Lucius Licinius Murena
Encyclopedia
Lucius Licinius Murena was Roman consul
in 62 BC. His father had the same name.
At the end of the First Mithridatic War
, he was left in Asia by Sulla in command of the two legions formerly controlled by Gaius Flavius Fimbria
. Sulla had left Mithridates in control of his kingdom of Pontus
, but Murena made a pre-emptive strike against what he alleged was re-armament by Mithridates, invading Pontus and thus triggering the Second Mithridatic War
. After his forces lost a minor battle to Mithridates in 81, Murena retreated back to his province to regroup. Sulla then ordered for peace to be restored.
In the following Third Mithridatic War
, he was for several years legate
of Lucius Licinius Lucullus
, in command of a legion.
In 65 BC
he was praetor
and made himself popular by the magnificence of the games provided by him. As administrator of Transalpine Gaul after his praetorship he gained the goodwill of both provincials and Romans by his impartiality.
In 62 BC
he was elected consul, but before entering upon office he was accused of bribery
by Servius Sulpicius, an unsuccessful competitor, supported by Marcus Porcius Cato the younger
and Servius Sulpicius Rufus
, a famous jurist and son of the accuser. Murena was defended by Marcus Licinius Crassus
(afterwards triumvir), Quintus Hortensius
and Cicero
(Pro Murena), and acquitted, although it seems probable that he was guilty.
During his consulship he passed a law (lex Junia Licinia
) which enforced more strictly the provision of the lex Caecilia Didia
--that laws should be promulgated three nundinae before they were proposed to the comitia, and further enacted that, in order to prevent forgery, a copy of every proposed statute should be deposited before witnesses in the aerarium
.
Roman consul
A consul served in the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic.Each year, two consuls were elected together, to serve for a one-year term. Each consul was given veto power over his colleague and the officials would alternate each month...
in 62 BC. His father had the same name.
At the end of the First Mithridatic War
First Mithridatic War
The First Mithridatic War was a war challenging Rome's expanding Empire and rule over the Greek world. In this conflict, the Kingdom of Pontus and many Greek cities rebelling against Rome were led by Mithridates VI of Pontus against the Roman Republic and the Kingdom of Bithynia...
, he was left in Asia by Sulla in command of the two legions formerly controlled by Gaius Flavius Fimbria
Gaius Flavius Fimbria
Gaius Flavius Fimbria was a Roman politician and a violent partisan of Gaius Marius. He fought in the First Mithridatic War.-Partisan of Marius:...
. Sulla had left Mithridates in control of his kingdom of Pontus
Pontus
Pontus or Pontos is a historical Greek designation for a region on the southern coast of the Black Sea, located in modern-day northeastern Turkey. The name was applied to the coastal region in antiquity by the Greeks who colonized the area, and derived from the Greek name of the Black Sea: Πόντος...
, but Murena made a pre-emptive strike against what he alleged was re-armament by Mithridates, invading Pontus and thus triggering the Second Mithridatic War
Second Mithridatic War
The Second Mithridatic War was one of three wars fought between Pontus and the Roman Republic. The second Mithridatic war was fought between King Mithridates VI of Pontus and the Roman general Lucius Licinius Murena....
. After his forces lost a minor battle to Mithridates in 81, Murena retreated back to his province to regroup. Sulla then ordered for peace to be restored.
In the following Third Mithridatic War
Third Mithridatic War
The Third Mithridatic War was the last and longest of three Mithridatic Wars fought between Mithridates VI of Pontus and his allies and the Roman Republic...
, he was for several years legate
Legatus
A legatus was a general in the Roman army, equivalent to a modern general officer. Being of senatorial rank, his immediate superior was the dux, and he outranked all military tribunes...
of Lucius Licinius Lucullus
Lucullus
Lucius Licinius Lucullus , was an optimate politician of the late Roman Republic, closely connected with Sulla Felix...
, in command of a legion.
In 65 BC
65 BC
Year 65 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Cotta and Torquatus...
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...
and made himself popular by the magnificence of the games provided by him. As administrator of Transalpine Gaul after his praetorship he gained the goodwill of both provincials and Romans by his impartiality.
In 62 BC
62 BC
Year 62 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Silanus and Murena...
he was elected consul, but before entering upon office he was accused of bribery
Bribery
Bribery, a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or...
by Servius Sulpicius, an unsuccessful competitor, supported by Marcus Porcius Cato the younger
Cato the Younger
Marcus Porcius Cato Uticensis , commonly known as Cato the Younger to distinguish him from his great-grandfather , was a politician and statesman in the late Roman Republic, and a follower of the Stoic philosophy...
and Servius Sulpicius Rufus
Servius Sulpicius Rufus
Servius Sulpicius Rufus , surnamed Lemonia from the tribe to which he belonged, was a Roman orator and jurist.He studied rhetoric with Cicero, and accompanied him to Rhodes in 78 BC. Finding that he would never be able to rival his teacher he gave up rhetoric for law...
, a famous jurist and son of the accuser. Murena was defended by Marcus Licinius Crassus
Marcus Licinius Crassus
Marcus Licinius Crassus was a Roman general and politician who commanded the right wing of Sulla's army at the Battle of the Colline Gate, suppressed the slave revolt led by Spartacus, provided political and financial support to Julius Caesar and entered into the political alliance known as the...
(afterwards triumvir), Quintus Hortensius
Quintus Hortensius
Quintus Hortensius Hortalus was a Roman orator and advocate.At the age of nineteen he made his first speech at the bar, and shortly afterwards successfully defended Nicomedes IV of Bithynia, one of Rome's dependants in the East, who had been deprived of his throne by his brother. From that time...
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...
(Pro Murena), and acquitted, although it seems probable that he was guilty.
During his consulship he passed a law (lex Junia Licinia
Lex Junia Licinia
The Lex Junia Licinia or Lex Junia et Licinia was an ancient Roman law produced in 62 BC that confirmed the similar Lex Caecilia Didia of 98 BC....
) which enforced more strictly the provision of the lex Caecilia Didia
Lex Caecilia Didia
The Lex Caecilia Didia was a law put into effect by the consuls Q. Caecilius Metellus Nepos and Titus Didius in the year 98 BCE. This law had two provisions. The first was a minimum period between proposing a Roman law and voting on it, and the second was a ban of miscellaneous provisions in a...
--that laws should be promulgated three nundinae before they were proposed to the comitia, and further enacted that, in order to prevent forgery, a copy of every proposed statute should be deposited before witnesses in the aerarium
Aerarium
Aerarium was the name given in Ancient Rome to the public treasury, and in a secondary sense to the public finances....
.