Marcus Cornelius Maluginensis was a Roman politician and member of the
Second Decemvirate in 450 and 449 BC.
Family
He was part of the ''Cornelii Maluginenses'', patrician branch of the ''
gens
In ancient Rome, a gens ( or , ; : gentes ) was a family consisting of individuals who shared the same ''nomen gentilicium'' and who claimed descent from a common ancestor. A branch of a gens, sometimes identified by a distinct cognomen, was cal ...
Cornelia''. He was grandson of
Servius Cornelius Maluginensis
Servius Cornelius Maluginensis was a Roman senator who was elected consul in 485 BC.
Family
Maluginensis was from the patrician ''Cornelii Maluginenses'', one of the oldest attested branches of the '' gens Cornelia''. It is possible that he ca ...
,
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 thro ...
in 485 BC. According to
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 i ...
, and
Dionysius of Halicarnassus
Dionysius of Halicarnassus (,
; – after 7 BC) was a Greek historian and teacher of rhetoric, who flourished during the reign of Emperor Augustus. His literary style was ''atticistic'' – imitating Classical Attic Greek in its prime.
...
, he was the brother of
Lucius Cornelius Maluginensis Uritus Cossus (consul in 459 BC) but his name would be the same as his father if we refer to the
filiation
Filiation is the legal term for the recognized legal status of the relationship between family members, or more specifically the legal relationship between parent and child. As described by the Government of Quebec:
Filiation is the relationship ...
given by the ''Fasti Capitolini''.
Biography
Marcus Cornelius Maluginensis was one of the ten members of the Second Decemvirate, presided over by
Appius Claudius Crassus and elected for the purpose of drafting the
Law of the Twelve Tables
The Laws of the Twelve Tables () was the legislation that stood at the foundation of Roman law. Formally promulgated in 449 BC, the Tables consolidated earlier traditions into an enduring set of laws.Crawford, M.H. 'Twelve Tables' in Simon Hornbl ...
, first written law of the Roman Republic. At the instigation of Appius Claudius, the decemvirs illegally held onto power the following year, refusing to proceed with the election of consuls. That year, a war escalated with the
Sabines
The Sabines (, , , ; ) were an Italic people who lived in the central Apennine Mountains (see Sabina) of the ancient Italian Peninsula, also inhabiting Latium north of the Anio before the founding of Rome.
The Sabines divided int ...
who were based in
Eretum and the
Aequi
300px, Location of the Aequi (Equi) in central Italy, 5th century BC.
The Aequi were an Italic tribe on a stretch of the Apennine Mountains to the east of Latium in central Italy who appear in the early history of ancient Rome. After a long stru ...
camped under
Mount Algidus Mount Algidus (, "Chilly Mountain") 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 the . It was the site of the ancient Roman Battle of Mount ...
. The Roman troops were divided into two armies so that they could fight on two fronts. Marcus Cornelius received the command of the army that fought the Aequi, with three other decemvirs;
Lucius Minucius,
Titus Antonius, and
Lucius Sergius. Meanwhile, Appius Claudius and
Spurius Oppius Cornicen remained in Rome to ensure the defence of the city, and the four other decemvirs fought against the Sabines.
The two Roman armies were kept in check on each front. The army commanded by Marcus Cornelius had withdrawn to
Tusculum
Tusculum is a ruined Classical Rome, 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 dist ...
then moved in response to the call from
Lucius Verginius, whose daughter had been enslaved by Appius Claudius. As a result of Appius Claudius' conduct during the ensuing trial, Lucius Verginius had decided to kill his own daughter. His story provoked a mutiny of the soldiers who elected twelve military tribunes. Under their command, they returned to Rome and set up camp on the
Aventine and were then joined by the other Roman army that was led by Appius Claudius and
Spurius Oppius Cornicen. Appius Claudius and
Spurius Oppius Cornicen were imprisoned in Rome, but committed suicide during their prosecution. The eight other decemvirs, including Marcus Cornelius Maluginensis, were exiled.
Dionysius of Halicarnassus
Dionysius of Halicarnassus (,
; – after 7 BC) was a Greek historian and teacher of rhetoric, who flourished during the reign of Emperor Augustus. His literary style was ''atticistic'' – imitating Classical Attic Greek in its prime.
...
, ''Roman Antiquities'', XI. 24-43
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 i ...
, ''
Ab urbe condita
''Ab urbe condita'' (; 'from the founding of Rome, founding of the City'), or (; 'in the year since the city's founding'), abbreviated as AUC or AVC, expresses a date in years since 753 BC, 753 BC, the traditional founding of Rome. It is ...
''
*
Dionysius of Halicarnassus
Dionysius of Halicarnassus (,
; – after 7 BC) was a Greek historian and teacher of rhetoric, who flourished during the reign of Emperor Augustus. His literary style was ''atticistic'' – imitating Classical Attic Greek in its prime.
...
, ''Roman Antiquities''
Modern bibliography
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cornelius Maluginensis, Marcus
5th-century BC Romans
Ancient Roman decemvirs
Maluginensis, Marcus
Ancient Roman patricians