Mark Plavtius Gipsey

Mark belonged to the plebeian family of Plavtiev , whose representatives often held consular posts in the 4th century BC. e. Then Plavthia disappeared from history and returned to it in the second half of the II century BC. e. The Gypsies became the most prominent branch of the family, and Mark became the only one for this era, Floating in a consular post. There are no specific information on the family ties between him and his relatives (in particular, Lucius Plavius ​​Gipsei , praetor 135 BC), ^[1] .

Little is known about the biography of Mark Plavtius. Given the date of his consul and the requirements of the law of Willius , which established a certain order of magistracy , Gipsey was due no later than 128 BC. e. hold the position of praetor ^[2] . Soon after, he participated as an advocate in one trial, where the praetor Mark Licinius Agelast was the judge , and Gnei Octavius ​​was the prosecutor. According to Mark Tullius Cicero , “Gipsei loudly and verbally sought from Praetor Mark Crassus nothing more than permission to ruin his client’s business” ^[3] . Since Octavia calls the source "former consul", this process was to take place in 127 or 126 BC. e. ^[four]

In 126 BC e. Marc Plavtius won the consular election. Anticologist Friedrich Münzer suggested that Gypsy did this thanks to the support of the consuls of the current year, Lucius Aurelius Orestes and Marcus Emilius Lepidus . The second consul was patrician Mark Fulvius Flaccus ^[5] , an energetic ally of the Gracchus brothers . Gypsum in the internal struggle was on the side of the Senate "party"; This can also be confirmed by the fact that Guy Sempronius Gracchus at some point made a speech “against Plavtius” ( in Plautium ). The text of this speech is completely lost. According to one version, it was pronounced against Gipsei ^{[6] [4]} .

It is known that the Senate sent Flaccus to Gaul to keep him away from Rome. Presumably Gipsei also received some kind of province: in the same year, when the Italian city of Fregella rebelled against Rome, it was only praetor who suppressed the uprising. There is a hypothesis that Mark Plavtius ruled shortly before the formation of the province of Asia , since at the end of 126 BC. e. from there returned the first viceroy, Manius Aquilius , to Rome. After the consul, Gipsey is not mentioned in the sources ^[4] .

In the treatise of Mark Tullius Cicero “ On the Orator ”, Mark Plavius ​​is mentioned among the “talkers” who cannot be considered real speakers ^[3] .

Mark Plavtius had a son of the same name , known as the naval commander and husband of Orestilla ^[7] .

Sources

1. Mark Tullius Cicero. About the speaker // Three treatises on oratory. - M .: Ladomir, 1994. - S. 75—272. - ISBN 5-86218-097-4 .

Literature

1. Felsberg E. The Gracchi Brothers. - Yuriev: Printing house of K. Mattisen, 1910. - 248 p.
2. Broughton R. Magistrates of the Roman Republic. - New York: American Philological Association, 1951. - Vol. I. - P. 600.
3. Münzer F. Plautius // Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft . - 1951. - Bd. XXI, 1. - Kol. 1-4.
4. Münzer F. Plautius 21 // Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft . - 1951. - Bd. XXI, 1. - Kol. 14-15.
5. Münzer F. Plautius 22 // Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft . - 1951. - Bd. XXI, 1. - Kol. 15-16.