Marcus Terentius Varro Lucullus (116 – soon after 56 BC), younger brother of the more famous Lucius Licinius Lucullus, was a supporter of

Lucius Cornelius Sulla Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (; 138–78 BC), commonly known as Sulla, was a Roman general and statesman. He won the first large-scale civil war in Roman history and became the first man of the Republic to seize power through force. Sulla ha ...

and

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states th ...

ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–50 ...

in 73 BC. As

proconsul A proconsul was an official of ancient Rome who acted on behalf of a consul. A proconsul was typically a former consul. The term is also used in recent history for officials with delegated authority. In the Roman Republic, military command, or ' ...

Macedonia Macedonia most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a traditional geographic reg ...

in 72 BC, he defeated the

Bessi The Bessi (; grc, Βῆσσοι, or , ) were a Thracian tribe that inhabited the upper valley of the Hebros and the lands between the Haemus and Rhodope mountain ranges in historical Thrace. Geography The exact geographic location of the Be ...

Thrace Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to ...

and advanced to the

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , ...

and the west coast of the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, ...

. In addition, he was marginally involved in the

Third Servile War The Third Servile War, also called the Gladiator War and the War of Spartacus by Plutarch, was the last in a series of slave rebellions against the Roman Republic known as the Servile Wars. This third rebellion was the only one that directl ...

(a.k.a. Spartacus' War).

Biography

Name and family

Born in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

as Marcus Licinius Lucullus, he was later

adopted Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from ...

by an otherwise unknown Marcus Terentius Varro (not the scholar Varro Reatinus). As a result of the adoption, his full official name, as quoted in inscriptions, became ''M(arcus) Terentius M(arci) Varro Lucullus''. Literary texts usually refer to him as ''M. Lucullus'' or simply ''Lucullus'' which in the case of

Appian Appian of Alexandria (; grc-gre, Ἀππιανὸς Ἀλεξανδρεύς ''Appianòs Alexandreús''; la, Appianus Alexandrinus; ) was a Ancient Greeks, Greek historian with Ancient Rome, Roman citizenship who flourished during the reigns of ...

, ''Civil Wars'' 1.120, for example, caused confusion with Marcus' more famous brother, Lucius Licinius Lucullus.

First public activities

In the early 90s, young Marcus and his brother Lucius unsuccessfully prosecuted Servilius the

Augur An augur was a priest and official in the ancient Rome, classical Roman world. His main role was the practice of augury, the interpretation of the will of the List of Roman deities, gods by studying the flight of birds. Determinations were ba ...

. This man had earlier functioned as the prosecutor in the trial for embezzlement (''de repetundis'') that sent their father, Lucius Licinius Lucullus into exile to

Lucania Lucania was a historical region of Southern Italy. It was the land of the Lucani, an Oscan people. It extended from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Gulf of Taranto. It bordered with Samnium and Campania in the north, Apulia in the east, and Bru ...

Service under Sulla

When Sulla returned from the East in the spring of 83 BC to fight the Marians, Marcus Lucullus, like his brother Lucius, joined Sulla's forces. He served under his cousin, the propraetor

Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius (c. 128 – 63 BC) was a Roman politician and general. Like the other members of the influential Caecilii Metelli family, he was a leader of the Optimates, the conservative faction opposed to the Populares during ...

, as a

legatus A ''legatus'' (; anglicised as legate) was a high-ranking Roman military officer in the Roman Army The Roman army (Latin: ) was the armed forces deployed by the Romans throughout the duration of Ancient Rome, from the Roman Kingdom (c. 50 ...

in Northern Italy. At first, Marcus Lucullus was forced to retreat into the small town of Placentia, but once Metellus defeated the superior troops of the Marian general

Gaius Norbanus Gaius Norbanus (died 82 BC) was a Roman politician who was elected consul in 83 BC alongside Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus. He committed suicide in exile at Rhodes after being proscribed by Lucius Cornelius Sulla shortly after the latter's v ...

