Gaius Scribonius Curio
Encyclopedia
Gaius Scribonius Curio was the name of a father and son who lived in the late Roman Republic
.
Curio was tribune of the plebs
in 90 BC. He served later under Lucius Cornelius Sulla
in Greece
as a legate in Asia
during the campaign to restore the abandoned kingdoms of Mithridates
. He laid siege to the tyrant Artistion, who had taken position on the Acropolis
, during the attack on Athens
. Several years later, he was elected consul
in 76 BC with Gnaeus Octavius. After his consulship in 76 BC, he went to Macedon
ia as governor. He successfully fought the Dardani
and the Moesia
ns, for which he won a military triumph
. He was the first Roman general to penetrate to the Danube
.
A friend of Cicero
, he supported him during the Catiline
Conspiracy. Curio spoke in favor of Publius Clodius Pulcher
when he was on trial for violating the rites of Bona Dea
. Cicero spoke out against Clodius and Curio, though this did not interfere with their friendship. He became an opponent to Julius Caesar
and wrote a political dialogue against him. Curio died in 53 BC.
, Julius Caesar
, Mark Antony
and Cicero
. He was known as a distinguished orator. Curio's character was very conspicuous and profligate. Despite his faults, Cicero assisted him in every way and evidently wrote several letters to him.
Curio built Rome’s first amphitheatre
, with seating built on a pivot that could move the entire audience, in his father’s memory and celebrated games there. About 52 BC, he married Fulvia
, a granddaughter of Gaius Gracchus
. He had a stepdaughter, Clodia Pulchra
, but no natural children.
During his term as tribune
in 50 BC, he became a supporter of Caesar. In return for his support, Caesar paid off his debt. According to Tacitus
, Caesar bribed him for his oratory.
Before the Civil War, Curio was one of the last politicians to call on Pompey and Caesar to make peace.
Curio was praetor
in 49 BC. While fighting under Caesar, he was sent to Africa to stop King Juba I of Numidia
(a supporter of Pompey). Although he won the Battle of Utica (49 BC)
, he was eventually defeated by Juba, along with aid from Attius Varus
, at the Second Battle of the Bagradas River
and fought to his death, along with his army, rather than attempting to flee to his camp.
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...
.
Father
Gaius Scribonius Curio (d. 53 BC) was a Roman statesman and orator. He was nicknamed Burbulieus (after an actor) for the way he moved his body while speaking. Curio was noted as a public orator and for the purity of his Latin language.Curio was tribune of the plebs
Tribune
Tribune was a title shared by elected officials in the Roman Republic. Tribunes had the power to convene the Plebeian Council and to act as its president, which also gave them the right to propose legislation before it. They were sacrosanct, in the sense that any assault on their person was...
in 90 BC. He served later under Lucius Cornelius Sulla
Lucius Cornelius Sulla
Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix , known commonly as Sulla, was a Roman general and statesman. He had the rare distinction of holding the office of consul twice, as well as that of dictator...
in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
as a legate in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
during the campaign to restore the abandoned kingdoms of Mithridates
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...
. He laid siege to the tyrant Artistion, who had taken position on the Acropolis
Acropolis
Acropolis means "high city" in Greek, literally city on the extremity and is usually translated into English as Citadel . For purposes of defense, early people naturally chose elevated ground to build a new settlement, frequently a hill with precipitous sides...
, during the attack on Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. Several years later, he was elected 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 76 BC with Gnaeus Octavius. After his consulship in 76 BC, he went to Macedon
Macedon
Macedonia or Macedon was an ancient kingdom, centered in the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, bordered by Epirus to the west, Paeonia to the north, the region of Thrace to the east and Thessaly to the south....
ia as governor. He successfully fought the Dardani
Dardani
Dardania was the region of the Dardani .Located at the Thraco-Illyrian contact zone, their identification as either an Illyrian or Thracian tribe is uncertain. Their territory itself was not considered part of Illyria by Strabo. The term used for their territory was , while for other tribes had...
and the Moesia
Moesia
Moesia was an ancient region and later Roman province situated in the Balkans, along the south bank of the Danube River. It included territories of modern-day Southern Serbia , Northern Republic of Macedonia, Northern Bulgaria, Romanian Dobrudja, Southern Moldova, and Budjak .-History:In ancient...
ns, for which he won a military 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...
. He was the first Roman general to penetrate to the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
.
A friend 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...
, he supported him during the 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...
