Tlepolemus Cornelius was an artist of

ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman people, Roman civilisation from the founding of Rome, founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, collapse of the Western Roman Em ...

who lived around the 1st century BCE. He and his brother Hiero were called by

Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, orator, writer and Academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises tha ...

the "hunting dogs" (''canes venatici'') of the notorious Roman nobleman

Gaius Verres Gaius Verres ( 114 – 43 BC) was a Roman magistrate, notorious for his misgovernment of Sicily. His extortion of local farmers and plundering of temples led to his prosecution by Cicero, whose accusations were so devastating that his defence advo ...

, accused by Cicero in his ''

In Verrem "''In Verrem''" ("Against Verres") is a series of speeches made by Cicero in 70 BC, during the corruption and extortion trial of Gaius Verres, the former governor of Sicily. The speeches, which were concurrent with Cicero's election to the aedil ...

'' of using his position to plunder valuable artworks from religious sanctuaries. The two brothers were natives of

Cibyra Cibyra or Kibyra (Greek language, Greek: ), also referred to as Cibyra Magna, was an Ancient Greek city near the modern town of Gölhisar, in Burdur Province. It lay outside the north-western limits of the ancient province of Lycia and was th ...

, whence they fled, under the suspicion of having robbed the temple of

Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...

, and took themselves to Verres, who was then in

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

. There they lived as his dependents, and during his government of

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

they performed for him the service of hunting out the works of art which seemed to be worth stealing. They were both artists, Tlepolemus being a painter, and Hiero a sculptor in wax.

, ''

'' 3.28, 4.13 The name of these brothers does not appear to have originally been "Cornelius". Cicero seems to imply that they and other partisans of Verres (such as

Artemidorus Cornelius Artemidorus Cornelius () was a Greek physician of ancient Rome who was born at Perga in Pamphylia, or, according to some editions of Cicero, at Pergamon in Mysia. He is known primarily as the agent and personal physician of the notorious Roman ma ...

) did not previously have the name "Cornelius", but later suddenly assumed it together. It is believed they were at first

slaves Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

, and afterwards, on being freed by their master -- perhaps

Gnaeus Cornelius Dolabella Gnaeus Cornelius Dolabella was a consul of the Roman Republic in 81 BC, with Marcus Tullius Decula, during the dictatorship of Sulla. Biography Possibly a military tribune in 89 BC, Dolabella soon was attached to the staff of Sulla as a legate, ...

, whom Verres had served under -- took the name of "Cornelius", similar to how the 10,000 manumitted slaves of

Sulla Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (, ; 138–78 BC), commonly known as Sulla, was a Roman people, Roman general and statesman of the late Roman Republic. A great commander and ruthless politician, Sulla used violence to advance his career and his co ...

were also given their former master's name.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tlepolemus Ancient Roman painters 1st-century BC Romans Cornelii People from Roman Asia