Jade Thomas Assessment 4 AHIS1220

In the year 132 BC; P. Popillius C.F. P.N. Laenas and P. Rupilius P.f. P.n. were the elected

consuls of Rome in the period known as the late Republic. Their small achievements are

overcome by both consuls' eventual banishment from Rome and the poor recording in the

time of crisis, after slave revolts, and the military losing their might.

Little is known about Publius Popillius Laenas. It is said he became a Legate in 146 BCE1

and he was possibly born around 174BCE. No accounts of a wife or any children exist,

however in this regard it is likely that this is simply an issue of sources, however there is no

certainty in this regard. Because he was banished, even if he did have children, they would

not likely want to continue his line, which would have been the mark of a successful man.

Sallust2 describes the way in which nobility of this period passed the consulship amongst

themselves to continue their dynasty, whether they passed it onto their children or their

greater family. However, given the heights of his achievement, as consul his success is

unlikely to be only explained by the influence of his family.

In Publius Rupilius’ case not much is known about his early life. Cicero3 explains that the

two of them are the same age, placing Rupilius’ birth around 185 BC. It is not known

whether he had children or a wife, however it is known that he had a brother; Lucius Rupilius

P. f. P. n., whom tried with Scipio Aemilianus’ help to become consul after Publius’s

banishment. He had a coin commissioned to honour his achievements in the battlefield, the

1
The identity of the “younger” Popillius Laenas is uncertain. It could be, him listed under 146 BCE, ‘Legates, Envoys’, M.
Popillius (cos. 139) or, P. Popillius (cos. 132).

2
Sallust. Jug. 63.6

3
Cicero, Laelius or de Amicitia (“On Friendship”) [XXVII ] 101 (Loeb translation, modified): (Laelius
speaking)
“Virtue (virtus) ... both creates the bond of friendship and preserves it ... That feeling of goodwill (benevolentia)
is stronger between men of the same age (inter aequalis), as between Scipio, Lucius Furius, Publius Rupilius,
Spurius Mummius, and myself” — all these men, therefore, were born around 185 BCE.

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Jade Thomas Assessment 4 AHIS1220

obverse holding the head of Jupiter with a cornucopia4 behind, and on the reverse The legend

P.RV and a standing soldier (facing left) with spear5.

Publius Popillius Laenas was then made Praetor6 in 135 BCE, possibly serving in Sicily. The

Lex Villia Annalis prescribed that a consulship could not be held until three years after a

man’s praetorship. Thus, Popillius must have been a praetor in 135 or earlier. An inscription

from Polla7 was (possibly) erected in his honour; “I also as praetor in Sicily sought out the

fugitives belonging to the Italici (“men from Italy”?) and returned 917 men.”. This is not a

concreate fact as the issue of who this inscription was written for and about is in dispute,

because Popillius’ name never actually appears on the inscription. The main reason to

classify this as an inscription referring to Popillius, is the fact that it was found in the vicinity

of Polla which was, in ancient times, called Forum Popilii – literally ‘“Popillius’ Forum” —

and this is the place mentioned to in the last line of the existing inscription. One of the more

concreate achievements made by Popillius is the construction of the Via Popilia. The

inscription from Polla also mentions the building of a road 8 by a praetor in Sicily, therefore

is more than likely the very same Publius Popillius Laenas; “I made the road from Rhegium

to Capua and on that road placed all the bridges, milestones, and ‘signposts’ (tabelarii). There

are 51 miles to Nuceria; 84 to Capua; 74 to Muranum; 123 to Consentia; 180 to Valentia; 231

4
A cornucopia (or ‘Horn of Plenty’) was a horn (often a goat one) filled with fruit and ears of grain, a symbol of
abundance and prosperity.
5
“The head of Jupiter on the coins of C. CALP, A. POM, L. POS and P. RV exhibit a great
similarity/correspondence; all four pieces have on the obverse the cornucopia, and all are missing the [Palermo]
monogram on the reverse. This undoubtedly suggests that these four officials/magistrates are (relatively) of the
same age”; Barfeldt (art.cit. above), 400–401 [no. 53].

