Tiberius Aemilius Mamercinus (consul 467 BC)

Tiberius Aemilius Mamercinus or Mamercus was a Roman senator active in the fifth century BC. He was consul in 470 and 467 BC.

Family

Mamercinus was a member of the Aemilii Mamercini, a branch of the gens Aemilia. He was the son of Lucius Aemilius Mamercus, consul in 484, 478, and 473, and the grandson of a Mamercus Aemilius.[1]

Biography

In 470, Mamercinus was elected consul with Lucius Valerius Potitus Publicola as colleague. The political situation in Rome was strained, the tribunes of the plebs continued to demand that land be distributed equally to the people. Livy states that Mamercinus argued in favour of land distributions to the plebs. Tribunes Marcus Duillius and Gnaeus Siccius prosecuted Appius Claudius Sabinus, who was bitterly opposed to their legislation that distributed land to the people, however he died before the proceedings ended.[2][3]

The Aequi and the Sabines, taking advantage of the internal conflict at Rome, made raids into Roman territory. Potitus was sent to fight the Aequi, while Mamercinus fought a campaign against the Sabines. The Sabines confined themselves to their camp and would not engage the Roman army. Mamercinus laid waste the Sabine countryside, and also the villages, prompting the Sabines to come forth to stop him. An uncertain battle was fought, and both sides retreated, however the war continued in following years.[4][5][6]

Mamercinus was elected consul a second time in 467, with Quintus Fabius Vibulanus as his colleague. Mamercinus again supported the agrarian law of the plebeian tribunes in favor of a distribution of land to the people and was confronted by the conservative senators. With his colleague Vibulanus, he successfully bought an end to the conflict by passing a law that the lands of the Volsci at the new Roman colony of Antium be distributed. Three commissioners were named for the purpose of dividing the lands.[7][8][9]

Mamercinus launched another military expedition against the Sabines along with his colleague who fought the Aequi. He did not provoke a long battle, despite extensive pillaging of Sabine territory.[10][11]

Notes

  1. ↑ Broughton 1951, p. 31
  2. ↑ Livy II, 61; III, 1
  3. ↑ Broughton, p. 31
  4. ↑ Livy II, 62-64
  5. ↑ Dionysius of Halicarnassus IX, 51-55
  6. ↑ Broughton 1951, p. 31
  7. ↑ Broughton 1951, p. 32
  8. ↑ Livy III, 1.2-5
  9. ↑ Dionysius of Halicarnassus IX, 59.1-3
  10. ↑ Livy III, 1
  11. ↑ Dionysius of Halicarnassus IX, 59

Bibliography

Primary sources

Secondary sources

  • Broughton, Thomas Robert Shannon (1951), The Magistrates of the Roman Republic, Philological Monograph No. 15, New York: American Philological Association, ISBN 0-89130-811-3
Political offices
Preceded by
Appius Claudius Sabinus
Titus Quinctius Capitolinus Barbatus		 Consul of the Roman Republic
with Lucius Valerius Potitus Publicola
470 B.C.		 Succeeded by
Titus Numicius Priscus
Aulus Verginius Caeliomontanus
Preceded by
Titus Quinctius Capitolinus Barbatus II
Quintus Servilius Priscus Structus		 Consul of the Roman Republic
with Quintus Fabius Vibulanus
467 BC		 Succeeded by
Quintus Servilius Priscus Structus II
Spurius Postumius Albus Regillensis
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