What is Publius Sulpicius Rufus?

Information about Publius Sulpicius Rufus

Publius Sulpicius Rufus (ca. 121 BC - 88 BC) was an orator and statesman of the Roman Republic, legate in 89 to Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo in the Social War, and in 88 tribune of the plebs.

Soon afterwards Sulpicius, hitherto an aristocrat, declared in favour of Gaius Marius and the popular party. He was deeply in debt, and it seems that Marius had promised him financial assistance in the event of his being appointed to the command in the Mithridatic Wars. To secure the appointment for Marius, Sulpicius brought in a franchise bill by which the newly enfranchised Italian allies and freedmen would have swamped the old electors. The majority of the senate were strongly opposed to the proposals; a justitium (cessation of public business) was proclaimed by the consuls, but Marius and Sulpicius fomented a riot, and the consuls, in fear of their lives, withdrew the justitium. The proposals of Sulpicius became law, and, with the assistance of the new voters, the command was bestowed upon Marius, then a mere privates.

Sulla, who was then at Nola, immediately marched upon Rome. Marius and Sulpicius, unable to resist him, fled from the city. Marius managed to escape to Africa, but Sulpicius was discovered in a villa at Laurentum and put to death; his head was sent to Sulla and exposed in the forum, and his laws annulled.

Sulpicius appears to have been originally a moderate reformer, who by force of circumstances became one of the leaders of a democratic revolt. Although he had impeached the turbulent tribune Gaius Norbanus, and resisted the proposal to repeal judicial sentences by popular decree, he did not hesitate to incur the displeasure of the Julian family by opposing the candidature for the consulship of Gaius Julius Caesar Strabo Vopiscus, who had never been praetor and was consequently ineligible. His franchise proposals, as far as the Italians were concerned, were a necessary measure of justice; but they had been carried by violence.

Of Sulpicius as an orator, Cicero says (Brutus, 55): "He was by far the most dignified of all the orators I have heard, and, so to speak, the most tragic; his voice was loud, but at the same time sweet and clear; his gestures were full of grace; his language was rapid and voluble, but not redundant or diffuse; he tried to imitate Crassus, but lacked his charm." Sulpicius left no written speeches, those that bore his name being written by a P. Canutius (or Cannutius). Sulpicius is one of the interlocutors in Cicero’s De oratore.

References

  • Appian, Bell. Civ. I 55—60.
  • Plutarch, Sulla and Marius.
  • Vell. Pat. ii.18
  • Livy, 77
  • E.A. Ahrens, Die drei Volkstribunen (Leipzig, 1836)
  • Mommsen, History of Rome, bk. iv, ch. 7
  • G Longs, Decline of the Roman Republic, vol. ii, ch. 17
Sulpicius was a Roman nomen.
  • Servius Sulpicius P.f. Camarinus (Camerinus) Cornutus, consul 500 BC
  • Q. Sulpicius Camerinus Cornutus, consul 490 BC
  • Ser. Sulpicius Camerinus Cornutus, consul 461 BC
  • Servius Sulpicius Q.f.

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2nd century BC - 1st century BC
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124 BC 123 BC 122 BC - 121 BC - 120 BC 119 BC 118 BC

Politics
State leaders - Sovereign states

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1st century BC - 1st century
110s BC  100s BC  90s BC - 80s BC - 70s BC  60s BC  50s BC 
91 BC 90 BC 89 BC - 88 BC - 87 BC 86 BC 85 BC

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State leaders - Sovereign states
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Orator is an originally Latin word for (public) speaker.

Word history

It is recorded in English since c.1374, meaning "one who pleads or argues for a cause," from Anglo-French oratour, from Old French orateur (14c.
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A statesman or stateswoman is usually a politician or other notable figure of state who has had a long and respected career in politics at national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term.
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Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a republican form of government. The republican period began with the overthrow of the Monarchy c.
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legatus (often anglicized as legate) was a general in the Roman army, equivalent to a modern general officer. Being of senatorial rank, his immediate superior was the dux, and he outranked all military tribunes.
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1st century BC - 1st century
110s BC  100s BC  90s BC - 80s BC - 70s BC  60s BC  50s BC 
92 BC 91 BC 90 BC - 89 BC - 88 BC 87 BC 86 BC

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Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo (died 87 BC), whose cognomen means "cross eyed", is often referred to in English as Pompey Strabo to distinguish him from Strabo the geographer. Gn.
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1st century BC - 1st century
110s BC  100s BC  90s BC - 80s BC - 70s BC  60s BC  50s BC 
91 BC 90 BC 89 BC - 88 BC - 87 BC 86 BC 85 BC

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For other uses, see Tribune (disambiguation).


