Digital Prosopography of the Roman Republic

AQUI1757 M'. Aquillius (11) M'. f. M'. n.

Life Dates

  • 88, death - violent (Broughton MRR II) Expand

    Executed by Mithridates.

Relationships

son of
? M'. Aquillius (10) M'. f. M'. n. (cos. 129) (AE) Expand

1995 1464

? M'. Aquillius (9) M'. f. M'. n. Crassus (grandson of? M'. Aquillius (11) M'. f. M'. n. (cos. 101)) (RE)
father of
-. Aquillius (not in RE) Florus (q. c. 70) (AE) Expand

1995 1464

grandfather of
? M'. Aquillius (9) M'. f. M'. n. Crassus (grandson of? M'. Aquillius (11) M'. f. M'. n. (cos. 101)) (Zmeskal 2009)

Career

  • Monetalis? 109 (RRC) Expand
    • ref. 300 (RRC)
  • Monetalis? 108 (RRC) Expand
    • ref. 303 (RRC)
  • Praetor before 103 (Broughton MRR I) Expand
    • Aquillius served as a Legate under Marius in 103. If he did so in 104 his praetorship should be placed earlier.{562} (Broughton MRR I)
    • The latest date possible under the Lex Villia. (Broughton MRR I)
    • p. 743, footnote 180 (Brennan 2000)
  • Legatus (Lieutenant) 103 Gallia Transalpina (Broughton MRR I) Expand
    • Placed in charge of the army in Gaul by Marius when he returned to hold the elections (Plut. Mar. 14.7). (Broughton MRR I)
  • Consul 101 (Broughton MRR I) Expand
    • Cic. De Or. 2.196; Diod. 36.10.1; Chr. 354 (Mario V et Aquilio), so also Fast. Hyd., and Chr. Pasc.; Cassiod.; on Marius, Elogium, CIL 1 .1, p. 195- Inscr. Ital. 13.3.83, and 17; and on Aquillius, CIL 1(2).2.701; Posidon. in Athen. 5.213b; Cic. De Or. 2.124. See Degrassi 128, 478f. Joining forces, Marius and Catulus together destroyed the Cimbri on July 30 (Roman calendar) near Vercellae (Cic. Cat. 4.21; Prov. Cons. 32; Caes. BG 1.40.5; Liv. Per. 68; Elogium, as above; Vell. 2.12.5; Val. Max. 5.2.8; 6.1, ext. 3; 6.9.14; Plin. NH 22.11; Frontin. Str. 2.2.8; Plut. Mar. 24-27; Flor. 1.38.14-18; Obseq. 44a; Eutrop. 5.2.1-2; Jerome Chr. ad ann. 101, pp. 148-149 Helm; Auct. Vir. Ill. 67.2; Oros. 5.16.14-22). Extravagant praises and high honors (Cic. Rab. Perd. 27; Sest. 37-38; Leg. Man. 60; Val. Max. 8.15.7; Plut. Mar. 27.5, libations; Oros. 5.16.22) included the voting of a supplicatio of 15 days (Cic. Prov. Cons. 26). He celebrated along with Catulus one triumph for his two victories (Cic. Tusc. 5.56; Liv. Per. 68; Elogium, as above; Val.{571} Max. 2.2.3; 3.6.6; 6.9.14; 8.15.7; Plin. NH 33.150; Iuvenal. 8.253; Suet. Iul. 3; Plut. Mar. 27.5-6; 44.5; Caes. 6.1; Fort. Rom. 4; Flor. 1.38.10; Eutrop. 5.2.2; Auct. Vir. Ill. 67.2; Oros. 5.16.22; Jerome Chr. p. 149 Helm; cf. Grueber, CRRBM 1.164f., 231-233; and see Degrassi 562). He set up memorials of his victory in Rome (Val. Max. 2.2.3; 6.9.14; Suet. Iul. 11; Plut. Caes. 6.1-3; cf. at Olympia, SIG 713), and built a temple to Honos and Virtus (Cic. Div. 1.59; Planc. 78; Sest. 116; Elogium, as above; Vitruv. 3.2.5; 7, praef. 17; Val. Max. 1.7.5; Fest. 468 L). His renown as the saviour of his country, his political alliance with Saturninus and Glaucia, release of his soldiers to come to the elections in Rome, and according to Rutilius and others, bribery, all combined to secure his reelection over a Metellus, perhaps Numidicus, to a sixth consulship in 100 (Liv. Per. 69; Vell. 2.12.6; Plut. Mar. 28.1-6; Auct. Vir. Ill. 67.3). Meantime Aquillius held command in Sicily in the war against the slaves (Diod. 36.10; Flor. 2.7.11-12; see 100, and 99, Promagistrates). (Broughton MRR I)