, Marcus Lucullus broke the siege and defeated a detachment left behind by Norbanus. At Fidentia, he commanded 15

cohort Cohort or cohortes may refer to: * Cohort (educational group), a group of students working together through the same academic curriculum * Cohort (floating point), a set of different encodings of the same numerical value * Cohort (military unit) ...

s (c. 3,600 men) and managed to defeat a superior force of 50 cohorts (12,000 men) under

Gnaeus Papirius Carbo Gnaeus Papirius Carbo (c. 129 – 82 BC) was thrice consul of the Roman Republic in 85, 84, and 82 BC. He was the head of the Marianists after the death of Cinna in 84 and led the resistance to Sulla during the civil war. He was proscribed by S ...

’s legate Quinctius of which his troops killed 1,800 men.

Priesthood

Probably at the suggestion of his first cousin, the Pontifex Maximus Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius, Marcus Lucullus was nominated for and elected to the

Pontifical College A pontifical university is an ecclesiastical university established or approved directly by the Holy See, composed of three main ecclesiastical faculties (Theology, Philosophy and Canon Law) and at least one other faculty. These academic institute ...

. This may have happened when Sulla expanded the Pontifical College from 9 to 15 members in 81 BC. Membership in one of the four major priestly colleges was an honor that was considered almost equal to winning a consulship, and it boded well for Marcus Lucullus' future career.

Aedileship

Even though he was not even present at the elections of 80 BC, Marcus Lucullus was elected to serve as

curule aedile ''Aedile'' ( ; la, aedīlis , from , "temple edifice") was an elected office of the Roman Republic. Based in Rome, the aediles were responsible for maintenance of public buildings () and regulation of public festivals. They also had powers to enf ...

for 79 BC together with his older brother Lucius Licinius Lucullus, who had recently returned from the Roman province of

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an ...

. Their aedileship was distinguished by games which

Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the est ...

much later still remembered for their splendor. Among other things, the brothers introduced revolving backdrops for the temporary stage that they had built for theatrical performances. Moreover, they were the first to pit an elephant against a steer in the arena.

Judge

Elected ''praetor peregrinus'', the praetor in charge of court cases involving non-Roman citizens, for 76 BC, Marcus Lucullus presided over one ''cause célèbre'', the trial against

Gaius Antonius Hybrida Gaius Antonius Hybrida (flourished 1st century BC) was a politician of the Roman Republic. He was the second son of Marcus Antonius and brother of Marcus Antonius Creticus; his mother is unknown. He was also the uncle of the famed triumvir M ...

(later Cicero's colleague as consul). Antonius had enriched himself shamelessly as a legate of Sulla in Greece during the

First Mithridatic War The First Mithridatic War (89–85 BC) was a war challenging the Roman Republic's expanding empire and rule over the Greek world. In this conflict, the Kingdom of Pontus and many Greek cities rebelling against Roman rule were led by Mithridates ...

. The prosecutor, the young Julius Caesar, won a conviction. Antonius managed, however, to have his conviction overturned by appealing to the people's tribunes. because, as he said, he could not get a fair trial in Rome against a Greek man. Apart from this, the praetor Marcus Lucullus is credited with an edict against armed gangs of slaves that authorized victims to demand compensation of four times the amount of their damages from the slaves' owners. Map Macedonia province

Consul and governor of Macedonia

As consul in 73 BC (along with

Gaius Cassius Longinus Gaius Cassius Longinus (c. 86 BC – 3 October 42 BC) was a Roman senator and general best known as a leading instigator of the plot to assassinate Julius Caesar on 15 March 44 BC. He was the brother-in-law of Brutus, another leader of the ...

), he passed a law that provided subsidized grain for indigent Roman citizens (''lex Terentia et Cassia frumentaria''). His name also appears on a famous inscription (''IG'' VII, 413), a letter that informs the inhabitants of

Oropos Oropos ( el, Ωρωπός) is a small town and a municipality in East Attica, Greece. The village of Skala Oropou, within the bounds of the municipality, was the site an important ancient Greek city, Oropus, and the famous nearby sanctuary of A ...

in Greece that the senate has passed a decree in their favour regarding their dispute with Roman tax farmers. Burgas Archeological Museum - Marble slab - Marcus Terentius Varro Lucullus

Burgas Archeological Museum - Marble slab - Marcus Terentius Varro Lucullus

After his consulship, Marcus Lucullus became governor (''proconsul'') of the important province of

. He used his tenure to lead a successful campaign against a neighboring tribe, the Thracian

. In the course of this war, he advanced to the Danube and the west coast of the Black Sea where he conquered a number of Greek cities that had been bases of Mithridates VI The Great, including Apollonia, Kallatis (Callatis), Tomi, and Istros. For these achievements, he was awarded a

triumph The Roman triumph ( Latin triumphus) was a celebration for a victorious military commander in ancient Rome. For later imitations, in life or in art, see Trionfo. Numerous later uses of the term, up to the present, are derived directly or indirec ...

which he held in 71 BC. Part of the booty from this campaign was a colossal statue of Apollo that Marcus Lucullus took from a temple on an island near Apollonia. It may have been on the occasion of his triumph that he set it up in the

Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus The Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, also known as the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus ( la, Aedes Iovis Optimi Maximi Capitolini; it, Tempio di Giove Ottimo Massimo; ) was the most important temple in Ancient Rome, located on the Capitolin ...

. Earlier in the same year, 71 BC, Marcus Lucullus also played a minor role in the defeat of

Spartacus Spartacus ( el, Σπάρτακος '; la, Spartacus; c. 103–71 BC) was a Thracian gladiator who, along with Crixus, Gannicus, Castus, and Oenomaus, was one of the escaped slave leaders in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprisin ...

' slave army. He was prematurely recalled from his post in Macedonia in order to assist with the suppression of the rebellious slaves. At the time, Spartacus had just managed to force his way through Crassus' troops that had him cornered near

Rhegium Reggio di Calabria ( scn, label= Southern Calabrian, Riggiu; el, label=Calabrian Greek, Ρήγι, Rìji), usually referred to as Reggio Calabria, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, is the largest city in Calabria. It has an estimated popu ...

, across from Sicily, and made his way to

Brundisium Brindisi ( , ) ; la, Brundisium; grc, Βρεντέσιον, translit=Brentésion; cms, Brunda), group=pron is a city in the region of Apulia in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Histo ...

, across from Greece, presumably to sail from there to Greece or Illyrium. Yet when he received the news that Marcus Lucullus and his troops had already landed in Brundisium, he turned around and faced Crassus' pursuing army for the final and decisive battle of the war.

Later life and death

In 70 BC, Marcus Lucullus helped Cicero achieve his famous prosecution of

Verres Gaius Verres (c. 120–43 BC) was a Roman magistrate, notorious for his misgovernment of Sicily. His extortion of local farmers and plundering of temples led to his prosecution by Cicero, whose accusations were so devastating that his defence adv ...

by appearing as a witness for the prosecution (as did his consular colleague from 73,

Gaius Cassius Longinus Varus Gaius Cassius Longinus was a Roman consul in 73 BC (together with Marcus Terentius Varro Lucullus). Cassius and his colleague passed the ''lex Terentia Cassia'' that ordered the state to buy up grain in Sicily and sell it for a low price in Rom ...

, among others). In 66 or 65 BC, Marcus Lucullus was put on trial by Gaius Memmius for his activities under Sulla but acquitted. In 65, he spoke as one of the witnesses for the prosecution in the ''maiestas'' trial against the former people's tribune Gaius Cornelius whom the nobility considered a revolutionary; Cornelius was defended by

. In 63 BC, Marcus Lucullus opposed the attempt of

Catilina Lucius Sergius Catilina ( 108 BC – January 62 BC), known in English as Catiline (), was a Roman politician and soldier. He is best known for instigating the Catilinarian conspiracy, a failed attempt to violently seize control of the ...

to kill the consuls, among them Cicero, and overthrow the government. In the following year, he served as the main witness for the defense in the trial against his friend, the poet Licinius Archias, in which Cicero gave his famous speech in defense of Archias' claims to Roman citizenship. Later, in 58 and 57 BC, Marcus Lucullus belonged to the group that worked behind the scenes to enable Cicero's return from exile. When his brother,

Lucius Lucullus Lucius Licinius Lucullus (; 118–57/56 BC) was a Roman general and statesman, closely connected with Lucius Cornelius Sulla. In culmination of over 20 years of almost continuous military and government service, he conquered the eastern kingdom ...

, lost his mental powers, Marcus Lucullus became his legal guardian; he buried him at his Tusculan estate in 56 BC. Marcus Lucullus himself died not long after.Plutarch, ''Lucullus'' 43.