Tribune (from the Latin: tribunus; Greek form tribounos) was a title shared by 2–3 elected magistracies and other governmental and/or (para)military offices of the Roman Republic
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In Ancient Rome, the plebs were the general body of Roman citizens, distinct from the privileged class of the patricians. A member of the plebs was known as a plebeian (Latin: plebeius).
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Gaius Marius (Latin: C·MARIVS·C·F·C·N )[1] (157 BC–January 13, 86 BC) was a Roman general and politician elected consul an unprecedented seven times during his career.
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There were three Mithridatic Wars between Rome and Pontus in the first century BC. They are named for Mithridates VI who was King of Pontus at the time, and a famous enemy of Rome.
  • First Mithridatic War (88 to 84 BC). Roman legions commanded by Lucius Cornelius Sulla.

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The Roman Senate (Latin: Senatus) was the main governing council of both the Roman Republic, which started in 509 BC, and the Roman Empire. Although the West Roman Empire ended in the 5th century (in 476), the Roman Senate continued to meet until the latter part of the 6th
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Justitium is a concept of Roman law, equivalent to the declaration of the state of emergency. It was usually declared following a sovereign's death, during the troubled period of interregnum, but also in case of invasions.
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Consul (abbrev. cos.; Latin plural consules) was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states, and revived in modern states, notably Republican France before the Napoleonic
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Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (Latin: L•CORNELIVS•L•F•P•N•SVLLA•FELIX )[1] (ca. 138 BC–78 BC), usually known simply as Sulla, was a Roman general, consul and dictator.
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Country Italy
Region Campania
Province Naples (NA)
Mayor

Area km
Population
 - Total (as of Dec.
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Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30,221,532 km² (11,668,545 sq mi) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area, and 20.4% of the total land area.
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Laurentum was an ancient Roman city of Latium situated between Ostia and Lavinium. Roman writers regarded it as the original capital of the Latins, before Lavinium assumed that role after the death of King Latinus.
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Gaius Norbanus surnamed Bulbus (or Balbus), Roman politician, was a seditious and turbulent democrat. In 103 BC, when tribune of the people, he accused Quintus Servilius Caepio the Elder of having brought about the defeat of his army by the Cimbri through rashness, and also of
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For other meanings of Julius see Julius (disambiguation)


Julius (fem. Julia) is the nomen of the gens Julia, an important patrician family of ancient Rome supposed to have descended from Julus, and thus from the goddess Venus.
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Gaius Julius Caesar Strabo Vopiscus (c.130 BC - 87 BC) was the younger son to Lucius Julius Caesar II and his wife Poppilia and younger brother to Lucius Julius Caesar III. His cognomina indicate he was possibly cross-eyed, and the surviving member of a set of twins.
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Praetor was a title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to men acting in one of two official capacities: the commander of an army, either before it was mustered or more typically in the field, or an elected magistrate assigned duties that varied depending on the
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Marcus Tullius Cicero

Cicero around age 60, from an ancient marble bust
Born: January 3, 106 BC
Arpinum, Italy
Died: December 7, 43 BC
Formia, Italy
Occupation: Politician, lawyer, orator and philosopher
Nationality: Ancient Roman
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Lucius Licinius Crassus Orator (140 BC-91 BC) was a Roman consul. He was the greatest Roman orator of his day.

He became consul in 95 BC. During his consulship a law was passed (the lex Licinia Mucia) requiring all but citizens to leave Rome, an edict which provoked the
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Appian (Greek: Αππιανος)(c. 95 – c. 165), of Alexandria was a Greek historian with Roman citizenship who flourished during the reigns of Trajan, Hadrian and Antoninus
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Plutarch
Mestrius Plutarchus
Πλούταρχο?

Parallel Lives, Amyot translation, 1565
Born: Circa 46 AD
Chaeronea, Boeotia
Died: Circa 120 AD
Delphi, Phocis
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Marcus Velleius Paterculus (ca. 19 BC - ca. AD 31) was a Roman historian, also known simply as Velleius. Although his praenomen is given as Marcus by Priscian, some modern scholars identify him with Gaius Velleius Paterculus
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