Marcus Aemilius Scaurus (praetor 56 BC)
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Marcus Aemilius Scaurus was a Roman politician of the 1st century BC and son of Marcus Aemilius Scaurus.
Scaurus lost his father very young, but his education was insured by several family friends. Pompey the Great was briefly married to his sister Aemilia Scaura and, even after her death, he continued to take personal interest on the young man.
During the Third Mithridatic War, Pompey asked for Scaurus by name to become his military tribune, and charged Scaurus, at the time quaestor with the responsibility for the Judea region. The area was involved in a bloody civil war between the brothers Hyrcanus and Aristobulus. Caught in a siege by the Nabatean king Aretas III, Aristobulus asked for Pompey's intervention through Scaurus, and offered an enormous bribe. After Scaurus convinced Aretas to end the siege (64 BC), Aristobulus accused Scaurus of the extortion of 1000 talents, but Pompey, who trusted his brother in law, decided to give Judea to his opponent Hyrcanus (63 BC).
In 62 BC, when Pompey had returned to Rome, Scaurus moved war to Petra, capital of the Nabatean Kingdom, but relieved the siege after receiving a bribe of 300 talents. In 58 BC, as aedile, Scaurus organized the aedilician games, long remembered for their extravagance.
Praetor (56 BC) and propraetor (55 BC) in Sardinia, Scaurus was supported by the First Triumvirate for the consulship in 54 BC, but was accused of extortion in his province. Scaurus was defended by Cicero, and acquitted in spite of his obvious guilt. In 53 BC, however, he was accused of ambitio (shameless bribery) and went into exile.
Scaurus' death is mentioned in the Dead Sea scrolls.
[edit] References
M. Aemilius Scaurus in Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology
