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Caeso Quinctius

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99:. Lucius Volscius was in a weakened state, not fully recovered from the pestilence of 463, and had died as a result of the young nobleman's attack. After Marcus had told this story, the crowd tried to attack Caeso, and was only restrained with difficulty. Verginius ordered his arrest, but Titus Quinctius objected, since Caeso had not yet been tried. After some debate, the other tribunes granted Caeso his freedom until the trial could be held, granting bail of 3,000 137:, with the intention of killing the tribunes of the plebs and anyone else who had opposed the aristocracy. In 459, an attempt was made to bring Volscius to trial, on the grounds that his brother had died without ever having recovered enough from the plague to leave his bed, while Caeso had been out of the city at the time. The effort was unsuccessful, but tried again the following year, when Caeso's uncle Titus was 204:; and not all sources mention his cognomen (Livy typically refers to individuals by praenomen and nomen alone, when this was sufficient to distinguish them from others). However, as he was the son of Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, whose other descendants used the same cognomen, it would naturally have applied to Caeso as well. As the son and grandson of Lucius Quinctius, his 157:, Gary Forsythe suggests that the story of Caeso Quinctius should be regarded as a later addition to the narrative of the conflict of the orders, providing an example of an injustice done to the patricians, and adding colour to the story of his father's stoic attitude and subsequent redemption. 80:
In response, Aulus Verginius, one of the plebeian tribunes, brought the young Quinctius to trial on a capital charge. This only seems to have encouraged Caeso to pursue his war against the tribunes more vigorously, further increasing the young man's reputation for violence.
67:
But in the disputes between the patricians and the plebeians, Caeso unreservedly took the side of the aristocratic party, and despite holding no position of authority, he and his followers took it upon themselves to prevent the tribunes of the people from meeting in the
113:
Believing that he would be convicted based on the tribune Volscius' testimony, as well as his own violent reputation, Quinctius chose exile over a possible sentence of death, and departed for Etruria under cover of darkness. Verginius still wished to try the young man
224:, and according to the law the entire body of the plebs obliged to defend them with their lives; so preventing the tribunes from meeting, beating or threatening them, especially without any authority, may have been sufficient to constitute a capital charge. 92:, the consul of the preceding year, described Caeso's military exploits and natural gifts, and urged that he not be judged too harshly in light of his age and lack of wisdom; and Caeso's father, Lucius Quinctius, begged forgiveness for his son's excesses. 118:, but was prevented from doing so when the other tribunes accepted the explanation that Caeso had voluntarily gone into exile, and dismissed the assembly. Nevertheless, the young man's father, Lucius Quinctius, forfeited the sum of 3,000 60:, Caeso was tall and strong, and had earned a reputation as a fine soldier, to whom several feats of courage and daring were attributed. He was also considered an excellent public speaker. His uncle, 95:
However, the trial was decided largely on the testimony of Marcus Volscius Fictor, a former tribune, who claimed that Caeso had struck his elder brother, Lucius, during a melee in the
129:
The following year, there was a rumour, apparently unfounded, that Caeso had returned to Rome, at the head of a conspiracy of young noblemen, and aided by the
72:
to conduct their business. If anyone dared oppose them, Caeso and his friends resorted to violence, driving away the plebeians and their representatives.
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Several prominent men testified in Caeso's defense: his uncle described his nobility and fine personal qualities, as well as his worth as a soldier;
