Quintus Mucius Scaevola Augur
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Quintus Mucius Scaevola
Augur (ca. 159 BCE – 88 BCE) was a politician of the Roman Republic
and an early authority on Roman law. He was first educated in law by his father
(whose name he shared) and in philosophy by the stoic
Panaetius of Rhodes
.
Scaevola was made tribune
in 128 BCE, aedile
in 125 BCE, and praetor
in 121 BCE, in which capacity he acted as governor of Asia. Upon his return to Rome the following year he faced a charge of extortion brought by Titus Albucius
(probably on personal grounds) which he successfully defended. In 117 BCE, he was elected consul.
In his old age, Scaevola vigorously maintained his interest in the law and in the affairs of Rome. He also passed on his knowledge of law to some of Rome's most celebrated orators, as the teacher of Cicero
and Atticus
. In 88 BCE, he defended Gaius Marius
against Sulla's motion to have him named an enemy of the people, saying that he would never agree to have this done to a man who had saved Rome.
Cicero used the persona of his old master as an interlocutor in three works, his De Oratore
, De amicitia, and De republica.
) and had a son and two daughters. One of his daughters, Mucia, married the orator Lucius Licinius Crassus
, and the younger Mucia Minor married the Gaius Marius the Younger
. His wife, daughter, and granddaughters were all famed for the purity of their Latin.
His first cousins included the consuls and Pontifices maximi
Publius Licinius Crassus Dives Mucianus
and Publius Mucius Scaevola
. The former was father of Licinia
, wife of the ill-fated tribune Gaius Gracchus
.
Quintus Mucius Scaevola
Quintus Mucius Scaevola may refer to one of the following politicians of the Roman Republic:* Quintus Mucius Scaevola * Quintus Mucius Scaevola , governor of Sardinia* Quintus Mucius Scaevola Augur, , consul 117 BC...
Augur (ca. 159 BCE – 88 BCE) was a politician 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...
and an early authority on Roman law. He was first educated in law by his father
Quintus Mucius Scaevola (consul 174 BC)
Quintus Mucius Scaevola was a politician of the Roman Republic, believed to be the son of his namesake who was praetor in 215 BC. He was made praetor in 179 BC, and became governor of Sicily. In 174 BC he was made consul, and in 171 BC, tribune...
(whose name he shared) and in philosophy by the stoic
STOIC
STOIC was a variant of Forth.It started out at the MIT and Harvard Biomedical Engineering Centre in Boston, and was written in the mid 1970s by Jonathan Sachs...
Panaetius of Rhodes
Panaetius
Panaetius of Rhodes was a Stoic philosopher. He was a pupil of Diogenes of Babylon and Antipater of Tarsus in Athens, before moving to Rome where he did much to introduce Stoic doctrines to the city. After the death of Scipio in 129, he returned to the Stoic school in Athens, and was its last...
.
Scaevola was made 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 128 BCE, aedile
Aedile
Aedile was an office of the Roman Republic. Based in Rome, the aediles were responsible for maintenance of public buildings and regulation of public festivals. They also had powers to enforce public order. There were two pairs of aediles. Two aediles were from the ranks of plebeians and the other...
in 125 BCE, and 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 121 BCE, in which capacity he acted as governor of Asia. Upon his return to Rome the following year he faced a charge of extortion brought by Titus Albucius
Titus Albucius
Titus Albucius, was a noted orator of the late Roman Republic.He finished his studies at Athens at the latter end of the 2nd century BC, and belonged to the Epicurean sect. He was well acquainted with Greek literature, or rather, says Cicero, was almost a Greek...
(probably on personal grounds) which he successfully defended. In 117 BCE, he was elected consul.
In his old age, Scaevola vigorously maintained his interest in the law and in the affairs of Rome. He also passed on his knowledge of law to some of Rome's most celebrated orators, as the teacher 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...
and Atticus
Atticus
Atticus, a Latin name meaning "Man of Attica", may refer to any of:People*Titus Pomponius Atticus , ancient Roman littérateur / philosopher*Atticus , a Platonist philosopher and author of lost Plato commentary...
. In 88 BCE, he defended 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...
against Sulla's motion to have him named an enemy of the people, saying that he would never agree to have this done to a man who had saved Rome.
Cicero used the persona of his old master as an interlocutor in three works, his De Oratore
De Oratore
De Oratore is a dialogue written by Cicero in 55 BCE. It is set in 91 BCE, when Lucius Licinius Crassus dies, just before the social war and the civil war between Marius and Sulla, during which Marcus Antonius Orator, the other great orator of this dialogue, dies...
, De amicitia, and De republica.
Family
Scaevola married Laelia, a daughter of Gaius Laelius (close friend of Scipio Aemilianus AfricanusScipio Aemilianus Africanus
Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus Africanus Numantinus , also known as Scipio Aemilianus or Scipio Africanus the Younger, was a leading general and politician of the ancient Roman Republic...
) and had a son and two daughters. One of his daughters, Mucia, married the orator Lucius Licinius Crassus
Lucius Licinius Crassus
Lucius Licinius Crassus was a Roman consul. He was considered the greatest Roman orator of his day, by his pupil Cicero.He became consul in 95 BC. During his consulship a law was passed requiring all but citizens to leave Rome, an edict which provoked the Social War...
, and the younger Mucia Minor married the Gaius Marius the Younger
Gaius Marius the Younger
Gaius Marius Minor, also known in English as Marius the Younger or informally "the younger Marius" , was the adopted son of Gaius Marius, who was seven times consul, and a famous military commander. Appian first describes him as the son of the great Marius, but in a subsequent passage, he is...
. His wife, daughter, and granddaughters were all famed for the purity of their Latin.
His first cousins included the consuls and Pontifices maximi
Pontifex Maximus
The Pontifex Maximus was the high priest of the College of Pontiffs in ancient Rome. This was the most important position in the ancient Roman religion, open only to patricians until 254 BC, when a plebeian first occupied this post...
Publius Licinius Crassus Dives Mucianus
Publius Licinius Crassus Dives Mucianus
Publius Licinius Crassus Dives Mucianus was the son by blood of Publius Mucius Scaevola, the consul of 175 BC, and brother of Publius Mucius Scaevola...
and Publius Mucius Scaevola
Publius Mucius Scaevola
Publius Mucius Scaevola was a prominent Roman politician and jurist. He was tribune in 141 BC, praetor in 136 BC, and consul in 133 BC....
. The former was father of Licinia
Licinia
Licinia is the name of women in the gens Licinia.It can also be a personal or first name for women. The name Licinia can also refer to the Lex Licinia Sextia, an important law passed in 367 BC and taking effect the following year. Other laws promulgated by Licinian consuls were also called Lex...
, wife of the ill-fated tribune 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...
.
See also
- Mucia (gens)Mucia (gens)The gens Mucia was an ancient and noble patrician house at Rome. The gens is first mentioned at the earliest period of the Republic, but in later times the family was known primarily by its plebeian branches.-Origin of the gens:...