7
An inscription from Polla (Forum Popilii?)
CIL 12 2.638 = ILS 23; cf. 637 = ILLRP 454 (p. 330)
8
The Polla Inscription, Milestone and elogium (CIL 12 2.638 [p. 725, 833, 922]; 10, 6950 (p 1019) = Dessau,
Incriptiones Latinae Selectae 23; Inscriptiones Italiae 272 = ILLRP 454 (p 330) = EDCS [the Epigraphik
Datenbank ID number] 21800404.

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to the strait at the Statue; 237 to Rhegium. Total from Capua to Rhegium 321…”. The Via

Popillia which was Popillius' crowning achievement was not cited in ancient sources. It was

finally recognised as Popillius' doing after a signpost was discovered in 1844 located near

Adria. The signpost, otherwise known as the Polla, indicated the name of the man who had it

built, Publius Popilius, and the beginning of the road was over 130 kilometres farther south.

This information, together with that provided by two Roman itineraries, the Atonine Iternary

and the Tabula Peutingeriana, eventually led to the identification of this road as being built by

the consul Publius Popilius Laenas and having had Ariminum as its starting position. The two

itineraries pointed towards Ariminum as the starting point; however, it did not mention Atria

and had it stopping in Altinum through different routes.9 10

Publius Rupilius was a “tax farmer”11 in his early career, meaning he collected tax for the

government “P. Rupilius was not a tax farmer (publicanus) in Sicily, but he worked for the

tax farmers. He also eked out his extreme poverty (ultima inopia) by hiring his services

(officium) to the allies (sociis — to the socii [“allies”], in this case perhaps the Italian traders

and businessmen working in Sicily).”. Claude Nicolet, in his register of equites includes

Rupilius in the equestrian order, this means Rupilius was possibly entering into the

consulship as a ‘novus homo’12 or as a ‘new man’ or the first person in his family to reach

consulship; “the Romans used to call men who had no family distinction, but were coming

into public notice through their own achievements, ‘new men’”. He then ran for consul in the

year 133 BCE; “ Now, in the first place, you must render to each friend as much aid as you

9
(Assorati, 2011)
10
(Per antiche vie, 2014)
11
Val. Max. 6.9 (Concerning Change of Character or Fortune”).8 (Loeb trans., modified)”
12
Plutarch Cato the Elder 1.1

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Jade Thomas Assessment 4 AHIS1220

can ... as Scipio [Aemilianus] was able to do when he made Publius [Rupilius] consul ...” 1314

and then was elected as consul in 132 BCE. 15 Rupilius’ main achievement over the course of

his consulship was bringing the slave revolt to an end. 16 17 Later in life he was banished from

Rome thanks to his treatment of Tiberius Gracchus’ friends for as a Praetor, Popillius

banished them 18 as well as the harsh treatment Rupilius inflicted upon them. When Rupilius

was banished he asked Scipio to help his brother become consul as he had helped him, at the

news of his brother Lucius Rupilius’ failure to become consul, Rupilius apparently died on

the spot, according to Pliny the Elder.19

In conclusion, the consuls of 132 BCE showed the nobility of Rome to be fast falling, the

consulship of Rupilius shows that at least, Romans standards for the consulship had shifted,

he was not ‘one of them’.

