Digital Prosopography of the Roman Republic

VISE2027 C. Visellius (3) C. f. Qui. Varro

Status

  • Eques R? Expand

    Nicolet Ref 396. Cic. De orat. 1.191. curule aedile 59?, son of a knight before 73 (The Magistrates of the Roman Republic, Vol. II)

Life Dates

  • 105?, birth (Sumner Orators) Expand

    Sumner R204.

  • 58, death (Broughton MRR II) Expand

    MRR, Alexander.

Relationships

son of
? Helvia (18) (married to C. Visellius (1) Aculeo (eq. R. C2/C1)) (DPRR Team)
? C. Visellius (1) Aculeo (eq. R. C2/C1) (Zmeskal 2009) Expand

Cic. Brut. 264, Cic. de orat. II 2

adopted son of
? C. Visellius (1) Aculeo (eq. R. C2/C1) (Zmeskal 2009) Expand

Cic. Brut. 264, Cic. de orat. II 2

Career

  • Tribunus Militum 80 (Broughton MRR II) Expand
    • Served in Asia under C. Claudius Nero (Cic. Verr. 2.1.71). (Broughton MRR II)
  • Tribunus Militum 79 (Broughton MRR II) Expand
    • Served under Claudius Nero in Asia (Cic. Verr. 2. 1.7 1; of. Brut. 264). (Broughton MRR II)
  • Quaestor before 73 (Broughton MRR II) Expand
    • Cf. Cic. Verr. 2.1.71; Brut. 264. (Broughton MRR II)
    • The list of senators in a dated inscription of this year (SIG(3) 747) provides good evidence for the names of a group of ex-magistrates, although it is not wholly conclusive because of the additions to the Senate by the reforms of Sulla. (Broughton MRR II)
  • Tribunus Plebis? before 68 (Broughton MRR II) Expand
    • 6 Mommsen (CIL 1, p. 172), and Niccolini (FTP 422-424) are inclined to refer the Lex Visellia to a bill regulating city affairs, particularly the assignment of road commissioners, passed before 71 B. C., the date to which they attribute both the Lex Antonia de Termessensibus and the Tribunes named both there and in the above inscription. To Niccolini this implies that the law was passed before 81 when legislative powers were taken from the Tribunes, and automatically excludes C. Visellius Varro, Cicero's cousin, from being the sponsor of the bill. If L. R. Taylor correctly dates the Lex Antonia in 68 (CPh 36 [1941] 121 f., note 32) the law can be attributed to Visellius Varro and dated in 70 or 69. Varro was a Military Tribune in Asia in 79-78 (Cic. Verr. 2.1.71), a senator of quaestorian rank in 73 (SIG³ 747), and Aedile at some unknown date, perhaps about 59 (see 59, Aediles; Seidel, Fast. Aed. 62). He probably held the tribunate in 70 or 69 and carried this law. (Broughton MRR II)
    • CIL 12 .2,744, cur. viar. e lege Visellia. (Broughton MRR II)
    • Tr. pl. 69? The holding of this office depends on identifying Varro with the author of the Lex Visellia and the date of his office with the date of the law, which must in any case precede the year of the tribunes listed in 68 (MRR 2.138-139). Curule aedile and Iudex quaestionis. The texts cited in MRR 2.189 and 195 show that Visellius Varro and C. Licinius Murena were aediles together but do not give a date. As a tr. Mil. under C. Claudius Nero in Asia in 80-79 (MRR 2.81) and a recent quaestorius when witness to the SC de Oropiis in 73 (2.115), Varro would be at the proper age for an aedileship by 67 or 66 rather than the 59 of MRR and Seidl, Fast. Aed. 62. According to Cicero (Brut. 264) he died while iudex quaestionis the year after he was ledile. C. Licinius Murena (119), younger brother of the consul of 62, could easily have been of aedilician age by 67 or 66 (Sumner, Orators 138-139). But some delay is still possible, and the legal expert and cousin of Cicero may be the Visellius who drew up in late 58 for the incoming tribune Fadius a draft of a law for Cicero's recall (Cic. Att. 3.23.4), and the aedileship in 59 and the office of iudex quaestionis in 58 may be accepted. (Broughton MRR III)
    • p. 257-63 (Thommen 1989)
  • Aedilis Curulis 59 (Broughton MRR III) Expand
    • 4 Seidel (FA 62) suggests 59 as an approximate date. Varro's career (Tr. Mil. 79, Q. before 73, Tr. Pl. perhaps by 68) favors an earlier date for his aedileship, but if Murena was a younger brother of the Consul of 62 Seidel's conjecture is probable. (Broughton MRR II)
    • Cic. Brut. 264; Vitruv. 2.8.9; Plin. NH 35.173. (Broughton MRR II)
    • Tr. pl. 69? The holding of this office depends on identifying Varro with the author of the Lex Visellia and the date of his office with the date of the law, which must in any case precede the year of the tribunes listed in 68 (MRR 2.138-139). Curule aedile and Iudex quaestionis. The texts cited in MRR 2.189 and 195 show that Visellius Varro and C. Licinius Murena were aediles together but do not give a date. As a tr. Mil. under C. Claudius Nero in Asia in 80-79 (MRR 2.81) and a recent quaestorius when witness to the SC de Oropiis in 73 (2.115), Varro would be at the proper age for an aedileship by 67 or 66 rather than the 59 of MRR and Seidl, Fast. Aed. 62. According to Cicero (Brut. 264) he died while iudex quaestionis the year after he was ledile. C. Licinius Murena (119), younger brother of the consul of 62, could easily have been of aedilician age by 67 or 66 (Sumner, Orators 138-139). But some delay is still possible, and the legal expert and cousin of Cicero may be the Visellius who drew up in late 58 for the incoming tribune Fadius a draft of a law for Cicero's recall (Cic. Att. 3.23.4), and the aedileship in 59 and the office of iudex quaestionis in 58 may be accepted. (Broughton MRR III)
  • Iudex Quaestionis 58 (Broughton MRR III) Expand
    • Held this position after his aedileship (Cic. Brut. 264; see 59, Aediles, Curule). See Lübker no. 1. (Broughton MRR II)
    • Tr. pl. 69? The holding of this office depends on identifying Varro with the author of the Lex Visellia and the date of his office with the date of the law, which must in any case precede the year of the tribunes listed in 68 (MRR 2.138-139). Curule aedile and Iudex quaestionis. The texts cited in MRR 2.189 and 195 show that Visellius Varro and C. Licinius Murena were aediles together but do not give a date. As a tr. Mil. under C. Claudius Nero in Asia in 80-79 (MRR 2.81) and a recent quaestorius when witness to the SC de Oropiis in 73 (2.115), Varro would be at the proper age for an aedileship by 67 or 66 rather than the 59 of MRR and Seidl, Fast. Aed. 62. According to Cicero (Brut. 264) he died while iudex quaestionis the year after he was ledile. C. Licinius Murena (119), younger brother of the consul of 62, could easily have been of aedilician age by 67 or 66 (Sumner, Orators 138-139). But some delay is still possible, and the legal expert and cousin of Cicero may be the Visellius who drew up in late 58 for the incoming tribune Fadius a draft of a law for Cicero's recall (Cic. Att. 3.23.4), and the aedileship in 59 and the office of iudex quaestionis in 58 may be accepted. (Broughton MRR III)

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