Tiberius Coruncanius

Tiberius Coruncanius (died 241 BC) was Roman consul, and military commander in 280 BC – 279 BC, who was known for his military contests with Pyrrhus (of "Pyrrhic victory" fame). He was the first plebeian Pontifex Maximus in the Ancient Roman Republic, and possibly the first Roman teacher of law.

Biography

Coruncanius, of plebeian descent, is believed to have hailed from Tusculum.[1]

He was first elected consul in 280 BC with Publius Valerius Laevinus, and led an expedition into Etruria against the Etruscan cities. When Pyrrhus of Epirus invaded Italia, and defeated the Roman legions of Laevinus at the Battle of Heraclea, Tiberius' legions were recalled to Rome to bolster the defense of Roman territory.

In 254 BC or 253 BC, he was the first plebeian elected Pontifex Maximus, or chief priest of the Roman Republic, which position had been previously monopolized by patricians. He died in 241 BC and was succeeded by another plebeian briefly.

Impact

He was the first who publicly professed law (publice professus est), known to be both eloquent and full of knowledge.[2] Like Socrates, he left no writings.

His public legal instruction had the effect of creating a class of legally skilled non-priests (jurisprudentes), a sort of consultancy. After Coruncanius' death, instruction gradually became more formal, with the introduction of books on law beyond the then scant official Roman legal texts.[3]

It is possible that as the first plebeian Pontifex Maximus, Coruncanius allowed members of the public and students of the law of Ancient Rome to attend his consultations tasked with giving legal advice to citizens. These consultations were probably held outside the College of Pontiffs, and thus accessible to all those interested. As such, he became the first teacher of Roman law. (How students of law learned their material earlier is unknown).[4]

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ George Long article, p. 655 of A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Anqiquities by William Smith. John Murray, London 1875.
  3. ^ Unknown. "legal education." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 4 March 2007 <http://secure.britannica.com/eb/article-9106475>.
  4. ^ [2]
Political offices
Preceded by
Lucius Aemilius Barbula and Quintus Marcius Philippus		 Consul of the Roman Republic
with Publius Valerius Laevinus
280 BC		 Succeeded by
Publius Sulpicius Saverrio and Publius Decius Mus
Religious titles
Preceded by
unknown		 Pontifex Maximus of the Roman Republic
254 BC – 241 BC		 Succeeded by
Lucius Caecilius Metellus
509 BC: Papirius 449 BC: Q. Furius 431 BC: A. Cornelius Cossus 420 BC: Spurius Minucius 390 BC: M. Fabius Vibulanus 390 BC: M. Fabius Ambustus 332 BC: P. Cornelius Calussa 304 BC: P. Cornelius Scipio Barbatus 254 BC: Tib. Coruncanius 243 BC: L. Caecilius Metellus 221 BC: L. Cornelius Lentulus Caudinus 213 BC: M. Cornelius Cethegus 212 BC: P. Licinius Crassus Dives 183 BC: C. Servilius 180 BC: M. Aemilius Lepidus 150 BC: P. Cornelius Scipio Nasica Corculum 141 BC: P. Cornelius Scipio Nasica Serapio 132 BC: P. Licinius Crassus Dives Mucianus 130 BC: P. Mucius Scaevola 114 BC: L. Caecilius Metellus Delmaticus 103 BC: Cn. Domitius Ahenobarbus 89 BC: Q. Mucius Scaevola 81 BC: Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius 63 BC: Julius Caesar 44 BC: M. Aemilius Lepidus 12 BC: Augustus 12 BC - 375: Held by the Emperors.