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Gnaeus Octavius (cos. 87)

Consul in 87

🏛️ Career

  1. 90 BCE
    Praetor

    Broughton: The latest date possible under the Leges Annales. Commanded an eastern province with the title of # (a).

    Sources (1)
    • Broughton, MRR2
      • (a) I. de Delos 4.1.1782; cf. BCH 44 [1920] 303
    Career-overlap (5) Magistrates with the closest career overlap; red font indicates family member

    L. Cornelius Cinna (cos. 87) (2 years; raw 7.00, base 1.400, final 1.400): 90 BCE (Praetor) , 87 BCE (Consul)

    L. Cornelius Merula (2 years; raw 7.00, base 1.400, final 1.400): 90 BCE (Praetor) , 87 BCE (Consul)

    C. Caelius (pr. 90) (1 year; raw 3.00, base 0.600, final 0.600): 90 BCE (Praetor)

    C. Cassius (1 year; raw 3.00, base 0.600, final 0.600): 90 BCE (Praetor)

    L. Postumius (pr. 90) (1 year; raw 3.00, base 0.600, final 0.600): 90 BCE (Praetor)

  2. 87 BCE
    Consul · Co-consuls: L. Cornelius Cinna (cos. 87), L. Cornelius Merula

    Broughton: Cinna was elected in Sulla's presence and swore to maintain his measures (a), but in office soon attempted to carry a bill to enroll the new citizens and the freedmen in all the tribes (b), and one to recall Marius and the other exiles (c). He was expelled from Rome by his colleague Octavius, and L. Cornelius Merula (see below) was elected in his place. He won the support of the army of Ap. Claudius at Nola, was soon joined by Marius and his partisans, and succeeded in overpowering his colleague, who suffered for his own slowness and lack of co-operation with other leaders (see below, Promagistrates), and occupied Rome (d). The Consul Octavius was killed in office (e), and a reign of terror followed in which many senatorial opponents of Cinna and Marius were murdered (see above; f). The victors repealed the laws of Sulla (g), and reenacted the laws of Sulpicius (h).

    Sources (9)
    • Broughton, MRR2
      • Cic. Har. Resp. 54; Tusc. 5.55; Phil. 13.2; 14.23; Fast. Ant., Degrassi 164f., and Fast. Cap., ibid. 54f., 129f., 482f.; Ascon. 23C; App. BC 1.65-66; Dio 30-35, fr. 102.3; Eutrop. 5.4; Chr. 354; Fast. Hyd.; Chr. Pasc.; Cassiod.; on Cinna, Cic. Phil. 11.1; Vell. 2.20.3; and on Octavius, Cic. Planc. 51.
      • (a) Plut. Sull. 10.3-4; Dio 30-35, fr. 102.1; Schol. Gron. 286 Stangl; cf. Sall. Hist. 1.26 M
      • (b) Cic. Phil. 8.7; Vell. 2.20.2; App. BC 1.64; Iul. Exup. 4; Schol. Gron. 286 Stangl
      • (c) App.; Flor. 2.9.9; Auct. Fir. Ill. 69.2
      • (d) Cic. Cat. 3.24; Sest. 77; Caecin. 87; Att. 9.10.3; Diod. 38.1-3; Liv. Per. 79, and 80; Vell. 2.20-21; Val. Max. 1.6.10; 4.7.5; Plut. Mar. 41-43; Sert. 4.4-5.4; Pomp. 3.1; 4.1; App. BC 1.64-71; Gran. Lic. 23-29B; Flor. 2.9.10-13; Dio 30-35, fr. 102.1-9; Obseq. 56a; Auct. Vir. Ill. 69.2; Oros. 5.19.8-19; Schol. Gron. 286 Stangl
      • (e) Cic. Cat. 3.24; Har. Resp. 54; Phil. 8.7; 13.1-2; Tusc. 5.55; Fast. Cap., above; Jacoby, FGrH 2B.1151, no. 252; Liv. Per. 80; Vell. 2.22.2; Ascon. 23C; Plut. Mar. 42.4-5; Sull. 12.8; App. BC 1.71; Flor. 2.9.14; Iul. Exup. 4; Auct. Vir. Ill. 69.2; Pacat. Panegyr. Theodos. 46.2; Augustin. CD 3.27; .Ampel. 42.2; Schol. Bob. 109, and 117 Stangl; Schol. Gron. 286 Stangl
      • (f) Sisenna fr. 129 Peter; Cic. Phil. 1.34; 11.1; 14.23; Vat. 23; ND 2.14; 3.80-81; Div. 1.4; Att. 7.7.7; Sall. Hist. 1.77.7 M; Diod. 38.4; Vell. 2.22.1-4; Val. Max. 2.8.7; 4.3.14; 5.3.3, and 6.4; Ascon. 23C; Lucan 4.822; Plin. NH 2.92; Tac. Hist. 3.83; Plut. Mar. 43-45; Sert. 5.1-5; App. BC 1.71-75; Flor. 2.9.13-17; Dio 30-35, fr. 102.8-12; Eutrop. 5.7.3; Obseq. 56a; Auct. Vir. Ill. 67.6; Ampel. 42.2; Oros. 5.19.19 and 23-24; Ammian. 30.8.9
      • (g) App. BC 1.73
      • (h) see 88, Tribunes of the Plebs; Vell. 2.20.2; on the tribes, Plut. Mar. 45.6; and on Marius' command in Asia, App. BC 1.75
    Career-overlap (5) Magistrates with the closest career overlap; red font indicates family member

    L. Cornelius Cinna (cos. 87) (2 years; raw 7.00, base 1.400, final 1.400): 90 BCE (Praetor) , 87 BCE (Consul)

    L. Cornelius Merula (2 years; raw 7.00, base 1.400, final 1.400): 90 BCE (Praetor) , 87 BCE (Consul)

    C. Caelius (pr. 90) (1 year; raw 3.00, base 0.600, final 0.600): 90 BCE (Praetor)

    C. Cassius (1 year; raw 3.00, base 0.600, final 0.600): 90 BCE (Praetor)

    L. Postumius (pr. 90) (1 year; raw 3.00, base 0.600, final 0.600): 90 BCE (Praetor)

🏺 Family

No family relations recorded.