    • See MRR 1.496-497, note 1. In this note I accepted Passerini's view that the date of the SC de agro Pergameno was 129 (for the text, see now Sherk, RDGE, no. 12, pp. 63-73) in the belief that the consuls mentioned in the fragments, one with a name ending in -nius and the other with a name ending in -illius, were colleagues in the same year and thus necessarily in 129, when M'. Aquillius (10) as consul was occupied in completing the pacification and the organization of the province of Asia (MRR 1.504). Passerini's date, based on the two copies of the SC, has been accepted by many scholars (see the list in Sherk, op. cit., and now in F. De Martino, "Il Senatus Consulto de Agro Pergameno," PP, fasc. 210, 1983, 161-190) but was rejected by Magie (RRAM 2.1025, note 25), who held that 129 was too soon for disputes with the publicans to require settlement and suggested that the one consul named in office (line 17) might be the younger Aquillius (11), Cos. 101. This view has found fresh support from H.. B. Mattingly, AJPh 93, 1972, 412-423, with arguments based mainly on the dates when formulae in the text began to be used, and a prosopographical study of the names of members of the commission preserved on the stones. While F. de Martino, in his recent valuable study cited above, shows that these are insufficient criteria, since the formulae do appear earlier than Mattingly thought, and in the absence of cognomina prosopographical arguments remain uncertain, he holds that, even though certainty seems impossible, the consulship of the younger Aquillius (101 B.C.) is the more probable date. The decision to be made is about what land is subject to collection of taxes by the publicans. It may be only land of the city of Pergamum, but the discovery of fragments of the SC as far north as Adramyttium and as far south as Smyrna suggests the need of a more general settlement applicable to a wider territory, rather than a smaller one, such as defining the limits of royal land, now become ager publicus, a possibility that would be more likely before the legislation of Gaius Gracchus. This view is supported also by the unusual size of the senatorial commission (fifty-five names are known). I am still inclined to think that the consuls mentioned in lines 9 and 17 could have been colleagues in the same year, but must agree that a date such as 101 is quite possible. Accordingly, the dating in MRR of the names of the members of the senatorial commission to 129 should be queried. Addendum. See now E. Badian, "Two Notes on Senatus Consulta concerning Pergamum" (LCM 11, 1986, 14-16), who identifies C. Coelius C. f. Aemilia (listed tenth in the consilium) with C. Coelius C. f. C. n. Caldus (12), Cos. 94. As this Coelius was a "new man" (Cic. De Or. 1.117; Comm. Pet. 11), this identification supports the later date proposed for the SC, 101 B.C. (Broughton MRR III)
  • Proconsul 100 Sicilia (Broughton MRR I) Expand
    • Proconsul in Sicily, where he was acclaimed imperator for successes over the slaves in revolt (Liv. Per. 69, Procos.; Cic. De Or. 2.195; Verr. 2.3.125, and 5.5 and 14; Leg. Agr. 2.83; Flacc. 98, and Schol. Bob. 108 Stangl; Diod. 36.10; Flor. 2.7.11-12; Obseq. 45, 100 B.C.; Jerome, Chr. ad ann. 96, p. 149 Helm. (Broughton MRR I)
  • Triumphator 99 (Rich 2014) Expand
    • Ovation de serveis ex Sicilia. MRR II.2, 4n.10, Itgenshorst no. 237, Rich no. 237. (Rich 2014)
  • Proconsul 99 Sicilia (Broughton MRR II) Expand
    • 10 Obsequens (45) places Aquillius' victory in Sicily in 100, but Livy (Per. 69) puts the end of the war after the return of Metellus Numidicus from exile in 98 (see 98, Tribunes of the Plebs). As he celebrated his ovatio before January 26, 98, when the list of triumphs as preserved in Act. Tr. begins again (Degrassi 85 and 562), it is best dated in 99. (Broughton MRR II)
    • Proconsul in Sicily (Liv. Per. 69). Completed the pacification of Sicily and returned to celebrate an ovatio (Posidonius in FGrH 2A.87, 36, p. 245; Cic. De Or. 2.195; Diod. 36.10.1; Val. Max. 9.13.1; Jerome Chr. ad ann. 96, p. 149 Helm; cf. Cic. Verr. 2.5.5; Liv. Per. 69; Grueber, CRRBM 1.416; Cesano, Stud. Num. 1.220; Degrassi 562). He was later, perhaps in 98, accused of peculation but won acquittal through the appeals of Marius and the advocacy of M. Antonius (Cic. De Or. 2.194-196; Flacc. 98; Verr. 2.5.3; Brut. 222; Liv. Per. 70; Quintil. inst. Or. 2.15.7). (Broughton MRR II)
