Spurius Oppius Cornicen was a Roman politician and member of the Second ''Decemvirate'' in 450 and 449 BC.

Biography

According to

Dionysius of Halicarnassus Dionysius of Halicarnassus ( grc, Διονύσιος Ἀλεξάνδρου Ἁλικαρνασσεύς, ; – after 7 BC) was a Greek historian and teacher of rhetoric, who flourished during the reign of Emperor Augustus. His literary style ...

, Spurius

Oppius The Oppian Hill ( Latin, ''Oppius Mons''; it, Colle Oppio) is the southern spur of the Esquiline Hill, one of the Seven hills of Rome, Italy. It is separated from the Cispius on the north by the valley of the Suburra, and from the Caelian ...

Cornicen was

plebeian In ancient Rome, the plebeians (also called plebs) were the general body of free Roman citizens who were not patricians, as determined by the census, or in other words "commoners". Both classes were hereditary. Etymology The precise origins o ...

. He was one of the ten members of the Second ''Decemvirate'', presided over by

Appius Claudius Crassus Appius Claudius Crassus Inregillensis (or Crassinus Regillensis) Sabinus ( 471–451 BC) was a Roman senator during the early Republic, most notable as the leading member of the ten-man board (the Decemvirate) which drew up the Twelve Tables of ...

, and elected in order to draft the Law of the Twelve Tables, first body of written law in Roman history. The Second ''Decemvirate'' seemed to be made up just as much by plebeians, like Spurius Oppius, as it was of patricians. At the instigation of Crassus, the decemvirs illegally held on to power the following year, and refused to allow the election of consuls. In 449 BC, a war escalated with the

Sabines The Sabines (; lat, Sabini; it, Sabini, all exonyms) were an Italic people who lived in the central Apennine Mountains of the ancient Italian Peninsula, also inhabiting Latium north of the Anio before the founding of Rome. The Sabines di ...

setting up in Eretum and with the

Aequi 300px, Location of the Aequi (Equi) in central Italy, 5th century BC. The Aequi ( grc, Αἴκουοι and Αἴκοι) were an Italic tribe on a stretch of the Apennine Mountains to the east of Latium in central Italy who appear in the early hi ...

fortified on

Mount Algidus The Algidus Mons, known in English as Mount Algidus, is the eastern rim of the dormant Alban Volcano in the Alban Hills, about southeast of Rome, Italy. The ridge is traversed by a narrow crevasse called ''la Cava d'Aglio''. It was the site of the ...

. Roman forces were divided into two armies commanded each by four decemvirs, in order to fight on two fronts; Appius Claudius Crassus and Spurius Oppius Cornicen remained in Rome in order to assure the defense of the city. The two Roman armies were kept in check on each front respectively, retreating to Fidenae,

Crustumerium Crustumerium (or Crustumium) was an ancient town of Latium, on the edge of the Sabine territory, near the headwaters of the Allia, not far from the Tiber. In the legends concerning Rome's early history, the Crustumini were amongst the peoples whic ...

, and

Tusculum Tusculum is a ruined Roman city in the Alban Hills, in the Latium region of Italy. Tusculum was most famous in Roman times for the many great and luxurious patrician country villas sited close to the city, yet a comfortable distance from Rome ...

. Meanwhile the soldier Lucius Siccius Dentatus, former

tribune of the plebs Tribune of the plebs, tribune of the people or plebeian tribune ( la, tribunus plebis) was the first office of the Roman state that was open to the plebeians, and was, throughout the history of the Republic, the most important check on the power o ...

and staunch opponent of the patricians was murdered. Also, Verginia had her freedom taken in a scandalous trial by Crassus. This caused her to be executed by her own father, Lucius Verginius. The soldiers in both armies mutinied and elected twenty military tribunes in order to command in the place of the decemvirs. The soldiers returned to Rome and set up on the Aventine then joined together on Monte Sacro. Under pressure by the soldiers and the plebeians, the decemvirs resigned. Appius Claudius Crassus and Spurius Oppius Cornicen remained in Rome where they were imprisoned. The other eight decemvirs left in exile. One college of the tribunes of the plebs was elected to restore the old magistrates. Tribune Publius Numitorius took Spurius Oppius to court, but Oppius committed suicide in the process, as did Appius Claudius Crassus, who was charged as well.

, ''Roman Antiquities'', XI. 46

References

Bibliography

Ancient bibliography

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 ...

, ''

Ab urbe condita ''Ab urbe condita'' ( 'from the founding of the City'), or ''anno urbis conditae'' (; 'in the year since the city's founding'), abbreviated as AUC or AVC, expresses a date in years since 753 BC, the traditional founding of Rome. It is an ex ...

'' *

, ''Roman Antiquities''

Modern bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Oppius Cornicen, Spurius 5th-century BC Romans Ancient Roman decemvirs