- Aulus Hirtius
Aulus Hirtius (ca. 90-43 BC) was one of the
consul s ofancient Rome immediately after theassassination ofJulius Caesar , and awriter onmilitary subjects.He was known to have been a legate of Caesar's since about 54 BC, and served as an envoy to
Pompey in 50. During the Roman Civil Wars he served inSpain , he might have been atribune in 48, and in 47 was atAntioch . He was apraetor in 46 andgovernor ofTransalpine Gaul in 45. Caesar had nominated Hirtius and Pansa for the consulship for 43; after the assassination, Hirtius was deeply involved in the maneuvering between parties.Initially a supporter of
Mark Antony , Hirtius was successfully lobbied byCicero , who was a personal friend, switched his allegiance to the senatorial party, and set out with anarmy to attack Antony, who was besieging Mutina. In concert with Octavian, Hirtius compelled Antony to retire, but in the fighting Hirtius was slain (around25 April or27 April ). He was honored with a public funeral, along withGaius Vibius Pansa Caetronianus , who died a few days later.Hirtius added an eighth
book to Caesar's "De Bello Gallico ", and is the likely author of "De Bello Alexandrino ". The ancients thought he also wrote the "De Bello Africo " and "De Bello Hispaniensis ", but it is now considered more likely that he acted as an editor. Hirtius' correspondence with Cicero was published in nine books, but has not survived.Suetonius in Chapter 68 of his Life ofAugustus [ [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Augustus*.html#68] ] writes thatLucius Antonius , the brother ofMark Antony accused theEmperor Augustus for having "given himself to Aulus Hirtius in Spain for three hundred thousand sesterces." This alleged homosexual liaison must have taken place in 46 BC during the civil wars whenJulius Caesar took Augustus to Spain and Aulus Hirtius was serving there. At the time the futureEmperor Augustus was 19 years old.Notes
reflist|3Suetonius, "Augustus" [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Augustus*.html#68 68] , translated by J. C. Rolfe
External links
*http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/txt/ah/Caesar/index.html
*http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Augustus*.html
*http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/home.html
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