M. Roscius Otho 22

vol. I A p.1126

22) L. Roscius Otho

Tribune of the plebs in 687 = 67, and opposed the Lex Gabinia alongside L. Trebellius, though when the deciding vote was about to go ahead, he didn’t dare make a speech, and instead only communicated his alternate proposal to appoint two generals by gesturing (Dio XXXVI 24, 4. 30, 3. Plut. Pomp. 25). <30> His Lex Roscia gave the equites their proedria in the theatre back, by reserving the first fourteen rows of seats for them (Cic. Mur. 40. Liv. ep. XCIX. Ascon. in Corn. p. 70 K.-S. = 78 Clark. Vell. II 32, 3. Dio XXXVI 42, 1. Plut. Cic. 13, where he is incorrectly referred to as praetor. Hor. epod. 4, 15 and Porphyr. ad loc. Iuven. 3, 159. Mommsen St.-R. III 521); in conjunction with this, he also set the requirement for the equestrian rank to 400,000 sesterces (Iuven. 14, 324. Schol. Iuven. 3, 155. Mommsen St.-R. III 487. 499). <40> In 691 = 63, this lead to him being met with angry outcry in the theatre, but he was defended by the equites and by the consul Cicero: Cicero called the people to a contio, and spoke in Roscius’ favour (Plut. Cic. 13. Cic. ad Att. II 1, 3. Plin. n. h. VII 116, cf. XXXIII 34; a fragment of the speech in C. F. W. Müller IV 3, 269, which Macrob. sat. III 14, 12 is based on). <50> In 695 = 59, the triumvirs threatened the equites with removing the law (Cic. ad Att. II 19, 3). Some people have also tried to identify this L. Roscius with the person called Otho named in Cicero’s letters to Atticus in 709 = 45 and 710 = 44 as an heir of Scapula (XII 37, 2. 4. 38, 4. 39, 2. 40, 4. 42, 1. 43, 2. 44, 2. XIII 29, 2. 31, 4. 33, 2) and as the husband of Tutia (XV 29, 2. cf. XVI 2, 5). <60>

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