Quintus Pedius Publicola
Encyclopedia
Quintus Pedius Publicola or sometimes spelt as Poplicola (flourished 1st century BC) was a Roman
who came from a Roman senatorial family. Publicola was the son of consul Quintus Pedius
and noblewoman Valeria.
The elder Pedius was nephew or great nephew of dictator Gaius Julius Caesar
. Valeria was related (perhaps a sister) to senator Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus
.
His cognomen
Publicola or Poplicola means in Latin ‘friend of the people‘. His mother named him this cognomen in honor of her step father consul Lucius Gellius Publicola
and also the name Publicola is a cognomen that appears in Valeria’s paternal ancestry, the gens
Valeria
. Valeria has various paternal ancestors with the cognomen Publicola.
Very little is known on Publicola’s life. Publicola was quaestor
in 41 BC and served as a Roman senator. Publicola is remembered from his political career as a distinguished orator. The great Roman poet
and satirist Horace
, celebrates Publicola’s oratory and mentions Publicola in his writings (Serm.i. 10.28) within the company of his maternal uncle Corvinus.
Publicola married an unnamed Roman woman and they had a son called Quintus Pedius
, who was deaf and became a painter on the advice of Corvinus.
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
who came from a Roman senatorial family. Publicola was the son of consul Quintus Pedius
Quintus Pedius
Quintus Pedius was a Roman who lived during the late Roman Republic. Pedius was the son of a Marcus or Quintus Pedius and nephew or great nephew of the Roman dictator Julius Caesar....
and noblewoman Valeria.
The elder Pedius was nephew or great nephew of 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....
. Valeria was related (perhaps a sister) to senator Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus
Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus
Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus was a Roman general, author and patron of literature and art.-Family:He was the son of politician Marcus Valerius Messalla Niger Although, some dispute his parentage and claim another descendant of Marcus Valerius Corvus to be his father.Messalla Corvinus is...
.
His cognomen
Cognomen
The cognomen nōmen "name") was the third name of a citizen of Ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. The cognomen started as a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became hereditary. Hereditary cognomina were used to augment the second name in order to identify a particular branch within...
Publicola or Poplicola means in Latin ‘friend of the people‘. His mother named him this cognomen in honor of her step father consul Lucius Gellius Publicola
Lucius Gellius Publicola
Lucius Gellius Publicola was a Roman politician and general who was one of two Consuls of the Republic in 72 BC along with Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Clodianus...
and also the name Publicola is a cognomen that appears in Valeria’s paternal ancestry, the gens
Gens
In ancient Rome, a gens , plural gentes, referred to a family, consisting of all those individuals who shared the same nomen and claimed descent from a common ancestor. A branch of a gens was called a stirps . The gens was an important social structure at Rome and throughout Italy during the...
Valeria
Valerius
Valerius is the nomen of gens Valeria, one of the oldest patrician families of Rome. The name was in use throughout Roman history...
. Valeria has various paternal ancestors with the cognomen Publicola.
Very little is known on Publicola’s life. Publicola 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....
in 41 BC and served as a Roman senator. Publicola is remembered from his political career as a distinguished orator. The great Roman poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and satirist Horace
Horace
Quintus Horatius Flaccus , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:...
, celebrates Publicola’s oratory and mentions Publicola in his writings (Serm.i. 10.28) within the company of his maternal uncle Corvinus.
Publicola married an unnamed Roman woman and they had a son called Quintus Pedius
Quintus Pedius (deaf painter)
Quintus Pedius was a Roman painter and the first deaf person in recorded history known by name. He is the first recorded deaf painter and his education is the first recorded education of a deaf child...
, who was deaf and became a painter on the advice of Corvinus.
Sources
- http://books.google.com/books?id=fj8oQ4lzteIC&pg=PA206&lpg=PA206&dq=pedius+poplicola&source=web&ots=ul8EMArTip&sig=u78k_NqYrIZg7llbhncmC_TNAek#PPA501,M1
- http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/2497.html
- http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/2933.html