Marcus Marius (praetor 102 BC)
Marcus Marius was the younger brother of the Gaius Marius who was consul seven times.
Marcus was a few years younger than Gaius Marius, hailing from the same relatively wealthy equestrian family.[1] During his brother's series of successive consulships between 104 and 100 BC, Marcus was elected praetor, probably for 102 BC. He served his praetorship and a following year as proconsul in Spain, probably Hispania Ulterior like his brother a decade before him.[2] During his time there, he campaigned against Lusitanian tribes with the support of the Celtiberians and founded a city.[3] It is also possible that his term in Spain was not prorogued if he was instead elected for 101 BC, though this is less likely.[4] His elder brother may have manipulated the sortition of the highly sought-after province in anticipation of a possible consular campaign. Marcus, however, never attained the consulship, as he likely died in the 90s BC.[5]
Marcus adopted a member of the Gratidii later named Marcus Marius Gratidianus. The Gratidii were a wealthy and influential family in the city of Arpinum, from which both they, the Marii, and the Tullii Cicerones hailed.[6] Gratidianus was elected praetor twice in the 80s BC (most probably 85 and 82) and was killed during Sulla's civil war shortly after the Battle of the Colline Gate.[7]
References[edit]
- ^ Evans 1995, pp. 179, 181.
- ^ Evans 1995, p. 179; Broughton 1951, p. 568.
- ^ Broughton 1951, p. 568.
- ^ Broughton 1951, p. 573 n. 5; Evans 1995, p. 179 n. 22.
- ^ Evans 1995, p. 180.
- ^ Evans 1995, p. 181.
- ^ Evans 1995, p. 181 n. 27.
Sources[edit]
- Broughton, Thomas Robert Shannon (1951). The magistrates of the Roman republic. Vol. 1. New York: American Philological Association.
- Evans, Richard John (1995). Gaius Marius: A Political Biography (PDF) (DLitt et Phil thesis). University of South Africa. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
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