Lucius Gellius Publicola (consul 36 BCE)

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Lucius Gellius Publicola was a consul of the Roman Republic. He was the son of Lucius Gellius Publicola, the consul of 72 BCE.

He was accused of committing incest with his step-mother, and of conspiring against his father's life ; but although the latter was nearly convinced of his guilt, he allowed him to plead his cause before a large number of senators, and, in consequence of their opinion, declared him innocent.[1]

After the death of Caesar in 44 BCE, Gellius espoused the republican party, and went with Marcus Junius Brutus to Asia. Here he was detected in plotting against the life of Brutus but was pardoned at the intercession of his brother, Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus. Shortly afterwards he entered into a conspiracy to kill Gaius Cassius Longinus, but again escaped unpunished, through the intercession of his mother Polla.[2] It would hence appear that Polla had been divorced from her first husband Gellius, and had subsequently married Marcus Valerius Messalla.

Gellius, however, showed no gratitude for the leniency which had been shown him, but deserted to the triumvirs, Gaius Julius Caesar (Octavianus) and Marcus Antonius. While in their service he had coins struck, on which he appears with the title of Q. P. that is, Quaestor Propraetore (Eckhel, vol. v. p. 223). He was rewarded for his treachery by the consulship in 36 BCE.[3] In the war between Octavian and Antony, he espoused the side of the latter, and commanded the right wing of Antony's fleet at the battle of Actium. As he is not mentioned again, he probably perished in the action.[4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Valerius Maximus, Factorum et Dictorum Memorabilium Libri Novem, v.9.§1.
  2. ^ Dio Cassius, Roman History, xlvii.24; Livy, Periochae, 122.
  3. ^ Dio Cassius, Roman History, xlix.24.
  4. ^ Plutarch, Antony, 65-66; Velleius Paterculus, History of Rome, ii.85.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology by William Smith (1870).

Preceded by
Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Lucius Caninius Gallus		 Consul of the Roman Republic
with Marcus Cocceius Nerva
36 BCE		 Succeeded by
Lucius Cornificius and Sextus Pompeius
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