Marcus Licinius Crassus Dives (consul 30 BC)

Marcus Licinius Crassus the Younger, also known as Marcus Licinius Crassus Dives, (flourished 1st century BC) was a Roman consul in the year 30 BC. He was best known for defeating a Thracian tribe, the Bastarnae in Macedonia and killing their King Deldo in single combat in 29 BC. However, he was not only not given the Spolia opima but was also denied a triumph by the Emperor Augustus in a reversal of centuries of Roman military tradition.

Military career

Crassus was a Roman general, who fought first with Sextus Pompeius and Mark Antony before defecting to Octavian (future Roman Emperor Augustus). He was made consul in 30 BC jointly with Octavian and fought Thracian tribes in Macedonia before achieving his most notable victory. In 29 BC he defeated the Bastarnae (of an area now in modern Romania and Bulgaria), killing their King Deldo in single combat. ["Crassus the Younger, Marcus Licinius [http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/Crassus+the+Younger,+Marcus+Licinius] . ] However, he was denied the Spolia opima although entitled to it by tradition. This marked a deliberate decision of the emperor Augustus to downplay the successes of individual generals in favor of the prestige of the emperor and imperial family.

He campaigned between 29 BC and 27 BC, conquering the countries of the Balkans. ["Legio III Scythica" [http://www.romanarmy.com/cms/content/view/33/114/1/1/] .] He was however also denied the agnomen of "Scythica" which he might have expected to receive ["Ibid." "At that time the Bastarnians, main opponents of Crassus at the beginning of his campaigns, were not considered separate from the Scythians (Cassius Dio LI 23, 3: (Greek)" [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/51*.html] ] , although previous conquerors of new territories since the days of general Scipio Africanus had been awarded agnomens by the Senate.

Family

The younger Crassus was the son of another Roman quaestor and consul Marcus Licinius Crassus possibly by his wife Caecilia Metella Cretica, daughter of the consul Quintus Caecilius Metellus Creticus (see Caecilius Metellus); his mother's tomb is visible on the Appian Way. The father was a quaestor to Julius Caesar, and a son, possibly the eldest son, [Details of his genealogy are taken from the German Wikipedia; however, most historical sources online say that the eldest son was named Publius, the traditional name of the eldest son in the Licinius gens. Publius died in Syria with his father in 53 BC.] of the triumvir Marcus Licinius Crassus possibly by his first wife (widow of an elder brother killed in December 87 BC). Crassus the Younger apparently had no surviving sons by his wife. He adopted the future consul Marcus Licinius Crassus Dives from the Calpurnius Piso family.

References

ee also

* [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Licinius_Crassus_(Konsul_30_v._Chr.) German entry on this Crassus] , in German
* Marcus Licinius Crassus the triumvir, his grandfather
* Licinius (gens) for the family
* Spolia opima for the highest honours denied the younger Crassus
* [http://concise.britannica.com/ebc/article-9013686/Bastarnae Bastarnae] in "Encyclopedia Britannica" for more about the tribe