patricians defeat Herdonius, playing to the religiosity of the Romans by stating that the temples of the gods were being held hostage by hostile marauders as well as promising to push for their desired reforms if their aid was granted. His speech appeased the plebeians and most soon vowed to combat the revolt. Lots were drawn and Valerius was assigned with the duty of taking on Herdonius on the Capitoline. With the aid of Lucius Mamillius, the dictator of Tusculum, Valerius managed to defeat and kill Appius Herdonius, however in the fighting Valerius himself was killed. [9] [10]

He is said to be the son of Publius Valerius Poplicola, the consul of 509 BC, but according to another tradition, that son fell in battle at Lake Regillus in c. 496 BC; perhaps the consul of 475 BC was his grandson. [11] [12]

Related Research Articles

Claudia gens Ancient Roman family

The gens Claudia, sometimes written Clodia, was one of the most prominent patrician houses at ancient Rome. The gens traced its origin to the earliest days of the Roman Republic. The first of the Claudii to obtain the consulship was Appius Claudius Sabinus Regillensis, in 495 BC, and from that time its members frequently held the highest offices of the state, both under the Republic and in imperial times.

Furia gens Ancient Roman family

The gens Furia, originally written Fusia, and sometimes found as Fouria on coins, was one of the most ancient and noble patrician houses at Rome. Its members held the highest offices of the state throughout the period of the Roman Republic. The first of the Furii to attain the consulship was Sextus Furius in 488 BC.

Publius Valerius Poplicola Roman aristocrat who helped overthrow monarchy (died 503 BC)

Publius Valerius Poplicola or Publicola was one of four Roman aristocrats who led the overthrow of the monarchy, and became a Roman consul, the colleague of Lucius Junius Brutus in 509 BC, traditionally considered the first year of the Roman Republic.

Secessio plebis was an informal exercise of power by Rome's plebeian citizens, similar in concept to the general strike. During the secessio plebis, the plebs would abandon the city en masse in a protest emigration and leave the patrician order to themselves. Therefore, a secessio meant that all shops and workshops would shut down and commercial transactions would largely cease. This was an effective strategy in the Conflict of the Orders due to strength in numbers; plebeian citizens made up the vast majority of Rome's populace and produced most of its food and resources, while a patrician citizen was a member of the minority upper class, the equivalent of the landed gentry of later times. Authors report different numbers for how many secessions there were. Cary & Scullard state there were five between 494 BC and 287 BC.

Appius Claudius Sabinus Regillensis or Inregillensis was the legendary founder of the Roman gens Claudia, and consul in 495 BC. He was the leading figure of the aristocratic party in the early Roman Republic.

Appius Claudius Crassus InregillensisSabinus was a Roman senator during the early Republic, most notable as the leading member of the ten-man board which drew up the Twelve Tables of Roman law around 451 BC. He is also probably identical with the Appius Claudius who was consul in 471 BC.

The gens Verginia or Virginia was a prominent family at ancient Rome, which from an early period was divided into patrician and plebeian branches. The gens was of great antiquity, and frequently filled the highest honors of the state during the early years of the Republic. The first of the family who obtained the consulship was Opiter Verginius Tricostus in 502 BC, the seventh year of the Republic. The plebeian members of the family were also numbered amongst the early tribunes of the people.

The Roman–Sabine wars were a series of wars during the early expansion of ancient Rome in central Italy against their northern neighbours, the Sabines. It is commonly accepted that the events pre-dating the Roman Republic in 509 BC are semi-legendary in nature.

The gens Laetoria was a plebeian family at ancient Rome. Its members appear regularly throughout the history of the Republic. None of the Laetorii ever obtained the consulship, but several achieved lesser offices of the Roman state.

Gaius Julius Iullus was a Roman statesman, who held the consulship in 482 BC. After a contentious election, he was chosen to represent the more moderate faction in Roman politics, while his colleague, Quintus Fabius Vibulanus, was elected by the aristocratic party. Both consuls led a Roman army against Veii, but withdrew when the Veientes refused to confront them. Thirty years later, in 451, Julius was chosen a member of the first decemvirate, alongside several other ex-consuls and other respected statesmen. Julius proved himself a man of good judgment and integrity, and helped to draw up the first ten tables of Roman law.

Lucius Julius S. f. Vop. n. Iulus was a member of the ancient patrician gens Julia. As consular tribune in 403 BC, he carried on the war with Veii.

Gaius Julius Iulus was a member of the Roman gens Julia, and was nominated dictator in 352 BC.

Gaius Claudius Ap. f. M. n. Sabinus Regillensis, was a member of the great patrician house of the Claudii at Ancient Rome. He held the consulship in 460 BC.

Spurius Oppius Cornicen was a Roman politician and member of the Second Decemvirate in 450 and 449 BC.

Publius Volumnius Amintinus Gallus was a consul of the Roman Republic in 461 BC; he served with Servius Sulpicius Camerinus Cornutus.

Spurius Nautius Rutilus was a consul of the Roman Republic in 411 and a consular tribune in 419, 416 and 404 BC.

Gaius Valerius Potitus Volusus was a consul in 410 and consular tribune in 415, 407 and 404 BC of the Roman Republic.

Lucius Valerius Potitus was a five time consular tribune, in 414, 406, 403, 401 and 398, and two times consul, in 393 and 392 BC, of the Roman Republic.

Publius Valerius Poplicola was a Roman politician and general in the mid 4th century BC who served as Roman Consul, Praetor, Dictator, and Magister Equitum during his career.

Appius Herdonius was a Sabine who led an uprising against Rome at the head of slaves and exiles. With his troops he managed in 460 BC to seize the Capitoline Hill and Arx at night.

References

  1. ↑ Broughton, vol i. pp.17
  2. ↑ Dionysius, vii, 1.3, 2.1
  3. ↑ Livy, ii, 34.3
  4. ↑ Livy, Ab Urbe condita , ii.53
  5. ↑ Livy, Ab Urbe condita, ii.53
  6. ↑ Fasti Triumphales
  7. ↑ Livy, iii, 8.2
  8. ↑ Broughton, vol i, pp.36
  9. ↑ Livy, III, 15-18
  10. ↑ Dionysius, X, 9-16
  11. ↑ Livy, ii. 52, 53, iii. 15-19.
  12. ↑ Dionysius of Halicarnassus, ix. 28, x. 14-17.
Political offices
Preceded by Roman consul
475 BC
with Gaius Nautius Rutilus 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Roman consul II
460 BC
with Gaius Claudius Sabinus Inregillensis 		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.