Q. Arrius 7

vol. II p.1252

7) Q. Arrius

He was praetor in 681 = 73, and was supposed to take over the province of Sicilia as C. Verres’ successor in the following year, Cic. Ver. II 37. IV 42. However, because of the Servile War, he was put to military use, <30> and entered battle against Spartacus and Crixus with the consuls of the year 682 = 72 C. Lentulus and L. Gellius: Q. Arrius praetor (imprecise, as it often is, in place of pro praetore) Crixum fugitivorum ducem cum X͞X͞ hominum cecidit, Cn. Lentulus cos. male adversus Spartacum pugnavit, ab eodem L. Gellius cos. et Q. Arrius praetor acie victi sunt Liv. Per. XCVI. <40> Schol. Gronov. p. 382 on Cic. div. in Caec. § 3 remarks triennio Verres egit praeturam in Sicilia, unum annum suum, alterum propter Arrii mortem, qui successurus Verri iter faciens in Siciliam in via decessit, tertium propter fugitivos; alii autem dicunt secundum propter fugitivos et tertium propter Arrium. Clearly, the scholiast’s sources are not clear, and they do not know that Arrius was active in the second year of the Servile War. However, if we are inclined to stick to his story about Arrius’ death despite this, <50> we are forced to assume that Arrius went to Sicilia around the end of 72 in order to take over the province for the year 71. However, the way in which Cicero (Verr. IV 42) says the following is striking: postea vero quam intellexerunt isti virum fortem, quem summe provincia expectabat, Q. Arrium non succedere, statuerunt -- --, since it would be a strange way to refer to the fact that Arrius had died on a journey to the province. However, if we only assume that these words refer to the Siculi’s expectation for the year 72, <60> then it would also be striking that Cicero had made no mention of their second letdown. So, it is certainly only the case that Arrius did not manage the province which was assigned to him. Otherwise, despite the doubts on the scholiast’s report, there is no reason to identify this Q. Arrius with the following.

([Klebs.])

This article is referenced by: Arrius (1), Q. Arrius (8)