Episode 98 – Cincinnatus, Suffect Consul The Partial Historians

It's c. 460 BCE and

this hectic year in Roman history continues! In this episode we

consider Rome in the wake of the sneak attack on the Capitol by

Herdonius' disaffected Sabines. During the challenges of wrestling

control back, the Romans lose one of their own. The consul Publius

Valerius Pubicola falls in battle. This is a tragic loss and opens

the way for Lucius Cincinnatus to return to the narrative.















Episode 98 - Cincinnatus, Suffect Consul







Looking to catch up on the narrative before diving into this episode? You can find out more about the earlier events of this year here.







Who's Who







Consuls







*

Publius

Valerius P. f. Volusi n. Publicola (cos II)

*

Gaius

Claudius Ap. f. M. n. Inrigillensis (or Regillensis) Sabinus









Suffect Consul







* Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus







Tribune of the Plebs







*

Aulus

Verginius

*

Marcus

Volscius Fictor









A Man of the Land







There's nothing

quite like a man who farms. For fans of men of the land, Cincinnatus

is here for you. We explore the important symbolism of Cincinnatus

working the land and his reaction to learning about his election as

suffect consul.









A New Political

Strategy







Cincinnatus takes

the opportunity to lead in a new way. With much rhetorical flourish,

our new consul lays forth a plan that spells trouble for the

plebeians and the ambitions of the tribunes. We dig into the

discrepancies between our sources - Livy and Dionysius of

Halicarnassus have different takes on the essential narrative. This

is very revealing in terms of thinking about the aims of our written

sources for this period.







Things to Look

Forward To







*

a taking of

auspices

*

a desire for

a dictator

*

some

senatorial love for our man Cincinnatus









Alexandre Cabanel 1843. Cincinnatus receiving the ambassadors of Rome. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons







Our Sources







Primary sources







*

Dr G is

reading Dionysius of Halicarnassus Roman Antiquities

10.17-19

*

Dr

R is reading Livy 3.19.1-3









Secondary

sources







*

Broughton,

T. R. S. 1951. The Magistrates of the Roman Republic,

Volume I

(American Philological Association)

*

Eck,

W. (Colonge) 'Suffect Consul' Brill's New Pauly,

Cancik, H. Schneider, H., Salazar, C. F. (eds.), accessed online

29-9-2019

*

Lomas,

K. 2017. The Rise

of Rome: from the Iron Age to the Punic Wars (1000-264

BC) (Profile Books)

*

Müller,

C. (Bochum) 'Q. Cincinnatus, L.'

Brill's New Pauly,

Cancik, H. Schneider, H., Salazar, C. F. (eds.), accessed online

29-9-2019