Manius Aquillius (consul 101 BC)

For the Manius Aquilius who was consul in 129 B. C. E., see Manius Aquillius (consul 129 BC).

Manius Aquillius (died 88 BC), member of the ancient Roman gens Aquillia, was consul in 101 BC.

Probably a son of Manius Aquillius consul in 129 BC, he was a loyal follower of Gaius Marius. During the election campaign for Marius' fourth consulship, Aquillius was left in command of the army in case the migrating Cimbri attacked before Marius could return to command the army himself.

As a reward for his loyal services, Gaius Marius ran with Aquillius under a joint ticket for the consulship of 101 BC. After the consulship, with Rome struggling with famine caused by the slave revolt on Sicily, Aquillius was sent to put it down. Aquilius completely subdued Salvius and his insurgents, and got a triumph in Rome in 100 BC^[1]. In 98 BC, Aquillius was accused by Lucius Fufius of maladministration in Sicily. In the trial he was defended by Marcus Antonius Orator, and, even if there were strong proofs of his guilt, he was acquitted because of his bravery in the war^[2].

In 88 BC he went into Asia as one of the consular legates to prosecute the war against Mithridates VI of Pontus and his allies. He was defeated near Protostachium. Aquillius was attempting to make his way back to Italy and managed to make it to Lesbos where he was delivered to Mithridates by the inhabitants of Mytilene^[3]. After being taken to the mainland, he was then placed on a donkey and paraded back to Pergamon. On the trip he was forced to confess his supposed crimes against the peoples of Anatolia. Aquillius' father, the elder Manius Aquillius was a former Roman governor of Pergamon and was hated for the egregious taxes that he imposed. It was generally thought that Manius Aquillius the younger would follow in the footsteps of his father as a tax profiteer and was hated by some of the local peoples. ^[4]

Aquillius was then moved to and executed at the Theater of Dionysus which sits on a hill of the Acropolis. It was the same stage where Mithradates had announced war against Rome. A large bonfire was made in the center and Aquillius was dragged behind a horse rode by a soldier called Bastarna. The soldier's name comes from the ancient tribe Bastarnae of eastern Carpathian mountains. He was locally famous and known for being exceptionally tall. Aquillius was dragged around the bonfire as gold coins were melted down in crucibles. Aquillius was then held down and the molten hot gold was poured down his throat for an agonizing death. In addition to instilling Roman fear, Mithradates likely hoped to express some sadistic symbolism for the fate of the greedy.^[4] The method of execution became famous and was repeated by Parthian contemporaries in the death of M. Licinius Crassus who was at the time the richest man in Rome and a member of the First Triumvirate. ^[4]

References

• Life of Marius by Plutarch
• Smith, William (editor); Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, "Aquillius (2)", Boston, (1867)
• Mayor, Adrienne (2010). The Poison King The Life and Legend of Mithradates, p. 166-171. Princeton University Press, New Jersey. ISBN 978-0-691-12683-8.

Preceded by Quintus Lutatius Catulus and Gaius Marius

Consul of the Roman Republic with Gaius Marius 101 BC

Succeeded by Lucius Valerius Flaccus and Gaius Marius

Notes

1. ^ Florus, iii.19 ; Livy, Epitomes 69; Diodorus Siculus. xxxvi. Eel. 1; Cicero, In Verrem iii. 54, v. 2; Fasti Capitolini.
2. ^ Cicero, Brutus 52, De Officiis ii. 14, pro Plancio. 39, de Oratore. 28,47.
3. ^ Appian, Mithridatic Wars. 7, 19, 21; Livy, Epitomes 77; Velleius Paterculus ii. 18; Cicero, Pro Lege Manilia 5 ; Athen. v. p. 213, b.
4. ^ ^{a b c} Mayor, Adrienne(2010). The Poison King The Life and Legend of Mithradates, p. 166-171. Princeton University Press, New Jersey. ISBN 978-0-691-12683-8.

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This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology by William Smith (1870).