Quintus Poetelius Libo Visolus

Last updated

Quintus Poetelius Libo Visolus was a Roman politician, and member of the Second Decemvirate in 450 and 449 BC.

Contents

Family

He was a part of the gens Poetelia . According to Dionysius of Halicarnassus, he was plebeian. [1] [2]

Biography

Quintus Poetelius Libo Visolus was one of the ten members of the Second Decemvirate, presided over by Appius Claudius and elected in order to draft the Law of the Twelve Tables, first body of written law in the Roman Republic. [3] The Second Decemvirate was made up of just as many plebeians, like Quintus Poetelius, as it was by patricians. [1] At the instigation of Appius Claudius, the decemvirs held on to power the following year and refused to allow the annual election of consuls in 449 BC. [4] [1]

In 449 BC, a war escalated with the Sabines who established themselves in Eretum and the Aequi who had camped on Mount Algidus. [5] Roman forces were divided into two armies in order to fight on two fronts. Quintus Poetelius received command of the army which fought the Sabines, with three other decemvirs: Quintus Fabius Vibulanus, Manius Rabuleius, and Kaeso Duillius. At the time, Appius Claudius and Spurius Oppius Cornicen remained in Rome in order to ensure the defence of the city, while the other four decemvirs fought against the Aequi. [6] [7] [8]

The two Roman armies were each kept in check on both fronts. The army commanded by Quintus Poetelius withdrew to Fidenae and Crustumerium [5] then returned to the field after the death of Lucius Siccius Dentatus, former tribune of the plebs and staunch opponent of the patricians. His death was concealed as though it were a loss suffered in an ambush. [5] The soldiers then mutinied and elected ten military tribunes to command the army. They returned to Rome and camped on the Aventine before merging with the other army on Monte Sacro. [9] Under pressure from the soldiers and the plebeians, the decemvirs resigned. Appius Claudius Crassus and Spurius Oppius Cornicen remained in Rome and were imprisoned, but committed suicide during their trial. The other eight decemvirs, such as Quintus Poetelius, left Rome and went into exile. [8] [10] [11]

Related Research Articles

Decemviri 10-man commission in the Roman Republic

The decemviri or decemvirs were any of several 10-man commissions established by the Roman Republic.

Lucius Minucius Esquilinus Augurinus Roman senator

Lucius Minucius Esquilinus Augurinus was a Roman politician in the 5th century BC, consul in 458 BC, and decemvir in 450 BC.

Appius Claudius Crassus Sabinus Regillensis, usually referred to simply as Appius Claudius Crassus or Crassinus, was a Roman politician during the fifth century BC. He was consul in 451 BC, alongside Titus Genucius Augurinus, and the same year chosen one of the decemvirs, a committee of ten men chosen in the place of consuls to draw up the tables of Roman law beginning in 451. He was the only member of the college to serve a second term in 450, having appointed himself to the position, together with nine others whose opinions agreed with his or whom he was able to dominate. They continued in office the following year, without bothering to hold elections, but were overthrown in a popular revolt, and the consular government was restored.

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 gens Duilia or Duillia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome. The first of the gens to achieve prominence was Marcus Duilius, tribune of the plebs in BC 470. The family produced several important statesmen over the first three centuries of the Republic, before fading into obscurity.

Gaius Julius Iulus 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.

The Lex Trebonia was a law passed in 448 BC to forbid the tribunes of the plebs from co-opting colleagues to fill vacant positions. Its purpose was to prevent the patricians from pressuring the tribunes to appoint colleagues sympathetic to or chosen from the aristocracy.

Appius 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 471 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.

Lucius Sergius Esquilinus was a Roman politician, and member of the Second Decemvirate in 450 and 449 BC.

Servius Sulpicius Camerinus Cornutus was a Roman politician in the 5th century BC, consul in 461 BC and decemvir in 451 BC.

Titus Veturius Geminus Cicurinus was a Roman politician of the 5th century BC, consul in 462 BC and maybe decemvir in 451 BC.

Titus Romilius Rocus Vaticanus was a Roman politician in the 5th century BC, consul in 455 BC, and decemvir in 451 BC.

Titus Antonius Merenda was a Roman politician, and decemvir from 450-449 BC.

Marcus Cornelius Maluginensis was a Roman politician and member of the Second Decemvirate in 450 and 449 BC.

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

Caeso Duillius was a Roman politician, and member of the Second Decemvirate in 450 and 449 BC.

The gens Numitoria was an ancient but minor plebeian family at ancient Rome. The first member of this gens to appear in history was Lucius Numitorius, elected tribune of the plebs in 472 BC. Although Numitorii are found down to the final century of the Republic, none of them ever held any of the higher magistracies.

The gens Poetelia or Poetilia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome. Members of this gens are first mentioned in the time of the Decemvirs, and from thence down to the Second Punic War, they regularly held the chief magistracies of the Roman state. After this, however, they fade into obscurity, and are only occasionally mentioned. The nomen Poetelius is sometimes confused with Petillius, and can be found with either a single or double 'l'.

Gaius Poetelius Libo Visolus was a Roman politician and general who lived in the mid-fourth century BC and served multiple times as consul.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Broughton 1951, p. 47.
  2. ↑ Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities, X. 58
  3. ↑ Broughton 1951, p. 46.
  4. ↑ Cicero, De Republica, II. 61
  5. 1 2 3 Cels-Saint-Hilaire 1995, p. 180.
  6. ↑ Livy, Ab urbe condita, III. 38-42
  7. ↑ Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities, XI. 2
  8. 1 2 Broughton 1951, p. 48.
  9. ↑ Cels-Saint-Hilaire 1995, p. 181.
  10. ↑ Livy, Ab urbe condita, III. 43-54
  11. ↑ Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities, XI. 24-43

Bibliography

Ancient bibliography

Modern bibliography

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.