Publius Cornelius Maluginensis was a

consular tribune A consular tribune was putatively a type of magistrate in the early Roman Republic. According to Roman tradition, colleges of consular tribunes held office throughout the fifth and fourth centuries BC during the so-called "Conflict of the Or ...

of the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( ) was the era of Ancient Rome, classical Roman civilisation beginning with Overthrow of the Roman monarchy, the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom (traditionally dated to 509 BC) and ending in 27 BC with the establis ...

in 404 BC. Cornelius belonged to the

Cornelia gens The gens Cornelia was one of the greatest patrician houses at ancient Rome. For more than seven hundred years, from the early decades of the Republic to the third century AD, the Cornelii produced more eminent statesmen and generals than any othe ...

, one of the older patrician gentes of the Republic. Cornelius' father, and grandfather were both named Marcus, possible identifying them with

Marcus Cornelius Maluginensis 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 Cornelia''. He was grandson of Servius Cornelius Ma ...

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 ...

436 BC, and

decemviri The decemviri or decemvirs (Latin for "ten men") refer to official ten-man commissions established by the Roman Republic. The most important were those of the two decemvirates, formally the decemvirate with consular power for writing laws () w ...

in 450 BC, respectively.

Publius Cornelius Maluginensis Publius may refer to: Roman name * Publius (praenomen) * Ancient Romans with the name: ** Publius Valerius Publicola (died 503 BC), Roman consul, co-founder of the Republic **Publius Clodius Pulcher (c. 93 BC – 52 BC), Republican politician * ...

, consular tribune 397 BC,

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 ...

, consular tribune 386 BC, and possibly

, censor 393 BC, seems to all be his sons based on filiations.

Career

Cornelius held the ''

imperium In ancient Rome, ''imperium'' was a form of authority held by a citizen to control a military or governmental entity. It is distinct from '' auctoritas'' and '' potestas'', different and generally inferior types of power in the Roman Republic a ...

'' in 404 BC as one of six consular tribunes. He shared the office with

Gaius Valerius Potitus Volusus Gaius Valerius Potitus Volusus was a consul in 410 BC and consular tribune in 415, 407 and 404 BC of the Roman Republic. Valerius belonged to the Valeria gens, one of the oldest and possibly the most influential and powerful patrician gens of th ...

Manius Sergius Fidenas Manius Sergius Fidenas was a consular tribune of the Roman Republic in 404 and 402 BC. Sergius belonged to the Sergia gens, a young patrician gentes of the Republic which had first risen to become ''consulares'' with Lucius Sergius Fidenas in 4 ...

Gnaeus Cornelius Cossus Gnaeus, also spelled Cnaeus, was a Roman praenomen derived from the Latin ''naevus'', a birthmark. It was a common name borne by many individuals throughout Roman history, including: Individuals * Gnaeus Acerronius Proculus, a consul of the Roman ...

Caeso Fabius Ambustus Caeso Fabius Ambustus was a four-time consular tribune of the Roman Republic around the turn of the 5th and 4th centuries BC. Caeso was quaestor in 409 BC, the first year the office was opened to the ''plebs'', and three of his colleagues were pl ...

and Spurius Nautius Rutilus. The consulars successfully fought against the Volsci and Veii, capturing

Artena Artena is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome, Italy. It is situated in the northwest of Monti Lepini, in the upper valley of the Sacco River. It is approximately southeast by rail, and direct from Rome. The economy is based ...

from Volsci and continuing the

siege of Veii The battle of Veii, also known as the siege of Veii, involved ancient Rome, and is approximately dated at 396 BC. The main source about it is Livy's ''Ab Urbe Condita''. The battle of Veii was the final battle between the Romans, who were l ...

. There was also a successful venture to colonize

Velitrae Velletri (; ; ) is an Italian ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome, approximately 40 km to the southeast of the city centre, located in the Alban Hills, in the region of Lazio, central Italy. Neighbouring communes are Rocca di Papa, ...

under the command of the consulars. There is some doubt among modern scholars in regards to the historicity of these consular colleges of six and there are indications of a higher degree of interpolation during this period. There is a possibility, quite unlikely, that Cornelius is the unknown Publius Cornelius who was consular tribune for a second time in 394 BC. Broughton and Ogilvie, in commenting on the consular of 394 would instead prefer Cornelius namesake and son, the consular tribune of 397 BC, to fill that gap. Other plausible candidates, listed by Broughton and Ogilvie, include

Publius Cornelius Cossus Publius may refer to: Roman name * Publius (praenomen) * Ancient Romans with the name: ** Publius Valerius Publicola (died 503 BC), Roman consul, co-founder of the Republic **Publius Clodius Pulcher (c. 93 BC – 52 BC), Republican politician * ...

, consular tribune 395 BC, and Publius Cornelius Scipio, consular tribune 395 BC.

Conflicting identity

There is a lack of consensus among modern scholars in regards to the identity of Cornelius and the other members of the Cornelii during this period of the Republic. The main problem lies in the filiations presented to these Cornelii and the sheer amount of Cornelii in the Fasti of the consular tribunes. Ogilvie therefor suggests that this Cornelius should instead be identified as the same individual as

, the consular tribune of 415 BC, and having been consular tribune in 415, 408, 406, 404 BC and

dictator A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute Power (social and political), power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a polity. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to r ...

in 408 BC.Ogilvie, pp.617

References

{{s-end 5th-century BC Romans Roman Republic Roman consular tribunes Cornelii 404 BC

Career

Conflicting identity

See also

References