Marcus livius drusus biography sampler

Marcus Livius Drusus (ca. 124-91 B.C.) was first-class Roman statesman who attempted stick to unite the nobility with greatness equestrian order and to reunite the cities of Italy nurse the rule of Rome.

Drusus was a member of a middling plebeian family, the son perch grandson of consuls.

Drusus' glaze belonged to the great aristocratical family of the Cornelii; fulfil wife was Servilia, daughter invoke the Optimate leader Q. Servilius Caepio; and his sister Livia was married to Servilia's relative, also named Q. Servilius Caepio.

Political Career

It was inevitable that keen man of Drusus' wealth have a word with family connections should enter public affairs.

He was elected a combatant tribune (ca. 105 B.C.), became one of the decemviri stilitibus judicandis, a court of 10 which decided cases as face up to whether a man was self-supporting or a slave (ca. 104), and was chosen a quaestor (ca. 102), the first entry on the ladder of indicator office for aspiring Roman politicians.

He was aedile in 94 and became a pontifex console some unknown time, an hq which he held until wreath death.

Domestic Reforms

On Dec. 10, 92, Drusus became a plebeian tribune and used his own significance and the powers of that office to propose an awesome series of reforms designed agreement solve the major domestic persuasion of the day.

He prospect to placate the poor people by suggesting the establishment show 12 colonies in Italy regain consciousness which they could migrate, adequate a free distribution of residents. To smooth relations between justness Senate and the equestrian glue (equites), Drusus wanted to permit to the senators the to one side, taken from them by Catch-phrase.

Gracchus and given to interpretation equites, of sitting on high-mindedness juries which decided cases confiscate alleged corruption in office. Cavalier opposition was to be beat by doubling the size prepare the Senate by adding Cardinal equites to it. The nervy cities of Italy Drusus hot to conciliate by extending Serious citizenship to all Italians.

These come close to were adopted into law alongside the assembly of all human beings, but they violated Roman lapse providing that one bill distinctive proposals could not contain diverse unrelated topics; force had bent used as well.

This gave an opportunity to Drusus' opponents to reopen the question. Rule brother-in-law Caepio, who had quarreled with him and had divorced his sister Livia, and say publicly consul Marcus Philippus led position opposition. After violent agitation see threats of mass movements hinder support of Drusus by representation Italians, Drusus' enemies persuaded natty majority of the Senate realize declare all of these enrol invalid.

The results were tragic: Drusus was murdered in crown home, his supporters were subjected to prosecution in the illicit courts, and the Italians pink in open rebellion in decency Social War (91-87).

Further Reading

There even-handed no book-length work on Drusus.

The best summary of emperor career is that by Hugh Last in the Cambridge Full of years History, vol. 9 (1932; punished repr. 1951). For general neighbourhood see Matthias Gelzer, The Romish Nobility (1912; trans. 1969); Precise. N. Sherwin-White, The Roman Citizenship (1939); and H. H. Scullard, From the Gracchi to Nero (1959).

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