Publius Autronius Pet

Publius Autronius belonged to a noble plebeian family. He was born around 108 BC. e. ^[1] It is known that Pet studied with Mark Tullius Cicero , who was his buddy in his youth and a fellow in questure ^[2] ; the latter, respectively, is dated 75 BC. e. ^[3] In 73 BC e. Pet was a legate in Greece (possibly under the command of Mark Anthony of Crete , who fought with pirates) ^[4] ; no later than 68 BC e., in accordance with the requirements of the Cornelian law, he was to hold the position of praetor ^[5] .

In the consular elections 66 years BC. e. Publius Autronius triumphed with patrician Publius Cornelius Sulla , but did not enter the powers. Unlucky rivals, Lucius Aurelius Cotta and Lucius Manlius Torquatus , accused him and Sulla of violating the electoral law ( de ambitu ), and on this basis the election results were annulled. Pete lost not only his position, but also his membership in the Senate, as well as the right to continue political activity ^{[6] [7] [8]} . Ancient authors claim that immediately after these events, at the end of 66 BC. e., Publius Autronius, Sulla, Lucius Sergius Katilina , and also, according to some reports, Mark Licinius Crassus and Gaius Julius Caesar decided to seize power in the Republic, while killing the new consuls (Torquat and Cotta). Their plans became known, and the Senate granted consuls protection ^{[9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14]} , but none of the conspirators was punished. Many researchers consider this story to be just a propaganda myth developed by Caesar’s enemies ^[15] .

In December 64 BC e. people's stands Lucius Cecilius Rufus (brother of Sulla) proposed to mitigate punishments for violations of the electoral law. If this initiative were accepted, Pete could return to the Senate and pursue a career, but Ruf soon withdrew his bill ^{[16] [17] [8]} .

In 63 BC e. Publius Autronius was implicated in Catilina's second plot . Antique authors rank him among the confidants of the head of the conspiracy ^{[18] [19] [20]} ; Cicero claims that Pet planned to massacre on the Champ de Mars during the next consular election in September, participated in a meeting on the night of November 6–7, during which he was tasked with establishing control over Etruria ^[21] , and sent two armed men to his house Cicero to kill him in front of his wife and children ^[2] . Allobrog ambassadors during testimony before the Senate on December 3 named Pet among the main conspirators ^{[22] [23]} . The next day, a certain Lucius Tarquinius testified on the same subject, saying that Mark Licinius Crassus also belongs to the plot. The senators did not believe this, and immediately an opinion appeared: “that Publius Autronius invented all this, so that, having named Crassus, it was easier because of the danger for everyone to cover up the remaining conspirators with his power” ^{[24] [8]} .

Apparently, Peta was not in Rome these days: he was not one of those Catilinarians who were arrested and executed on December 5 without trial. The following year (62 BC), Publius Autronius was brought to trial under the Plavtiev Law on Violence. He asked Cicero to become his protector, but he refused and testified against Pet. As a result, a guilty verdict was passed. The public had to go into exile. It is known that in 58 BC. e. he lived in Epirus , and by 46 BC e., when Cicero mentioned him in the treatise " Brutus, or On the famous speakers, " was already dead ^[8] .

The main source telling about Publius Autronius is Cicero’s speech “In Defense of Sulla”, delivered in 62 BC. e. In it, the speaker tried to give Pete the most negative characterization, contrasting it with his client ^[8] . Mark Tullius says:

[Publius Autronius] has always been impudent, arrogant and depraved; we know that, defending himself from accusations of promiscuous behavior, he is accustomed not only to use the most obscene words, but also to use his fists and legs; that he drove people out of their possessions, massacred among neighbors, robbed temples of allies, dispersed the court by armed force, despised everyone under happy circumstances, fought against honest people under unfortunate circumstances, did not obey state power, did not even submit to the vicissitudes of fate. If his guilt were not confirmed by the most obvious evidence, then his mores and his way of life would still have exposed him.

- Mark Tullius Cicero. In defense of Publius Cornelius Sulla, 71. ^[25]

In the Brutus treatise, Cicero mentions Pet among “contemporaries of Hortense ”, reporting that as an orator he stood out in a “loud and piercing voice, but nothing more” ^[26] .

Sources

1. Lucius Anney Flor . Epitomes // Small Roman Historians. - M .: Ladomir, 1996 .-- S. 99-190. - ISBN 5-86218-125-3 .
2. Dion Cassius . Roman history (neopr.) . Date of treatment January 8, 2019.
3. Titus Livy . The history of Rome from the foundation of the city. - M .: Nauka, 1994 .-- T. 3 .-- 768 p. - ISBN 5-02-008995-8 .
4. Guy Sallust Crisp . About the Catilina conspiracy // Caesar. Sallust. - M .: Ladomir, 2001 .-- S. 445-487. - ISBN 5-86218-361-2 .
5. Guy Suetonius Tranquill . Life of the Twelve Caesars // Suetonius. The lords of Rome. - M .: Ladomir, 1999 .-- S. 12-281. - ISBN 5-86218-365-5 .
6. Mark Tullius Cicero . Brutus // Three treatises on oratory. - M .: Ladomir, 1994 .-- S. 253-328. - ISBN 5-86218-097-4 .
7. Mark Tullius Cicero. Letters from Mark Tullius Cicero to Attica, relatives, brother Quintus, M. Brutus. - SPb. : Nauka, 2010 .-- V. 3 .-- 832 p. - ISBN 978-5-02-025247-9 , 978-5-02-025244-8.
8. Mark Tullius Cicero. Speech. - M .: Nauka, 1993 .-- ISBN 5-02-011169-4 .

Literature

1. Grimal P. Cicero. - M .: Young Guard, 1991 .-- 544 p. - ISBN 5-235-01060-4 .
2. Lyubimova O. “The First Conspiracy of Catilina” and Mark Licinius Crassus // Ancient World and Archeology. - 2015. - No. 17 . - S. 151-175 .
3. Broughton R. Magistrates of the Roman Republic. - New York, 1952. - Vol. II. - P. 558.
4. Clebs E. Autronius 7 // Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft . - 1896. - Bd. II, 2. - Kol. 2612-2613.
5. Sumner G. Orators in Cicero's Brutus: prosopography and chronology. - Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1973.- 197 p. - ISBN 9780802052810 .