References

Sources

Ancient sources

, ''The Civil Wars'' 1.92 and 120. *

Asconius Quintus Asconius Pedianus (BC 9 - AD 76) was a Roman historian. There is no evidence that Asconius engaged in a public career, but he was familiar both with Roman government of his time and with the geography of the city. He may, therefore, have w ...

, ''Commentary on Cicero's

In Toga Candida ''In Toga Candida'' is a speech given by Cicero during his election campaign in 64 BC for the consulship of 63 BC. The speech was directed at his competitors, Catilina and Antonius, who were also running for consulship for the same year. The speech ...

'' p. 84 Clark. *

, "Pro Tullio" 8–11. *

Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum The ''Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum'' (''CIL'') is a comprehensive collection of ancient Latin inscriptions. It forms an authoritative source for documenting the surviving epigraphy of classical antiquity. Public and personal inscriptions thr ...

I².719 = 11.6331. * Eutropius 6.10.1. *

Inscriptiones Graecae The ''Inscriptiones Graecae'' (IG), Latin for ''Greek inscriptions'', is an academic project originally begun by the Prussian Academy of Science, and today continued by its successor organisation, the . Its aim is to collect and publish all known ...

VII 413. *

Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding in ...

, ''Periochae'' 88. *

Pliny Pliny may refer to: People * Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE), ancient Roman nobleman, scientist, historian, and author of ''Naturalis Historia'' (''Pliny's Natural History'') * Pliny the Younger (died 113), ancient Roman statesman, orator, ...

, ''Naturalis Historia'' 4.92 and 34.38 *

Plutarch Plutarch (; grc-gre, Πλούταρχος, ''Ploútarchos''; ; – after AD 119) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for his ...

, ''Lucullus'' 1, 37, and 43; ''Caesar'' 4. *

Quintus Cicero Quintus Tullius Cicero ( , ; 102 – 43 BC) was a Roman statesman and military leader, the younger brother of Marcus Tullius Cicero. He was born into a family of the equestrian order, as the son of a wealthy landowner in Arpinum, some south-east ...

, ''Commentariolum Petitionis'' 8. *

Sallust Gaius Sallustius Crispus, usually anglicised as Sallust (; 86 – ), was a Roman historian and politician from an Italian plebeian family. Probably born at Amiternum in the country of the Sabines, Sallust became during the 50s BC a partisan ...

, ''Histories'' 4.18 M. * Strabo, ''Geography'' 7.6.1.

Secondary literature

*Arkenberg, J. S. "Licinii Murenae, Terentii Varrones, and Varrones Murenae." ''Historia'' 42 (1993) 326–51. *Bradley, Keith. ''Slavery and Rebellion in the Roman World.'' Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1989. *Broughton, T. Robert S. "Magistrates of the Roman Republic." Vol. 2. Cleveland: Case Western University Press, 1968, p. 118-19. *Gelzer, Matthias. ''Cicero. Ein biographischer Versuch.'' Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag, 1969 (repr. 1983). . *Gelzer, Matthias. ''Caesar. Der Politiker und Staatsmann.'' 6th ed. Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag, 1960 (repr. 1983). . *Keaveney, Arthur. ''Lucullus. A Life.'' London/New York: Routledge, 1992. . *Mommsen, Theodor, "The History of Rome, Books I-V", project Gutenberg electronic edition, 2004. . *Strachan-Davidson, J. L. (ed.), ''Appian, Civil Wars: Book I'', Oxford 1902. * *Taylor, Lily Ross. "Caesar's Colleagues in the Pontifical College." ''American Journal of Philology'' 63 (1942) 385–412. *Ward, Allen M. "Politics in the Trials of Manilius and Cornelius." ''Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association'' 101 (1970), pp. 545–556.

External links

* * For the Greek text of the Epistula de Amphiarai Oropii agris, see http://epigraphy.packhum.org/inscriptions/oi?ikey=180494&bookid=225&caller=gis®ion=3. * A Latin version is available at http://www.kennydominican.joyeurs.com/LatinLibrary/RomanLaw/Senatus/Amphiarai_Riccobono.htm. {{DEFAULTSORT:Terentius Varro Lucullus, Marcus 110s BC births 50s BC deaths 1st-century BC Roman consuls Ancient Roman adoptees Ancient Roman generals Curule aediles Licinii Luculli Optimates Roman Republican praetors Varro Lucullus, Marcus