  • Legatus (Ambassador) 90 Bithynia, Cappadocia (Broughton MRR III) Expand
    • Cos. 101. Leg., amb. 90, 89, 88. The embassy of M'. Aquillius, Mallius Maltinus, and Mancinus, which was sent with instructions to restore Nicomedes of Bithynia and Ariobarzanes of Cappadocia to their thrones (see MRR 2.35-36), went in 90 and continued into 89 and 88 (see Greenidge and Clay, Sources, 2nd ed. by E. W. Gray, 149-150; cf. Badian, AJAH 1, 1976, 109 and 122, note 17). On the capture of Aquillius at Mitylene (MRR 2.43), refer also to Diod. 37.27.1. In Gran. Lic. 35, 75 (Criniti) his title is legatus, and, strangely, it is reported that years after he was killed, Sulla demanded his return from Mithridates. (Broughton MRR III)
  • Legatus (Ambassador) 89 Bithynia, Cappadocia (Broughton MRR III) Expand
    • They were sent to restore Nicomedes of Bithynia and Ariobarzanes of Cappadocia to their thrones (App. Mith. 11; Iustin 38.3.4, and 4.4-5). They then incited the kings to raid the territory of Mithridates and refused to heed the latter's protests (App. Mith. 11-17; Iustin 38.3.4-9; cf. Sall. Hist. 4.69M). Maltinus was driven from Cappadocia before negotiations ended (Iustin 38.3.8, and 4.4; cf. App. Mith. 15; Trogus Prol. 38). See 88, Legates. (Broughton MRR II)
    • Cos. 101. Leg., amb. 90, 89, 88. The embassy of M'. Aquillius, Mallius Maltinus, and Mancinus, which was sent with instructions to restore Nicomedes of Bithynia and Ariobarzanes of Cappadocia to their thrones (see MRR 2.35-36), went in 90 and continued into 89 and 88 (see Greenidge and Clay, Sources, 2nd ed. by E. W. Gray, 149-150; cf. Badian, AJAH 1, 1976, 109 and 122, note 17). On the capture of Aquillius at Mitylene (MRR 2.43), refer also to Diod. 37.27.1. In Gran. Lic. 35, 75 (Criniti) his title is legatus, and, strangely, it is reported that years after he was killed, Sulla demanded his return from Mithridates. (Broughton MRR III)
  • Legatus (Ambassador) 88 Bithynia, Cappadocia (Broughton MRR III) Expand
    • See below, Lieutenants. Cf. 90-89, Ambassadors. (Broughton MRR II)
    • Cos. 101. Leg., amb. 90, 89, 88. The embassy of M'. Aquillius, Mallius Maltinus, and Mancinus, which was sent with instructions to restore Nicomedes of Bithynia and Ariobarzanes of Cappadocia to their thrones (see MRR 2.35-36), went in 90 and continued into 89 and 88 (see Greenidge and Clay, Sources, 2nd ed. by E. W. Gray, 149-150; cf. Badian, AJAH 1, 1976, 109 and 122, note 17). On the capture of Aquillius at Mitylene (MRR 2.43), refer also to Diod. 37.27.1. In Gran. Lic. 35, 75 (Criniti) his title is legatus, and, strangely, it is reported that years after he was killed, Sulla demanded his return from Mithridates. (Broughton MRR III)
  • Legatus (Lieutenant) 88 Bithynia, Asia (Broughton MRR II) Expand
    • Defeated in Bithynia by Mithridates (Liv. Per. 77; App. Mith. 17, and 19; Iustin 38.3.8, and 4.4), captured at Mitylene (Liv. Per. 78; Val. Max. 9.13.1; Vell. 2.18.3), and killed at Pergamum (Posidon. in Athen. 5.213A, FGrH 2A, p. 245; Plin. NH 33.48; App. Mith. 21, and 112; cf. Cic. Leg. Man. 11; Scaur. 3.2; Tusc. 5.14; Schol. Gron. 317 Stangl; Memnon, in FGrH 3B. 352, 31.7). (Broughton MRR II)
    • Cos. 101. Leg., amb. 90, 89, 88. The embassy of M'. Aquillius, Mallius Maltinus, and Mancinus, which was sent with instructions to restore Nicomedes of Bithynia and Ariobarzanes of Cappadocia to their thrones (see MRR 2.35-36), went in 90 and continued into 89 and 88 (see Greenidge and Clay, Sources, 2nd ed. by E. W. Gray, 149-150; cf. Badian, AJAH 1, 1976, 109 and 122, note 17). On the capture of Aquillius at Mitylene (MRR 2.43), refer also to Diod. 37.27.1. In Gran. Lic. 35, 75 (Criniti) his title is legatus, and, strangely, it is reported that years after he was killed, Sulla demanded his return from Mithridates. (Broughton MRR III)

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