Gaius Sempronius Tuditanus (consul 129 BC)
Encyclopedia
Gaius Sempronius Tuditanus was a politician and historian of the Roman Republic
. He was consul
in 129 BC
.
. The Roman orator and politician Cicero
confused several times the younger Tuditanus with his father and was informed of his mistake by his friend Titus Pomponius Atticus
in May 45 BC.
Probably the younger Tuditanus is first attested in 146 BC as officer of Lucius Mummius Achaicus
in his war in Greece. In 145 BC Tuditanus was Quaestor
. Probably because he was an adherent of the Scipiones he could pass the curule offices within the legally allowed periods without any problems. In 132 BC he was Praetor
.
Tuditanus achieved the peak of his career in 129 BC when he became consul together with Manius Aquillius
. He had to govern the province Italy and was ordered by a resolution of the senate to decide on the legitimacy of the accusations of dispossessed Roman allies whose estates had been annexed by the Gracchi
an commission for the allocation of fields. But Tuditanus did not want to fulfill his task. Instead he went to Illyria
, allegedly because of an imminent war. In this way he also prevented the allocation of additional fields.
At the beginning Tuditanus’ campaign against the people of the Iapodes was not successful. But with the support of his military experienced tribune Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus
he finally could gain a decisive victory. Therefore he obtained a triumph
over the beaten tribe. He immortalized his victories over the Iapodes and the Histri by an inscription of a statue – which is partly preserved by Pliny the Elder
– and also by a dedication to the river god Timavus in Aquileia
(perhaps identical with the statue), which bore a victory inscription in Saturnians
and of which were found two fragments in 1906. Probably the Roman poet Hostius
celebrated his deeds in the poem Bellum Histricum.
Nothing is known about the further life of Tuditanus.
and wrote a tendentious treatise on Roman constitutional law (libri magistratuum) in at least 13 books for the political support of his party. On the other side Marcus Junius Congus Gracchanus was the author of a similar work De postetatibus in at least seven books that served for the purposes of the party of the Gracchi. These both works were the earliest of their kind in the Roman literature. The libri magistratuum dealt with the intercalation
, the appointment of the Plebeian Tribunes, the nundinae (market and feast days of the old Roman calendar) etc.
Because some quotations (e. g. about the original inhabitants of Latium
called Aborigines, about the discovery of books, that allegedly belonged to the legendary Roman king Numa Pompilius
, etc.) do not seem to fit into a work about constitutional law, some scholars attribute to Tuditanus another work dealing with the Roman history from the beginnings to the 2nd century BC.
It was probably the Roman universal scholar Marcus Terentius Varro
who found out that Tuditanus used the annalists Cato the Elder
and Lucius Cassius Hemina
as sources for his works and besides that his account corresponded with that given by his contemporary Lucius Calpurnius Piso Frugi
, but differed (because of the above-mentioned) from that by Junius Gracchanus. And it was again Varro who delivered the most preserved quotations of Tuditanus by later authors (Dionysius of Halicarnassus
, Pliny the Elder, Macrobius Ambrosius Theodosius). But two quotations by Aulus Gellius
(Attic Nights 7.4.1 and 13.15.4) go back to the historian Quintus Aelius Tubero (whose son of the same name
was consul in 11 BC) and the augur Messalla respectively.
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...
. He 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 129 BC
129 BC
Year 129 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Tuditanus and Aquillius...
.
Biography
Gaius Sempronius Tuditanus was a member of the plebeian gens Sempronia. His father had the same name and was senator and in 146 BC member of a commission of ten men who had to reorganize the political conditions in GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. The Roman orator and politician 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...
confused several times the younger Tuditanus with his father and was informed of his mistake by his friend Titus Pomponius Atticus
Titus Pomponius Atticus
Titus Pomponius Atticus, born Titus Pomponius , came from an old but not strictly noble Roman family of the equestrian class and the Gens Pomponia. He was a celebrated editor, banker, and patron of letters with residences in both Rome and Athens...
in May 45 BC.
Probably the younger Tuditanus is first attested in 146 BC as officer of Lucius Mummius Achaicus
Lucius Mummius Achaicus
Lucius Mummius , was a Roman statesman and general, also known as Leucius Mommius. He later received the agnomen Achaicus after conquering Greece.-Praetor:...
in his war in Greece. In 145 BC Tuditanus was Quaestor
Quaestor
A Quaestor was a type of public official in the "Cursus honorum" system who supervised financial affairs. In the Roman Republic a quaestor was an elected official whereas, with the autocratic government of the Roman Empire, quaestors were simply appointed....
. Probably because he was an adherent of the Scipiones he could pass the curule offices within the legally allowed periods without any problems. In 132 BC he 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...
.
Tuditanus achieved the peak of his career in 129 BC when he became consul together with 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...
. He had to govern the province Italy and was ordered by a resolution of the senate to decide on the legitimacy of the accusations of dispossessed Roman allies whose estates had been annexed by the Gracchi
Gracchi
The Gracchi brothers, Tiberius and Gaius, were Roman Plebian nobiles who both served as tribunes in 2nd century BC. They attempted to pass land reform legislation that would redistribute the major patrician landholdings among the plebeians. For this legislation and their membership in the...
an commission for the allocation of fields. But Tuditanus did not want to fulfill his task. Instead he went to Illyria
Illyria
In classical antiquity, Illyria was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by the Illyrians....
, allegedly because of an imminent war. In this way he also prevented the allocation of additional fields.
