Decim Junior Silan (Consul)

Decim Yuniy Silan belonged to the plebeian family of Yuniev . The first known to the history of the carrier of the cognoman Silan was praetor in 212 BC e. ^[1] . Decim’s grandfather, who bore the same name , was allegedly Decim Junius Silan Manlian , the blood of the son of patrician Titus Manlius Torquat (consul 165 BC), who passed on adoption to the family of Decim Junius Silan ^[2] , a senator and grandson of the praetor 212 years ^[1] . Decim-adopted was praetor in 141 BC. e. ^[2] and committed suicide, convicted by his own blood father for abuses in the province ^{[3] [4] [5]} . His son Mark became the first consul in this branch of the Unievs (109 BC); he was defeated in the war with the Cimbrians . The son of Mark (presumably the second) was Decim ^[6] .

Mark Tullius Cicero in the treatise " Brutus " calls Decimus Junius his peer ^[7] ; but judging by the dates of the consulate, Silan was at least a year older, so his birth should be attributed to 107 BC. e. ^[8] It is known that he held the post of edil later than Quintus Hortensius Gortal ^[9] , that is, after 75 years, but up to 69, and the position of praetor until 66 years ^{[8] [10]} . Not later than 74 BC e. Decim Junius became a member of the priestly collegium of pontiffs ^[11] .

As an aedil, Silan organized luxurious games for the people ^[9] . In 65 BC e. he nominated himself as consul, but was defeated in the election. He made the next attempt two years later (then it was a question of magistracy 62 years BC). Other candidates were Servius Sulpicius Rufus , Lucius Licinius Murena and Lucius Sergius Katilina . The most votes were gained by Silan and Murena. Then Roof brought Muren to court on charges of bribing voters, but lost the process; No one contested the result of Silan. After these events, Katilina switched to illegal methods of struggle for power. His plot was uncovered, and many prominent members were arrested. During the meeting of the Senate on December 5, 63 BC. e., where the fate of the conspirators was discussed, Decim Junius, as the elected consul, spoke first and spoke out for capital punishment. This proposal received support, but the elected praetor Gaius Julius Caesar proposed not to execute the Catilinarians, but to sentence them to life imprisonment in different cities of Italy. Impressed by Caesar's speech, many senators changed their minds, and Silan said that he was misunderstood and that this was originally what he meant. Nevertheless, Mark Porcius Cato insisted on the death penalty ^{[12] [8]} .

Together, Decimus Junius and Lucius Licinius achieved the adoption of a law according to which copies of all legislative acts were to be stored in the treasury. Silan sought to give him a province after the expiration of his powers, but nothing is known about the result of his efforts: he is not mentioned at all in the sources after the consul. Decimus Junius apparently died soon. At least in the list of pontiffs for 57 BC. e. his name is no longer ^[8] .

Mark Tullius Cicero mentions Decimus Junius among the prominent Roman speakers in the Brutus treatise. According to him, Silan “did not differ in diligence, but he had plenty of mind and verbal ease” ^[7] .

Decimus Junius was married to the patrician Servilia , daughter of Quintus Servilius Cepion (this noble, who died during the Allied war , was known mainly as the enemy of his son-in-law and brother-in-law Marc Livius Druz ) and Libya . Silan’s brother-in-law was Marc Porcius Caton , his brother-in-law (or niece’s husband ^[13] ) was Lucius Licinius Lucullus . For Servilia, this was the second marriage; from her first husband, Mark Junius Brutus , she gave birth to a son of the same name , who later became Caesar’s murderer ^[14] .

Decim and Servilia had three daughters. Junia Prima married Publius Servilius Isaurik (consul 48 BC), Junia Secunda - for Marc Emilius Lepidus (a member of the Second Triumvirate ), Junius Terzia - for Guy Cassius Longin , Brutus’s comrade in conspiracy ^[14] .

Sources

1. Valery Maxim . Memorable deeds and sayings. - SPb. : Publishing House SPbSU, 2007. - 308 p. - ISBN 978-5-288-04267-6 .
2. Titus Livy . The history of Rome from the foundation of the city. - M .: Nauka, 1994 .-- T. 3 .-- 768 p. - ISBN 5-02-008995-8 .
3. Macrobium Saturnalia. - M .: Krug, 2013 .-- 810 p. - ISBN 978-5-7396-0257-2 .
4. Guy Sallust Crisp . About the Catilina conspiracy // Caesar. Sallust. - M .: Ladomir, 2001 .-- S. 445-487. - ISBN 5-86218-361-2 .
5. Mark Tullius Cicero . Brutus // Three treatises on oratory. - M .: Ladomir, 1994 .-- S. 253-328. - ISBN 5-86218-097-4 .
6. Mark Tullius Cicero. About the limits of good and evil // About the limits of good and evil. Paradoxes of the Stoics. - M .: Publishing House of the Russian State Humanitarian University, 2000. - P. 41-242. - ISBN 5-7281-0387-1 .
7. Mark Tullius Cicero. About duties // About old age. About friendship. About duties. - M .: Nauka, 1974. - S. 58-158.

Literature

1. Broughton R. Magistrates of the Roman Republic. - New York, 1952. - Vol. II. - P. 558.
2. Geiger J. The Last Servilii Caepiones of the Republic // Ancient Society. - 1973. - No. IV . - S. 143-156 .
3. Münzer F. Iunius 154ff // Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft . - 1918. - Bd. X, 1. - Kol. 1085.
4. Münzer F. Iunius 161 // Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft . - 1918. - Bd. X, 1. - Kol. 1089.
5. Münzer F. Iunius 163 // Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft . - 1918. - Bd. X, 1. - Kol. 1089-1090.
6. Münzer F. Iunius 169 // Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft . - 1918. - Bd. X, 1. - Kol. 1093-1095.

• Decim Junius Silan (consul) (English) . - in Smith 's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.
• Decim Yuniy Silan (consul) (Russian) . - biography on the site ancientrome.ru .