Lucius Aurelius Cotta
Encyclopedia
Lucius Aurelius Cotta was a Roman politician from an old noble family who held the offices of praetor (70 BC), consul (65 BC) and censor (64 BC). 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
.
While praetor
in 70 BC, he brought in a law for the reform of the jury lists, by which the judices were to be selected, not from the senators
exclusively as limited by Sulla, but from senators, equites and tribuni aerarii.
One-third were to be senators, and two-thirds men of equestrian census, one-half of whom must have been tribuni aerarii, a body as to whose functions there is no certain evidence, although in Cicero
's time they were reckoned by courtesy amongst the equites. In 66 BC, Cotta and Lucius Manlius Torquatus
accused the consuls-elect, Publius Cornelius Sulla
and Publius Autronius Paetus
, for the following year of bribery in connection with the elections; they were condemned and Cotta and Torquatus chosen in their places. The year after his consulship, in 64 BC, he was elected censor, but he and his colleague abdicated on account of the machinations of the tribunes.
After the suppression of the Catilinarian conspiracy
, Cotta proposed a public thanksgiving for Cicero's services, and after the latter had gone into exile
, supported the view that there was no need of a law for his recall, since the law of Clodius
was legally worthless.
He subsequently attached himself to his nephew, Caesar, and it was reported that Cotta (who was then quindecimvir) intended to propose that Caesar should receive the title of king, it being written in the sibylline oracles that the Parthia
ns could only be defeated by a king. Cotta's intention was not carried out in consequence of Caesar's assassination, after which he retired from public life.
Gaius Aurelius Cotta
Gaius Aurelius Cotta was a Roman statesman and orator; not to be confused with Gaius Aurelius L.f. Cotta who was Consul in 252 with Publius Servilius Q.f. Geminus....
and Marcus Aurelius Cotta
Marcus Aurelius Cotta (consul 74 BC)
Marcus Aurelius Cotta was a Roman politician and general who was consul in 74 BC and was one of the early Roman commanders who fought in the Third Mithridatic War.-Biography:...
, preceded him as consul in 75 and 74 BC respectively. His sister, Aurelia
Aurelia
Aurelia is a feminine given name. It was the name given to women of the gens Aurelia in ancient Rome. Aurelia may refer to:-Ancient:* A woman of the gens Aurelia of ancient Rome...
, was married to Gaius Julius Caesar, brother-in-law to Gaius Marius
Gaius Marius
Gaius Marius was a Roman general and statesman. He was elected consul an unprecedented seven times during his career. He was also noted for his dramatic reforms of Roman armies, authorizing recruitment of landless citizens, eliminating the manipular military formations, and reorganizing the...
and possibly 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...
, and they were the parents of the famous general and eventual dictator, Gaius 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....
.
While 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 70 BC, he brought in a law for the reform of the jury lists, by which the judices were to be selected, not from the senators
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
exclusively as limited by Sulla, but from senators, equites and tribuni aerarii.
One-third were to be senators, and two-thirds men of equestrian census, one-half of whom must have been tribuni aerarii, a body as to whose functions there is no certain evidence, although in 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...
's time they were reckoned by courtesy amongst the equites. In 66 BC, Cotta and Lucius Manlius Torquatus
Lucius Manlius Torquatus
Lucius Manlius Torquatus was a Roman politician who was elected Consul in 65 BC after the condemnation of Publius Cornelius Sulla and Publius Autronius Paetus.-Biography:...
accused the consuls-elect, Publius Cornelius Sulla
Publius Cornelius Sulla
Publius Cornelius Sulla was a politician of the late Roman Republic. He was a relative of Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix. He was elected consul in 66 BC together with Publius Autronius, but both were discovered to have committed bribery and were disqualified from the office...
and Publius Autronius Paetus
Publius Autronius Paetus
Publius Autronius Paetus was a politician of the late Roman Republic who was involved in the conspiracy of Catiline.He was elected consul in 66 BC , alongside Publius Cornelius Sulla, but before they could take office both were accused of electoral corruption by Lucius Aurelius Cotta and Lucius...
, for the following year of bribery in connection with the elections; they were condemned and Cotta and Torquatus chosen in their places. The year after his consulship, in 64 BC, he was elected censor, but he and his colleague abdicated on account of the machinations of the tribunes.
After the suppression of the Catilinarian conspiracy
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...
, Cotta proposed a public thanksgiving for Cicero's services, and after the latter had gone into exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
, supported the view that there was no need of a law for his recall, since the law of Clodius
Clodius
Clodius is an alternate form of the Roman nomen Claudius, a patrician gens that was traditionally regarded as Sabine in origin. The alternation of o and au is characteristic of the Sabine dialect...
was legally worthless.
He subsequently attached himself to his nephew, Caesar, and it was reported that Cotta (who was then quindecimvir) intended to propose that Caesar should receive the title of king, it being written in the sibylline oracles that the Parthia
Parthia
Parthia is a region of north-eastern Iran, best known for having been the political and cultural base of the Arsacid dynasty, rulers of the Parthian Empire....
ns could only be defeated by a king. Cotta's intention was not carried out in consequence of Caesar's assassination, after which he retired from public life.