Appius Claudius Pulcher (praetor 88 BC)

Appius Claudius Pulcher was a Roman politician of the 1st century BC. His father was Appius Claudius Pulcher (consul 143 BC). He was a supporter of Lucius Cornelius Sulla and served as praetor in 88 BC. He was exiled in that year by Gaius Marius while Sulla was away in the east. He returned to Rome after Lucius Cornelius Cinna died in 84 BC, and served as consul in 79 BC and as governor of Macedon from 78 BC to 76 BC.

This Appius Claudius Pulcher was married to Caecilia Metella Balearica and was the father of Appius Claudius Pulcher, Claudia Pulchra Prima, Gaius Claudius Pulcher, Claudia Pulchra Secunda, Claudia Pulchra Tercia (who changed her name to Clodia) and Publius Claudius Pulcher, who changed his name to Publius Clodius. The choice of two of his children to change the vowels in their name reflected the movement of some of the members of this most ancient of Roman "gentes" to favor the plebeian dialect of Latin, which employed "o" in the place of the patrician diphthong "au".