GELL1822 L. Gellius (17) L. f. L. n. Tro.? Poplicola

Life Dates

  • 135?, birth (Sumner Orators) Expand

    Sumner R123.

Relationships

brother of
? Q.? Gellius (1) Tro. (Poplicola) Canus? (eq. R.) (Nicolet 1974)
married to
? - (A) Polla (married to M. Valerius (266) M. f. M'. n. Messalla Niger 'Menogenes' (cos. 61)) (Zmeskal 2009)
father of
L. Gellius (18) L. f. L. n. Poplicola (cos. 36) (Zmeskal 2009) Expand

Val. Max. V 9.1

Career

  • Aedilis before 95 (Broughton MRR II) Expand
    • 5 The date of his praetorship suggests the latest possible date for his aedileship (see Seidel, 53). (Broughton MRR II)
    • Held all magistracies up to the censorship (Val. Max. 5.9.1). (Broughton MRR II)
  • Praetor 94 inter peregrinos, Rome (Broughton MRR II) Expand
    • SIGĀ³ 732; cf. Cic. Leg. 1.53. (Broughton MRR II)
    • p. 747, footnote 261 (Brennan 2000)
  • Proconsul 93 Asia?, Cilicia (Broughton MRR II) Expand
    • 4 Since Sentius was governor of Macedonia, Gellius eum pro consule ex praetura in Graeciam venuset essetque Athenis (Cic Leg. 1.53, Vahlen's text) was proceeding either to Asia or to Cilicia. As Sulla went to Cilicia the next year with only an imperium pro praetore the province of Gellius was probably Asia. (Broughton MRR II)
    • Proconsul in Asia or Cilicia (Cic. Leg. 1.53) (Broughton MRR II)
    • Cos. 72. Pro consule ex praetura (Cic. Leg. 1.53), he was more probably governor of Asia than of Cilicia (MRR 2.15; Sumner, GRBS 19, 1978, 148; cf. Badian, Studies 87 and note 101). Cilicia was not yet a regularly organized province (Badian, loc. cit.; Sherwin-White, JRS 66, 1976, 1-14, esp. 5-8). (Broughton MRR III)
  • Legatus (Lieutenant)? 89 Italia (Broughton MRR II) Expand
    • 22 Cichorius, RS 139. (Broughton MRR II)
    • ILS 8888, listed in first place on Pompeius Strabo's staff. (Broughton MRR II)
  • Consul 72 (Broughton MRR II) Expand
    • CIL 12.2.897; Cic. Verr. 2.2.95; Balb. 19; Degrassi 131, 486f.; Chr. 354 (Publicola et Lentulo); Fast. Hyd. (Cn. Lentulo et Gellio); Chr. Pasc. (#); Oros. 5.24.4; Cassiod.; and on Lentulus, CIL 12.2.589. The Consuls carried bills to validate grants of citizenship by Pompey in Spain (Cic. Balb. 19 and 32-33, cf. 38). They checked Verres in Sicily by providing that no one in the provinces should be tried in absence on a capital charge (Cic. Verr. 2.2.94-98). Lentulus proposed that sums remitted by Sulla be collected from buyers of the property of the proscribed (Sall. Hist. 4.1 M). Both Consuls were defeated, first separately and then together, by Spartacus, and were withdrawn from command by decree of the Senate (Sall. Hist. 3.106 M; Liv. Per. 96; Plut. Crass. 9.7-10.1; Cal. Min. 8.1-2; App. BC 1.117; Flor. 2.8.10; Eutrop. 6.7.2; Oros. 5.24.4; cf. Iulian Caes. 322 D, #). (Broughton MRR II)
  • Censor 70 (Broughton MRR II) Expand
    • Cic. Verr. 2.5.15; Cluent. 120; Flacc. 45; on Lentulus, Cic. Dom. 124; and on Gellius, Val. Max. 5.9.1; Gell. 5.6.15; see Degrassi 131, 486f. They instituted a severe purge of the Senate, excluding 64 senators in all, among them a number of persons connected with the trial of Oppianicus, and Q. Curius (see 71, Quaestors), C. Antonius, Cos. 63, and Lentulus Sura, Cos. 71 (Cic. Cluent. 117-134; Sall. Hist. 4.52 M; Liv. Per. 98; Ascon. 84 C; Plut. Cic. 17.1; Dio 37.30.4). They enumerated 910,000 citizens (Liv. Per. 98; cf. Phlegon Trall. fr. 12, in FHG 3.606; Ps.-Ascon. 222 Stangl). Mommsen suggested that they named Mam. Aemilius Lepidus Livianus as Princeps Senatus (Val. Max. 7.7.6; Mommsen, RhM 19 [18641455-457). See also Plut. Pomp. 22.4-6; Apophth. Pomp. 6; Zonar. 10.2. (Broughton MRR II)
