Publius Rutilius Lupus (consul 90 BCE)
Encyclopedia
Publius Rutilius Lupus was a consul
of the Roman Republic
in 90 BC.
The Social Wars broke out during his consulship. His colleague, Lucius Julius Caesar was sent out to face the Samnites, while Lupus was to fight the Marsi
. He chose Gaius Marius
as his legate
. Marius advised him to train his inexperienced troops more before meeting the enemy in battle, but Rutilius ignored this advice. Rutilius advanced and divided his troops with Marius in order to build two bridges to cross the river Liris. The Marsic commander, Vettius Scato, was encamped on the other side. He placed the main body of his troops near the bridge of Marius and sent a smaller detachment to lie in wait near Lupus's bridge. The following morning, Rutilius fell into the trap and lost most of his army; he himself received a fatal wound to the head. Marius noticed bodies floating down the river and so crossed and captured the poorly defended enemy camp.
Post-classical legend sees him as a progenitor of the Stirpe Luporum, the Italian noble families of Lupi's and Serlupi's.
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...
of the Roman Republic
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...
in 90 BC.
The Social Wars broke out during his consulship. His colleague, Lucius Julius Caesar was sent out to face the Samnites, while Lupus was to fight the Marsi
Marsi
Marsi is the Latin exonym for a people of ancient Italy, whose chief centre was Marruvium, on the eastern shore of Lake Fucinus, drained for agricultural land in the late 19th century. The area in which they lived is now called Marsica. During the Roman Republic the people of the region spoke a...
. He chose 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...
as his 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...
. Marius advised him to train his inexperienced troops more before meeting the enemy in battle, but Rutilius ignored this advice. Rutilius advanced and divided his troops with Marius in order to build two bridges to cross the river Liris. The Marsic commander, Vettius Scato, was encamped on the other side. He placed the main body of his troops near the bridge of Marius and sent a smaller detachment to lie in wait near Lupus's bridge. The following morning, Rutilius fell into the trap and lost most of his army; he himself received a fatal wound to the head. Marius noticed bodies floating down the river and so crossed and captured the poorly defended enemy camp.
Post-classical legend sees him as a progenitor of the Stirpe Luporum, the Italian noble families of Lupi's and Serlupi's.