Conspiracy. Curio spoke in favor of Publius Clodius Pulcher
Publius Clodius Pulcher
Publius Clodius Pulcher was a Roman politician known for his popularist tactics...
when he was on trial for violating the rites of Bona Dea
Bona Dea
Bona Dea was a divinity in ancient Roman religion. She was associated with chastity and fertility in women, healing, and the protection of the Roman state and people...
. Cicero spoke out against Clodius and Curio, though this did not interfere with their friendship. He became an opponent to 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....
and wrote a political dialogue against him. Curio died in 53 BC.
Son
Gaius or Quintus Scribonius Curio (d. 49 BC), was the son of Gaius Scribonius Curio. He was a friend to PompeyPompey
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as Pompey or Pompey the Great , was a military and political leader of the late Roman Republic...
, 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....
, Mark Antony
Mark Antony
Marcus Antonius , known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. As a military commander and administrator, he was an important supporter and loyal friend of his mother's cousin Julius Caesar...
and 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...
. He was known as a distinguished orator. Curio's character was very conspicuous and profligate. Despite his faults, Cicero assisted him in every way and evidently wrote several letters to him.
Curio built Rome’s first amphitheatre
Amphitheatre
An amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
, with seating built on a pivot that could move the entire audience, in his father’s memory and celebrated games there. About 52 BC, he married Fulvia
Fulvia
Fulvia Flacca Bambula , commonly referred to as simply Fulvia, was an aristocratic Roman woman who lived during the Late Roman Republic. Through her marriage to three of the most promising Roman men of her generation, Publius Clodius Pulcher, Gaius Scribonius Curio and Mark Antony, she gained...
, a granddaughter of Gaius Gracchus
Gaius Gracchus
Gaius Sempronius Gracchus was a Roman Populari politician in the 2nd century BC and brother of the ill-fated reformer Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus...
. He had a stepdaughter, Clodia Pulchra
Clodia Pulchra
Clodia Pulchra, also known as Claudia was the daughter of Fulvia by her first husband Publius Clodius Pulcher. She was the stepdaughter of Mark Antony and half-sister of Marcus Antonius Antyllus and Iullus Antonius....
, but no natural children.
During his term as tribune
Tribune
Tribune was a title shared by elected officials in the Roman Republic. Tribunes had the power to convene the Plebeian Council and to act as its president, which also gave them the right to propose legislation before it. They were sacrosanct, in the sense that any assault on their person was...
in 50 BC, he became a supporter of Caesar. In return for his support, Caesar paid off his debt. According to Tacitus
Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
, Caesar bribed him for his oratory.
Before the Civil War, Curio was one of the last politicians to call on Pompey and Caesar to make peace.
Curio was praetor
Praetor
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...
in 49 BC. While fighting under Caesar, he was sent to Africa to stop King Juba I of Numidia
Juba I of Numidia
Juba I of Numidia was a King of Numidia. He was the son and successor to King of Numidia Hiempsal II.- Family :...
(a supporter of Pompey). Although he won the Battle of Utica (49 BC)
Battle of Utica (49 BC)
The Battle of Utica was fought between Julius Caesar's general Gaius Scribonius Curio and Numidian cavalry and foot soldiers sent by King Juba I of Numidia and commanded by Publius Attius Varus...
, he was eventually defeated by Juba, along with aid from Attius Varus
Publius Attius Varus
Publius Attius Varus was the Roman governor of Africa during the civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompeius Magnus . He declared war against Caesar, and initially fought and defeated Gaius Scribonius Curio, who was sent against him in 49 BC.-Political career:Varus held the office of praetor no...
, at the Second Battle of the Bagradas River
Battle of the Bagradas River (49 BC)
The Battle of the Bagradas River occurred on August 24 and was fought between Julius Caesar's general Gaius Scribonius Curio and the Pompeian Republicans under Publius Attius Varus and King Juba I of Numidia...
and fought to his death, along with his army, rather than attempting to flee to his camp.
External links
- Roman coinage of Gaius Scribonius Curio (father)
- C. Scribonius Curio in the Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and MythologyDictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and MythologyThe Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology is an encyclopedia/biographical dictionary.- Characteristic :...
by William SmithWilliam Smith (lexicographer)Sir William Smith Kt. was a noted English lexicographer.-Early life:Born at Enfield in 1813 of Nonconformist parents, he was originally destined for a theological career, but instead was articled to a solicitor. In his spare time he taught himself classics, and when he entered University College...