Lucius Minucius Esquiline Avgurin

Lucius Minucius belonged to the patrician family of Minucius, whose representatives regularly held the highest positions of the Roman Republic, starting from 497 BC. e. ^[1] He was the son of a consul 492 BC. e. Publicia Minucia Avgurina ^[2] . Capitoline fasts call the name of his grandfather, Mark ^[3] . Lucius's brother was Quintus Minucius Esquiline , consul of 457 BC. e. ^[four]

Lucius Minucius was first mentioned in sources in connection with the events of 458 BC. e. when he received the consulate. Literary sources ( Titus Livy ^[5] and Dionysius of Halicarnassus ^[6] ) report that he was an ordinary consul along with Guy Nautius Rutil . According to the Capitol fasts, Esquiline became the consul-suffect and colleague of Guy Navtius after the death of the consul Carbeton ^[3] ; the author of the classic reference book on Roman magistrates, R. Broughton, considers the second option more plausible ^[7] . According to Libya, the struggle continued around this time around the legislative initiative on the codification of Roman law ( lex Terentilia ); the people's tribunes have achieved serious success by requiring the consuls to familiarize themselves with the bill within two months and explain to the people what harm is hidden in it. After that, a vote was to be held ^[8] .

But the adoption of the law was once again postponed due to external wars. Lucius Minucius led the army to the Sabines , but at a decisive moment he scared and allowed the enemy to besiege the camp. As a result of these events, the Romans had to choose a dictator - Lucius Quincius of Cincinnatus . He freed the camp from the siege and, although it harbored anger at the unlucky consul, confined himself to appointing him a legate without depriving him of command. But even before the end of the year, the army of Minucius was led by Quintus Fabius Vibulan ^[9] . For researchers, the unhistorical nature of this story by Libya is obvious ^[10] .

In 450 BC e. Lucius Minucius became a member of the second college of the Decemvirs ^[11] . The story of Livius about the war that Esquiline waged in this capacity against the EQs , according to historians, repeats the story of the consulate ^[10] . In 440, when the famine began, the plebeians secured the election of Lucius Minucius as food supply manager ( prefectus annonae ) ^[12] . In this field, he did not achieve unambiguous success. But, according to ancient authors, Esquiline was able to expose before the Senate the conspiracy of Spurius Melius , who tried to use hunger to seize royal power in Rome ^{[13] [14]} . In gratitude for this, the Senate decided to erect a statue of Lucius Minucius ^[15] . The authenticity of the ancient tradition, telling about these events, in historiography is considered indisputable ^[16] .

Sources

1. Dionysius of Halicarnassus. Roman antiquities (neopr.) . Site "Symposium". Date of treatment January 13, 2017.
2. Titus Livy. The history of Rome from the foundation of the city. - M .: Nauka, 1989 .-- T. 1. - 576 p. - ISBN 5-02-008995-8 .
3. Capitoline fasts (neopr.) . Site "History of Ancient Rome". Date of treatment January 13, 2017.

Literature

1. Broughton R. Magistrates of the Roman Republic. - New York, 1951. - Vol. I. - P. 600.
2. Münzer F. Minucius // Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft . - 1932. - Bd. Xv. - S. 1937-1939.
3. Münzer F. Minucius 33 // Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft . - 1932. - Bd. Xv. - S. 1946.
4. Münzer F. Minucius 40 // Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft . - 1932. - Bd. Xv. - S. 1950-1955.
5. Münzer F. Minucius 41 // Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft . - 1932. - Bd. Xv. - S. 1955.