At the beginning Tuditanus’ campaign against the people of the Iapodes was not successful. But with the support of his military experienced tribune Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus
Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus
Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus was a Roman politician and general of the 2nd century BC. He was the son of the consul Marcus Junius Brutus and brother of the praetor Marcus Junius Brutus; he himself was appointed consul in 138 BC...
he finally could gain a decisive victory. Therefore he obtained 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...
over the beaten tribe. He immortalized his victories over the Iapodes and the Histri by an inscription of a statue – which is partly preserved by Pliny the Elder
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
– and also by a dedication to the river god Timavus in Aquileia
Aquileia
Aquileia is an ancient Roman city in what is now Italy, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about 10 km from the sea, on the river Natiso , the course of which has changed somewhat since Roman times...
(perhaps identical with the statue), which bore a victory inscription in Saturnians
Saturnian (poetry)
Saturnian meter or verse is an old Latin and Italic poetic form, of which the principles of versification have become obscure. Only 132 complete uncontroversial verses survive. 95 literary verses and partial fragments have been preserved as quotations in later grammatical writings, as well as 37...
and of which were found two fragments in 1906. Probably the Roman poet Hostius
Hostius
Hostius, was a Roman epic poet, who probably flourished in the 2nd century BC.He was the author of a Bellum Histricum in at least seven books, of which only a few fragments remain. The poem is probably intended to celebrate the victory gained in 129 by Gaius Sempronius Tuditanus over the Illyrian...
celebrated his deeds in the poem Bellum Histricum.
Nothing is known about the further life of Tuditanus.
Works
Tuditanus was also an author but only a few fragments of his works have been preserved. Cicero emphasized his elegant style. In the internal Roman power struggles Tuditanus belonged to the OptimatesOptimates
The optimates were the traditionalist majority of the late Roman Republic. They wished to limit the power of the popular assemblies and the Tribunes of the Plebs, and to extend the power of the Senate, which was viewed as more dedicated to the interests of the aristocrats who held the reins of power...
and wrote a tendentious treatise on Roman constitutional law (libri magistratuum) in at least 13 books for the political support of his party. On the other side Marcus Junius Congus Gracchanus was the author of a similar work De postetatibus in at least seven books that served for the purposes of the party of the Gracchi. These both works were the earliest of their kind in the Roman literature. The libri magistratuum dealt with the intercalation
Intercalation
Intercalation is the insertion of a leap day, week or month into some calendar years to make the calendar follow the seasons or moon phases. Lunisolar calendars may require intercalations of both days and months.- Solar calendars :...
, the appointment of the Plebeian Tribunes, the nundinae (market and feast days of the old Roman calendar) etc.
Because some quotations (e. g. about the original inhabitants of Latium
Latium
Lazio is one of the 20 administrative regions of Italy, situated in the central peninsular section of the country. With about 5.7 million residents and a GDP of more than 170 billion euros, Lazio is the third most populated and the second richest region of Italy...
called Aborigines, about the discovery of books, that allegedly belonged to the legendary Roman king Numa Pompilius
Numa Pompilius
Numa Pompilius was the legendary second king of Rome, succeeding Romulus. What tales are descended to us about him come from Valerius Antias, an author from the early part of the 1st century BC known through limited mentions of later authors , Dionysius of Halicarnassus circa 60BC-...
, etc.) do not seem to fit into a work about constitutional law, some scholars attribute to Tuditanus another work dealing with the Roman history from the beginnings to the 2nd century BC.
It was probably the Roman universal scholar Marcus Terentius Varro
Marcus Terentius Varro
Marcus Terentius Varro was an ancient Roman scholar and writer. He is sometimes called Varro Reatinus to distinguish him from his younger contemporary Varro Atacinus.-Biography:...
who found out that Tuditanus used the annalists Cato the Elder
Cato the Elder
Marcus Porcius Cato was a Roman statesman, commonly referred to as Censorius , Sapiens , Priscus , or Major, Cato the Elder, or Cato the Censor, to distinguish him from his great-grandson, Cato the Younger.He came of an ancient Plebeian family who all were noted for some...
and Lucius Cassius Hemina
Lucius Cassius Hemina
Lucius Cassius Hemina, Roman annalist, composed his annals in the period between the death of Terence and the revolution of the Gracchi.He wrote in Latin around 146 BC, including the earliest chronicle concerning the career of Mucius Scaevola....
as sources for his works and besides that his account corresponded with that given by his contemporary Lucius Calpurnius Piso Frugi
Lucius Calpurnius Piso Frugi (consul 133 BC)
Lucius Calpurnius Piso Frugi was a Roman consul in 133 BC, historian and representative of older Roman annalists. He was of plebeian origin....
, but differed (because of the above-mentioned) from that by Junius Gracchanus. And it was again Varro who delivered the most preserved quotations of Tuditanus by later authors (Dionysius of Halicarnassus
Dionysius of Halicarnassus
Dionysius of Halicarnassus was a Greek historian and teacher of rhetoric, who flourished during the reign of Caesar Augustus. His literary style was Attistic — imitating Classical Attic Greek in its prime.-Life:...
, Pliny the Elder, Macrobius Ambrosius Theodosius). But two quotations by Aulus Gellius
Aulus Gellius
Aulus Gellius , was a Latin author and grammarian, who was probably born and certainly brought up in Rome. He was educated in Athens, after which he returned to Rome, where he held a judicial office...
(Attic Nights 7.4.1 and 13.15.4) go back to the historian Quintus Aelius Tubero (whose son of the same name
Quintus Aelius Tubero
Quintus Aelius Tubero was a Roman consul in 11 BC. He was most likely the father of Sextus Aelius Catus, who was himself consul in 4 AD. His granddaughter was Aelia Paetina, who married future Emperor Claudius in 28. Her adopted brother was Lucius Aelius Sejanus, the Praetorian Prefect who was...
was consul in 11 BC) and the augur Messalla respectively.