    • 1 The existence of the honored position of Princeps Senatus after the Sullan reforms remains a disputed point. It is certain that the person who was named first on the roll of the Senate lost much of his former importance because he was no longer called upon first for his opinion in Senate meetings (Gell. 14.7.9; and note for examples, Cic. Att. 1.13.2, and list in Mommsen, Str. 3.975, note 2). There were revisions of the roll of the Senate by the Censors of 70 (see above, on the exclusions), in which someone must have been listed first, as also in 61 (Die 37.46.4), perhaps in 55, since the Censors founded the lustrum, and in 50 (see 50, Censors, on the exclusions). Willems (1.115-123) suggested that beginning with the Censors of 70 there supervened a series of plebeian Principes Senatus, Q. Lutatius Catulus from 70 until his death in 61-60, P. Servilius Vatia Isauricus from 55 until his death in 44, and Cicero by decree of the Senate itself in 43. An examination of the passages adduced in support of these (Catulus: Cic. Pis. 6, princeps huius ordinis et auctor publici consili; Vell. 2.43.4, omnium confessionis senatus princeps; Plut. Vit. Pud. 15; Apophth. Cat.; Dio 36.30.4. Servilius: Schol. Gron. 322 Stangl, iste. florebat, in senatu princeps erat. Cicero : Phil. 14.18, si principatus ageretur, quam numquam expetivi; Fam. 12.24.2, me principem senatui populoque Romano professus sum; Cremutius Cordus in Senec. Suas. 6.19, princeps senatus Romanique nominis titulus) proves amply the high and influential position they held but indicates that the term princeps was probably used in a non-technical sense (see Mommsen, Str. 3.868, note 4). Mommsen holds that the honor was limited to patricians of the maiores gentes, and in practice given only to censorii or consulares (Ibid.). Accordingly the very insignificance of Mam. Aemilius Lepidus Livianus, Cos. 77, suggests that in Val. Max. 7.7.6 (conveniens Mamerco, conveniens principi senatus decretum) the term is technical and supports Mommsen's view. See Mommsen, Str. 3.868; RF 1.92-94; Rh. Mus. 19 (1864) 455-457. (Broughton MRR II)
  • Legatus Pro Praetore 67 Mediterranean (Broughton MRR II) Expand
    • Under Cn. Pompeius Magnus against the pirates: (Broughton MRR II)
    • 15 Under the Gabinian law Pompey was entitled to appoint Legates with praetorian imperium (App. Mith. 94; cf. SIGĀ³ 750; Plut. Pomp. 26) to the number, according to Plutarch, of 15 (Pomp. 25; cf. Dio 36.37), according to Appian (Mith. 94), of 24; of that number we have the names of the 15 listed above, 13 of whom held command each in one of the 13 special areas designated by Pompey (see Zonar. 10.3). Their appointment may well have been extended in a number of cases with the extension of the term of Pompey's command under the Manilian law. At any rate Gellius was still in command of a fleet in 63 (Cic. P. Red. ad Quir. 17). See Mommsen, Str. 2.656, note 2; Th. Reinach, RPh 14 (1890) 150. On his Legates and plan of campaign, see P. Groebe, Klio 10 (1910) 374-389; H. A. Ormerod, Liverpool Annals of Art and Archaeology 10 (1923) 46-51. (Broughton MRR II)
    • Had charge of the Italian coast on the Tuscan sea (Flor.; cf. App.; and in 63, Cic. P. Red. ad Quir. 17). (Broughton MRR II)
    • That these Legates continued in command for at least three years, and probably more, is indicated by the term of command of Gellius over his fleet (Cic. P. Red. ad Quir. 17, referring almost certainly to 63). (Broughton MRR II)
  • Legatus Pro Praetore 66 Mediterranean (Broughton MRR II) Expand
    • Pompey's Legates in the war with the pirates (see 67, Legates) probably remained in their positions. L. Octavius may have substituted for the deceased L. Cornelius Sisenna. (Broughton MRR II)
    • That these Legates continued in command for at least three years, and probably more, is indicated by the term of command of Gellius over his fleet (Cic. P. Red. ad Quir. 17, referring almost certainly to 63). (Broughton MRR II)
  • Legatus Pro Praetore 65 Mediterranean (Broughton MRR II) Expand
    • Other Legates appointed under the Gabinian and Manilian laws probably continued to serve under Pompey (see 67, and 66, Legates). (Broughton MRR II)
  • Legatus Pro Praetore 64 Mediterranean (Broughton MRR II)
  • Legatus Pro Praetore 63 Mediterranean (Broughton MRR II) Expand
    • Legate of Pompey (see 67, Legates). Apparently still held command of a fleet in Italy in 63 (Cic. P. Red. ad Quir. 17). (Broughton MRR II)