85: 61: 122:, which required him to sell his house and property. He left Rome and settled in a small house on the other side of the 64:, had been thrice consul, and there was every reason to believe that Caeso would one day hold the same office. 205: 89: 366: 53: 242:
Livy notes this as the first instance of a defendant being freed on bail given by his sureties.
37: 382: 88:
described how the young man had rescued him from danger and helped him win a great victory;
33: 8: 406: 220:
It is not entirely clear what the charge was, but the tribunes of the plebs were
101: 141:. According to Livy, Volscius was convicted of perjury, and went into exile at 145:, but by this time it appears that Caeso had died, much to his father's grief. 26: 400: 166: 57: 23: 69: 29: 391:
A Critical History of Early Rome: From Prehistory to the First Punic War
185:
Caeso's name appears in several variations in different sources. The
186: 41: 142: 138: 96: 134: 130: 123: 377: 233:
Evidently the testimony given preceded the actual trial.
393:, University of California Press, Berkeley (2006). 398: 278: 276: 274: 36:in 461 BC was one of the key events in the 271: 264: 262: 260: 258: 20:Caeso Quinctius L. f. L. n. Cincinnatus 399: 255: 62:Titus Quinctius Capitolinus Barbatus 13: 108: 14: 418: 32:. His trial for obstructing the 155:A Critical History of Early Rome 360: 348: 339: 330: 321: 312: 105:, to be given by ten sureties. 40:in the years leading up to the 303: 294: 285: 236: 227: 214: 179: 148: 16:5th-century BC Roman patrician 1: 249: 90:Lucius Lucretius Tricipitinus 47: 75: 30:Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus 7: 160: 10: 423: 367:Dionysius of Halicarnassus 336:Livy, iii. 15, 24, 25, 29. 86:Spurius Furius Medullinus 172: 38:Conflict of the Orders 200:sometimes appears as 52:A scion of the noble 34:tribunes of the plebs 373:(Roman Antiquities). 371:Romaike Archaiologia 345:Dionysius, x. 9–13. 309:Dionysius, x. 7, 8. 354:Forsythe, p. 204. 192:is often spelled 22:was a son of the 414: 355: 352: 346: 343: 337: 334: 328: 327:Dionysius, x. 8. 325: 319: 316: 310: 307: 301: 298: 292: 291:Dionysius, x. 6. 289: 283: 282:Dionysius, x. 5. 280: 269: 268:Livy, iii, 11–2. 266: 243: 240: 234: 231: 225: 218: 212: 183: 422: 421: 417: 416: 415: 413: 412: 411: 397: 396: 389:Gary Forsythe, 383:History of Rome 363: 358: 353: 349: 344: 340: 335: 331: 326: 322: 317: 313: 308: 304: 299: 295: 290: 286: 281: 272: 267: 256: 252: 247: 246: 241: 237: 232: 228: 219: 215: 184: 180: 175: 163: 151: 111: 109:Exile and death 78: 50: 17: 12: 11: 5: 420: 410: 409: 395: 394: 387: 376:Titus Livius ( 374: 362: 359: 357: 356: 347: 338: 329: 320: 318:Livy, iii. 14. 311: 302: 300:Livy, iii. 13. 293: 284: 270: 253: 251: 248: 245: 244: 235: 226: 213: 177: 176: 174: 171: 170: 169: 162: 159: 150: 147: 110: 107: 77: 74: 49: 46: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 419: 408: 405: 404: 402: 392: 388: 385: 384: 379: 375: 372: 368: 365: 364: 351: 342: 333: 324: 315: 306: 297: 288: 279: 277: 275: 265: 263: 261: 259: 254: 239: 230: 223: 217: 211: 207: 203: 199: 195: 191: 188: 182: 178: 168: 167:Quinctia gens 165: 164: 158: 156: 146: 144: 140: 136: 132: 127: 125: 121: 117: 106: 104: 103: 98: 93: 91: 87: 82: 73: 71: 65: 63: 59: 56:house of the 55: 45: 43: 39: 35: 31: 28: 25: 21: 390: 381: 370: 361:Bibliography 350: 341: 332: 323: 314: 305: 296: 287: 238: 229: 221: 216: 209: 201: 197: 193: 189: 181: 154: 152: 128: 119: 115: 112: 100: 94: 83: 79: 66: 51: 19: 18: 210:L. f. L. n. 149:Historicity 116:in absentia 42:decemvirate 250:References 222:sacrosanct 48:Background 206:filiation 198:Quinctius 187:praenomen 76:Testimony 54:patrician 407:Quinctii 401:Category 202:Quintius 161:See also 143:Lanuvium 139:quaestor 58:Quinctii 27:dictator 135:Volsci 97:Subura 194:Kaeso 190:Caeso 173:Notes 131:Aequi 124:Tiber 120:asses 102:asses 70:forum 24:Roman 378:Livy 208:was 133:and 380:), 153:In 403:: 369:, 273:^ 257:^ 196:; 126:. 44:. 386:.

Index

Roman
dictator
Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
tribunes of the plebs
Conflict of the Orders
decemvirate
patrician
Quinctii
Titus Quinctius Capitolinus Barbatus
forum
Spurius Furius Medullinus
Lucius Lucretius Tricipitinus
Subura
asses
Tiber
Aequi
Volsci
quaestor
Lanuvium
Quinctia gens
praenomen
filiation







Dionysius of Halicarnassus

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