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Publius Licinius Crassus Dives Mucianus (c. 180 BC – 130 BC) was the natural son of Publius Mucius Scaevola and Licinia, and brother of Publius Mucius Scaevola. He was
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 ...
at an unknown date by
Publius Licinius Crassus (consul 171 BC) Publius Licinius Crassus (fl. 176 to 171 BC) was Roman consul for year 171 BC, together with Gaius Cassius Longinus. He was the son of Gaius Licinius Varus, possibly related to the Gaius Licinius Varus who was consul in 236 BC and who was still ...
, his mother's brother, or (although improbable) by a son of the consul of 205 BC, Publius Licinus Crassus Dives.


Career

Mucianus became Pontifex Maximus in 132 BC after the death of the exiled Pontifex Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica Serapio. In 131 BC he was elected consul along with Lucius Valerius Flaccus, the
Flamen Martialis In ancient Roman religion, the Flamen Martialis was the high priest of the official state cult of Mars, the god of war. He was one of the '' flamines maiores'', the three high priests who were the most important of the fifteen flamens. The Flamen ...
. Mucianus forbade his colleague to fight against Aristonicus and fined him for neglecting his sacred duties. The people remitted the fine but wished Flaccus to submit to his religious superior. Mucianus, nevertheless, went to fight Aristonicus, who had occupied the kingdom of
Pergamum Pergamon or Pergamum ( or ; grc-gre, Πέργαμον), also referred to by its modern Greek form Pergamos (), was a rich and powerful ancient Greek city in Mysia. It is located from the modern coastline of the Aegean Sea on a promontory on ...
, after it had been left to Rome in the will of Attalus III. He was the first Pontifex Maximus to leave Italy voluntarily (whereas Scipio Nasica Serapio had been sent out of Italy by the Senate). Crassus Mucianus met with defeat against Aristonicus, and while retreating, he was overtaken by the enemy and stabbed to death. According to one source, he deliberately refused to reveal his identity to avoid the humiliation of being captured alive. According to ancient historians, he was a wealthy, cultivated man who spoke several varieties of Greek fluently.Valerius Maximus 8.7.6;
Quintilian Marcus Fabius Quintilianus (; 35 – 100 AD) was a Roman educator and rhetorician from Hispania, widely referred to in medieval schools of rhetoric and in Renaissance writing. In English translation, he is usually referred to as Quintilian ...
, ''Institutio oratoria'' 11.2.50
He and his brother supported political and economic reforms, and as such, were staunch supporters of Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus (killed 133 BC), who was married to his wife's niece, another Claudia. Crassus Mucianus later arranged the marriage of his younger daughter to Tiberius's younger brother
Gaius Gaius, sometimes spelled ''Gajus'', Kaius, Cajus, Caius, was a common Latin praenomen; see Gaius (praenomen). People * Gaius (jurist) (), Roman jurist *Gaius Acilius *Gaius Antonius * Gaius Antonius Hybrida *Gaius Asinius Gallus * Gaius Asiniu ...
.


Family

Publius Licinius Crassus Mucianus was the son of Publius Mucius Scaevola and Licinia, the sister of Publius Licinius Crassus, consul in 171 BC. His paternal uncle, Quintus Mucius Scaevola, had been consul in 174 BC. His elder brother, Publius Mucius Scaevola, became consul in 133 BC. Thus, Crassus Mucianus was related to several consuls. His paternal grandfather, Quintus Mucius Scaevola, had been praetor in 215 BC, but had fallen ill and died before he could stand for election to the consulship. Crassus Mucianus was probably born around 180 BC. The date of his adoption is unknown. He married Clodia, (possibly the sister of Appius Claudius Pulcher consul in 143 BC as well as censor and Princeps Senatus in 136 BC). He had several children with her, of whom at least one son and two daughters outlived him. His younger daughter, Licinia, was wife of
Gaius Sempronius Gracchus Gaius Sempronius Gracchus ( – 121 BC) was a reformist Roman politician in the 2nd century BC. He is most famous for his tribunate for the years 123 and 122 BC, in which he proposed a wide set of laws, including laws to establish ...
, the would-be reformer who died in 121 BC. A cousin was
Quintus Mucius Scaevola Augur Quintus Mucius Scaevola Augur (c. 169 – 88 BC) was a politician of the Roman Republic and an early authority on Roman law. He was first educated in law by his father (whose name he shared) and in philosophy by the stoic Panaetius of Rhodes. ...
, consul in 117 BC, and friend, patron and tutor of
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 esta ...
. Crassus Mucianus's nephew was the rhetorician and jurist
Quintus Mucius Scaevola Pontifex Quintus Mucius Scaevola "Pontifex" (140–82 BC) was a politician of the Roman Republic and an important early authority on Roman law. He is credited with founding the study of law as a systematic discipline. He was elected Pontifex Maximus ( ...
, son of Publius Mucius Scaevola. Both relatives died or were killed during the Social War. The family Mucii gained several consulships between 175 BC and 95 BC, including no less than three consuls who became Pontifex Maximus (including Crassus Mucianus who was adopted out).


See also

* Licinia (gens) *
Mucia (gens) The gens Mucia was an ancient and noble patrician house at ancient Rome. The gens is first mentioned at the earliest period of the Republic, but in later times the family was known primarily by its plebeian branches. Origin The first of the Muci ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Licinius Crassus Dives Mucianus, Publius 180 BC births 130 BC deaths Year of birth uncertain 2nd-century BC Roman consuls 2nd-century BC clergy Ancient Roman adoptees Ancient Roman generals Crassus Dives Mucianus, Publius Dives Mucianus, Publius Licinius Crassus Dives Mucianus, Publius Pontifices maximi of the Roman Republic Roman generals killed in action