13
Cicero, Laelius or de Amicitia (“On Friendship”) 73
14
All the manuscripts of this text have the name Rutilius here, but C.F. Halm in the 1861 Orelli-Baiter- Halm
edition of Cicero’s Laelius suggested that the word ‘Rutilius’ be replaced with ‘Rupilius’ (to make the statement
historically plausible), and that is now generally followed. Scipio, as you will realize, could not make Rupilius
consul. This means he used all his influence to have elected.
15
Fast. Cap. Degrassi 52f., 125f., 470f.
Fasti Capitolini (the ‘Capitoline consular lists’) (for the year 132)P. Popi[ll]ius C.f. P.[n. Laenas] P. Rupilius
P.f. P.n. meaning:
Publius Popillius, son of Gaius, grandson of Publius, Laenas Publius Rupilius, son of Publius, grandson of
Publius
16
Diodorus Sicilus, The Library of History 34/35. 2.20–23 [= Photius, The Library, pp. 384– 386 B] (Loeb
translation) “(20) In Sicily, however, the trouble grew. Cities were captured with all their inhabitants, and many
armies were cut to pieces by the rebels, until Rupilius, the Roman commander (stratègos), recovered
Tauromenium…”
17
Diodorus Sicilus, The Library of History 34/35. 2.20–23 [= Photius, The Library, pp. 384– 386 B] (Loeb
translation) “(23) Thereupon Rupilius, traversing the whole of Sicily with a few picked troops, sooner than had
been expected rid it of every nest of robbers.”
18
Plutarch, C. The Life of Caius Gracchus, 4.2 (Loeb trans.) “(2)Of these laws, one had the direct effect of
branding with infamy Marcus Octavius, who had been deposed from the tribunate by Tiberius; and by the other
Popillius was affected, for as praetor he had banished the friends of Tiberius. Popillius, indeed, without standing
his trial, fled out of Italy; but the other law was withdrawn by Caius himself, who said that he spared Octavius at
the request of his mother Cornelia.”
19
Pliny the Elder, Natural History 7.36.122 (Loeb translation) “Publius Rutilius, when suffering from a slight
illness… received news of his brother’s defeat in his candidature for the consulship, and immediately expired on
the spot (ilico expiravit).

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Jade Thomas Assessment 4 AHIS1220

Elogium for P. Popillius

Here rests Publius Popillius Laenas, son of Gaius, grandson of

Publius, Legate, Praetor, Consul. As a Legate, he attended the
General Assembly of the Achaeans in Corinth to convince the
Achaeans against hostilities against Rome. As a Praetor he was
commemorated in an inscription in the Polla, and as a consul he
built the road from Rhegium to Capua. A man whose desire was
for all roads to lead back to Rome, and be worthy of the name
Popillius.

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Jade Thomas Assessment 4 AHIS1220

Bibliography:

 Sallust, 1921. The War With Catiline. Loeb Classical Library.

 Cicero, Laelius or de Amicitia (“On Friendship”) [XXVII ] 101 (Loeb translation,
modified
 L. Beness and T. Hillard (eds), The Consuls of 132 (Macquarie University, 2020).
 The Polla Inscription, Milestone and elogium (CIL 12 2.638 [p. 725, 833, 922]; 10, 6950
(p 1019) = Dessau, Incriptiones Latinae Selectae 23; Inscriptiones Italiae 272 = ILLRP
454 (p 330) = EDCS [the Epigraphik Datenbank ID number] 21800404.
 Assorati, G., 2011. Patrimonio Culturale Dell'emilia-Romagna. [online]
Bbcc.ibc.regione.emilia-romagna.it. Available at: <http://bbcc.ibc.regione.emilia-
romagna.it/pater/loadcard.do?id_card=160617> [Accessed 25 May 2020].
 2014. Per Antiche Vie. Bologna: Compositori.
 Encyclopedia Britannica. 2020. Ancient Rome - The Reform Movement Of The Gracchi
(133–121 Bc). [online] Available at: <https://www.britannica.com/place/ancient-
Rome/The-reform-movement-of-the-Gracchi-133-121-bc> [Accessed 24 May 2020].
 Cicero, Disputations, IV. XVII.40 (Loeb trans.)
 Fragmentary Republican Latin, Volume III: Oratory, Part I, 48 C. (Loeb trans.)
 Valerius Maximus, Memorable Doings and Sayings, V.3.4. (Loeb Trans.)
 Velleius Paterculus, The History of Rome, II.7.4 (Loeb trans.)
 Arthur E. Gordon, Illustrated Introduction to Latin Epigraphy, Berkeley - Los Angeles
London 1983
 Augustus, Alison E. Cooley, Res Gestae Divi Augusti: Text, Translation, and
Commentary
 Cicero, Against Verres. II.XVI.40 (Loeb trans.)
 Valerius Maximus, Memorable Doings and Sayings, VI.9.8-9. (Loeb trans.)
 Livy, Summaries, LIX. (Loeb trans.)

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Dr. Lea Beness