Spurius Nautius Rutilus was a

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 ...

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 411 and 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 ...

in 419, 416 and 404 BC. Nautius belonged to the Nautia gens, an old but rather small patrician family. Nautius was the son of a Spurius Nautius Rutilus, the consular tribune in 424 BC and probably the forefather of later Nautia such as Spurius Nautius Rutilus, consul in 316 BC.

Career

Nautius first 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 419 BC as one of four consular tribunes. His colleagues in the office were

Agrippa Menenius Lanatus Agrippa Menenius Lanatus (died 493 BC) was a consul of the Roman Republic in 503 BC, with Publius Postumius Tubertus. He was victorious over the Sabines and was awarded a triumph which he celebrated on 4 April 503 BC. According to Livy, he a ...

, Publius Lucretius Tricipitinus and

Gaius Servilius Axilla Gaius Servilius Axilla (or Servilius Structus; 427–417 BC) was a Roman aristocrat and statesman during the early Republic. He held the senior executive offices of consul in 427 BC and consular tribune in 419, 418 and 417 BC. He also served as ...

. In this year, there was a conspiracy among the slaves of the city to revolt and take the Capitoline hill, but it was revealed to the senate and tribunes by two slaves who were accomplices in the plot. The ringleaders of the conspiracy were crucified and as a reward for their loyal service, the two slaves who had divulged the plot were given their freedom as well as a considerable sum of money.

Chronograph of 354 The Chronograph of 354 is a compilation of chronological and calendrical texts produced in 354 AD for a wealthy Roman Christian named Valentinus by the calligrapher and manuscript illuminator, illustrator Furius Dionysius Filocalus. The origina ...

(Lanato et Rufillo) Nautius was elected for a second term as consular tribune in 416 BC together with Aulus Sempronius Atratinus,

Marcus Papirius Mugillanus Marcus Papirius Mugillanus was a consular tribune in 418 and 416 BC, and perhaps consul of the Roman Republic in 411. Papirius belonged to the Papiria gens, one of the oldest patrician families. The family had, according to legend, been among t ...

and Quintus Fabius Vibulanus. The year saw the proposal of a new

agrarian law Agrarian laws (from the Latin ''ager'', meaning "land") were Roman law, laws among the Ancient Rome, Romans regulating the division of the public real property, lands, or ''ager publicus''. In its broader definition, it can also refer to the agric ...

by the tribunes of the plebs, Spurius Maecilius and Marcus Metilius, which was vetoed by their own colleagues. The actions of the consulars in regards to this law is unknown. In 411 BC Nautius was elected together with his former colleague Papirius to the consulship. As consuls they oversaw Rome during a period of famine and pestilence. Little is recorded of the events during this year but it was in the middle of a period of strife in Rome in regards to cries for agrarian reforms and wars against 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 ...

and the

Volsci The Volsci (, , ) were an Italic tribe, well known in the history of the first century of the Roman Republic. At the time they inhabited the partly hilly, partly marshy district of the south of Latium, bounded by the Aurunci and Samnites on the ...

ans. Nautius would be elected for a third and final term as consular tribune in 404 BC. His colleagues were Gaius Valerius Potitus Volusus, Manius Sergius Fidenas, Publius Cornelius Maluginensis, Gnaeus Cornelius Cossus and Caeso Fabius Ambustus. The year saw war with the Volscians and

Veii Veii (also Veius; ) was an important ancient Etruscan city situated on the southern limits of Etruria and north-northwest of Rome, Italy. It now lies in Isola Farnese, in the comune of Rome. Many other sites associated with and in the city-st ...

. The Volscians were defeated and the city of Artena was captured while the siege of Veii, which had begun the previous year, was maintained. In addition to their successful enterprises in the wars an expedition was sent 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, ...

Conflicting traditions

There exists some uncertainty if Spurius Nautius Rutilus was the consul of 411 BC or if that office should be ascribed to an otherwise unattested brother of his,

Gaius Nautius Rutilus Gaius Nautius Rutilus ( 475 – 457 BC) was a Roman politician who was consul of the Roman Republic from 475 BC until 474 BC and from 458 BC until 457 BC. Biography Nautius was probably the brother, or perhaps the son of Spurius Nautius Ruti ...

. The ancient records disagree in regards to the

praenomen The praenomen (; plural: praenomina) was a first name chosen by the parents of a Ancient Rome, Roman child. It was first bestowed on the ''dies lustricus'' (day of lustration), the eighth day after the birth of a girl, or the ninth day after the ...

of the consul with

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

Cassiodorus Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Senator (c. 485 – c. 585), commonly known as Cassiodorus (), was a Christian Roman statesman, a renowned scholar and writer who served in the administration of Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths. ''Senato ...

having him named Gaius while

Diodorus Siculus Diodorus Siculus or Diodorus of Sicily (; 1st century BC) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek historian from Sicily. He is known for writing the monumental Universal history (genre), universal history ''Bibliotheca historica'', in forty ...

has him named Spurius. The name of the consular tribune is attested as Spurius as shown in the ''

Fasti Capitolini The ''Fasti Capitolini'', or Capitoline Fasti, are a list of the chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, extending from the early fifth century BC down to the reign of Augustus, the first Roman emperor. Together with similar lists found at Rom ...

'' and the works of Livy and Diodorus. The Fasti is not preserved for the year 411 BC and other sources does not specify a praenomen. Following this the classicist Broughton identifies the consul of 411 as the same individual as the consular tribune of 419 BC.Broughton, vol i, pp.76-77 (note.1 pp.77)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nautius Rutilus, Spurius (consul 343 AUC) 5th-century BC Romans Rutilus, Spurius (consul 343 AUC) Roman consular tribunes Roman Republic

Career

Conflicting traditions

See also

References