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Publius Cornelius Lentulus

Consul in 71 BCE, a key figure in the Catilinarian conspiracy who was later put to death; also step-father of the Mark Anthony

🏛️ Career

  1. 81 BCE
    (aged 33)
    Quaestor

    MT: No further comments in MRR2. At this time Sulla was dictator. Sura had apparently lost and wasted public funds. Sulla angrily demanded a full account of what happened to the monies. But Sura refused and instead replied that he’ll “offer his leg”. A Roman idiom from when boys play ball and offering a leg was a gesture of admitting an error. “Sura” is the Roman name for leg which is where he got his additional cognomen (a).

    Sources (2)
    Career-overlap (5) Magistrates with the closest career overlap; red font indicates family member

    Cn. Aufidius Orestes (1 year; raw 4.00, base 0.500, final 0.500): 71 BCE (Consul)

    L. Valerius Flaccus (2 years; raw 4.00, base 0.500, final 0.500): 71 BCE (Quaestor) , 63 BCE (Praetor)

    M. Antonius Creticus (1 year; raw 3.00, base 0.375, final 0.413): 74 BCE (Praetor)

    C. Cosconius (1 year; raw 3.00, base 0.375, final 0.375): 63 BCE (Praetor)

    C. Pomptinus Pontinius (1 year; raw 3.00, base 0.375, final 0.375): 63 BCE (Praetor)

  2. 74 BCE
    (aged 40)
    Praetor ·Q. de repetundis

    Broughton: Vell. 2.34.4. A certain Terentius Varro, probably A. Terentius Varro (see 75, Praetors, on Furius; 82, Legates; and 77, Promagistrates, on A. Terentius Varro), was accused before him of extortion in Asia, with Hortensius as advocate for the defence, and acquitted by a vote in which the marked ballots of the jury caused a scandal. (4)

    Sources (1)
    • Broughton, MRR2
      • Ps.-Ascon. 193, and 218 Stangl; Schol. Gron. 349 Stangl; cf. Cic. Cluent. 130; Div. in Caec. 24; Verr. 1.17, 35, 40, 47; Porphyr. and Ps.-Acro on Hor. Sat. 2.1.49 (4) Magic's acute observation that the trial and acquittal of Terentius Varro took place several months after the notorious iudicium Junianum in 74 places the praetorship of Lentulus Sura in 74 (not 75, where Münzer put it), and shows that he cannot be the governor of Sicily who is mentioned in Pliny (NH 7.55). On the identification of Terentius Varro, see 82, Legates; and 77, Promagistrates. On both questions, see Magie, Roman Rule in Asia Minor, 2.1125, note 42.
    Career-overlap (5) Magistrates with the closest career overlap; red font indicates family member

    Cn. Aufidius Orestes (1 year; raw 4.00, base 0.500, final 0.500): 71 BCE (Consul)

    L. Valerius Flaccus (2 years; raw 4.00, base 0.500, final 0.500): 71 BCE (Quaestor) , 63 BCE (Praetor)

    M. Antonius Creticus (1 year; raw 3.00, base 0.375, final 0.413): 74 BCE (Praetor)

    C. Cosconius (1 year; raw 3.00, base 0.375, final 0.375): 63 BCE (Praetor)

    C. Pomptinus Pontinius (1 year; raw 3.00, base 0.375, final 0.375): 63 BCE (Praetor)

  3. 71 BCE
    (aged 43)
    Consul · Co-consul: Cn. Aufidius Orestes

    MT: Attested in inscriptions, in the official fasti (corrupted forms like Horesten and Plendulo), and in later chronicles. Literary references (Cicero, Velleius, Dio) also confirm activities.

    Sources (1)
    • Broughton, MRR2
      • CIL 12.2.686, 898, 899, 900, 2718-RE 17.2.1423, no. 27; Eutrop. 6.8.1; Chr. 354 (Lentulo et Horesten); Fast. Hyd. (Plendulo et Oreste), so also Chr. Pasc.; Cassiod.; on Lentulus, Vell. 2.34.4; Dio 37.30.4; and on Orestes, Cic. Planc. 52. See Degrassi 131, 486f.
    Career-overlap (5) Magistrates with the closest career overlap; red font indicates family member

    Cn. Aufidius Orestes (1 year; raw 4.00, base 0.500, final 0.500): 71 BCE (Consul)

    L. Valerius Flaccus (2 years; raw 4.00, base 0.500, final 0.500): 71 BCE (Quaestor) , 63 BCE (Praetor)

    M. Antonius Creticus (1 year; raw 3.00, base 0.375, final 0.413): 74 BCE (Praetor)

    C. Cosconius (1 year; raw 3.00, base 0.375, final 0.375): 63 BCE (Praetor)

    C. Pomptinus Pontinius (1 year; raw 3.00, base 0.375, final 0.375): 63 BCE (Praetor)

  4. 63 BCE
    (aged 51)
    Praetor

    Broughton: Praetor a second time, thus rehabilitating himself after his expulsion from the Senate in 70. One of the chief leaders in the conspiracy of Catiline, he signed the letter to the Allobroges, was compelled to abdicate his office, and was put to death.

    Sources (1)
    • Broughton, MRR2
      • Cic. Cat. 3.4 and 6-16 and 22 and 25; 4.4 and 5 and 10 and 12 and 17; Sull. 16 and 30 and 33 and 53 and 70 and 75-76; Flacc. 95-97; Sall. Cat. 17.3; 32.2; 39.6-40.6; 43.1; 44.1; 47.2-4; 48.4; 50.1; 51.7; 52.17; 55; 57.1; 58.4; Diod. 40.5, in FHG 2.xxvi; Liv. Per. 102; Vell. 2.34.3-4, and 35.3; Lucan 2.543; Quintil. Inst. Or. 5.10.30; Iuven. 10.287; Plut. Cic. 17-22, and 24.1; Caes. 7.4.; Cat. Min. 22.2; App. BC 2.2-6; Flor. 2.18.3-11; Dio 37.30.4-36.4, and 39.1; 38.14.5; 46.20.2 and 5; Jerome Chr. ad ann. 62, p. 154 Helm; Schol. Gron. 284 Stangl
    Career-overlap (5) Magistrates with the closest career overlap; red font indicates family member

    Cn. Aufidius Orestes (1 year; raw 4.00, base 0.500, final 0.500): 71 BCE (Consul)

    L. Valerius Flaccus (2 years; raw 4.00, base 0.500, final 0.500): 71 BCE (Quaestor) , 63 BCE (Praetor)

    M. Antonius Creticus (1 year; raw 3.00, base 0.375, final 0.413): 74 BCE (Praetor)

    C. Cosconius (1 year; raw 3.00, base 0.375, final 0.375): 63 BCE (Praetor)

    C. Pomptinus Pontinius (1 year; raw 3.00, base 0.375, final 0.375): 63 BCE (Praetor)

🏺 Family

  1. Adoptive son
    Marcus Antonius (cos. 44)