C. Claudius Marcellus 216

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216) C. Claudius Marcellus

In 703 = 51 M. Claudius Marcellus was consul, in 704 = 50 it was C. Claudius Marcellus, in 705 = 49, it was a C. Claudius Marcellus again. <10> In Dio XL Ind., the consul of 753 = 51 was called Μ. Κλαύδιος Μ. υἱ. Μάρκελλος, the consul of 705 = 49 in the Fast Cap. C. Claudius M. f. M. n. Marcellus and in Dio XLI Ind. Γ. Κλ. Μ. υἱ. Μάρκελλος; however, Cicero’s explicit accounts (ad fam. XV 7. 8. 10 Aufschr.) make it certain that the consul of 704 = 50 is the son of C. Marcellus nr. 214. Because of this, <20> it can be concluded with absolute certainty that this consul C. Marcellus was not the full-brother but instead was the cousin of his predecessor (nr. 229) and his successor (nr. 217) (correct: frater patruelis of M. Marcellus Suet. Caes. 29; ἀνεψίος Appian. bell. civ. II 26). Dio’s note XL 59, 4: Γάιόν τε Μάρκελλον <τοῦ Μάρκου> ἀνεψιὸν ἢ καὶ ἀδελφὸν - λέγεται γὰρ ἑκάτερον can be explained by the simple use of frater for frater patruelis, <30> and this must also be the meaning of frater in Cic. ad fam. IV 7, 6. 9, 2. 4. 11, 1. XV 10, 2; Marc. 34. Schol. Gronov. p. 418 Or. The common grandfather of the three Marcelli must have been called M. and is otherwise unknown. Cicero first mentions C. Marcellus with a lot of fondness in 692 = 62 (Sulla 19f.); in 697 = 57, he recalls a Marcellus who was campaigning for aedile at the time (ad Att. IV 3, 5) and should probably be taken as being this Marcellus. Since he was consul in 704 = 50, <40> he probably became aedile in 698 = 50 and praetor in 701 = 53. A short while before the year 700 = 54, he had marred one of Caesar’s grandnieces, Octavia, the sister of the later emperor Augustus (Suet. Caes. 27), but this family connection had no influence on his political inclinations, since he was a decisive member of Pompey’s party. With Pompey’s support, he was elected consul for 704 = 50 with L. Aemilius Paullus (vol. I p. 564, nr. 81), <50> for which Cicero sends his good wishes (ad fam. XV 7, cf. 8) (Fignlinae Veleiates CIL I 790. 791. Chronogr. Idat. Chron. pasch. Cael. ad fam. VIII 4, 1. 8, 5. 9, 2. Cic. ad fam. XV 7. 8. 9, 1. 10, 1; ad Att. X 15, 2; Brut. 229. 328. Hirt. b. Gall. VIII 48, 10. Plin. n. h. II 147. Suet. Caes. 29. Obsequ. 65. Cassiod. Appian. bell. civ. II 26. Dio XL Ind. 59, 4; cf. Athen. Mitt. XVIII 372 = CIL III Suppl. 12320). <60> After he became consul, Marcellus received a further letter from Cicero (ad fam. XV 10) in which he asked him to argue that he should be allowed to make requests to celebrate his military successes; the consul partially fulfilled his request (Cael. ad fam. VIII 11, 1), and received written thanks from Cicero in ad fam. XV 11. Much more than trivial matters like these, the plans to overthrow Caesar kept him busy during his year in office. <page break 2734/2735> Caesar had managed to get the other consul and the tribune of the plebs C. Curio onto his side by means of bribery; Marcellus felt like he was impeded on all sides by these men, which meant that Caelius was able to write the following at the end of February (ad fam. VIII 6, 3): consules autem habemus summa diligentia: adhuc senatus consultum nisi de feriis Latinis nullum facere potuerunt [However, we have consuls of the greatest diligence: up until now, they haven’t been able to make any senate-consults unless they were about the Feriae Latinae]. <10> In line with the decisions from the previous year (ibid. 8, 5), in March or April he brought the matter of Caesar’s return to debate, but the passive objection of his colleague and Curio’s sly conduct prevented them from coming to a conclusion (Appian. bell. civ. II 27). After a long gap, he spoke again about the matter in summer, but the senate decided on Curio’s request - that not only Caesar, but Pompey as well should have to give up their armies and provinces (Hirt. b. Gall. VIII 53, 1. Appian. bell. civ. II 30; cf. Suet. Caes. 29 etc.); <20> Marcellus ended this meeting by saying that they had now made Caesar their master (Appian. ibid.). Meanwhile, Caesar sought to prove his friendly intentions by making the two legions surrendered to him by Pompey available for the Parthian war; primarily, Marcellus seems to have prompted them to be held back in Italy (Hirt. b. Gall. VIII 55, 1. Cic. ad Att. VII 13 a, 2. Appian. bell. civ. II 28. Dio XL 66, 1). <30> He soon went even further; spurred on by the rumour from autumn, according to which Caesar wanted to station four legions in Cisalpine Gaul, he immediately proposed that Caesar should be declared an enemy of the state, and that the command over the army should be taken from him and handed over to Pompey. When Curio had successfully managed to oppose this, the consul - also without the senate’s agreement in doing so, <40> and because he held this as his duty - was accompanied by the consuls chosen for the next year as he left the city to see Pompey, he presented him with a sword as a sign of his command, and, as consul, he called on Pompey to protect the city against Caesar, to take command of the two legions, and to gather further troops (Hirt. ibid. Oros. VI 15, 1. Appian. bell. civ. II 31. Plut. Pomp. 58, 4f. 59, 1; cf. Anton. 5, 2. Dio XL 64, 1-4. 66, 1f.). <50> Pompey took on the job and began his military preparations even before the end of the year; his opponents could quite justifiably have considered what Marcellus did of his own volition to have been what started the war (cf. Nissen Histor. Ztschr. XLVI 70-72. 75). Marcellus’ behaviour after he stopped being consul, however, didn’t show very much of the eagerness for war he had displayed while he was consul. He did leave the capital city with Pompey, <60> since he was together with him in February 705 = 49 (Cic. ad Att. VIII 12 a, 4), but he soon became doubtful. In March, Cicero wrote (ibid. IX 1, 4): Marcelli quidem, nisi gladium Caesaris timuissent, manerent [Indeed, if they had not been afraid of Caesar’s sword, the Marcelli would have stayed]; for Gaius’ cousins, the fear of Caesar won out, and they followed Pompey across the sea. On the other hand, Gaius remained hesitant inside his estate in Liternum even into May (ibid. X 12 a, 3. 13, 2), <page break 2735/2736> and finally decided in the opposite way to Cicero, who had also spent a long time pondering. Full of indignation, before he left Italy, Cicero declared (ibid. X 15, 2 from 12th May): unum C. Marcellum cognovi timidiorem, quem consulem fuisse paenitet. ὢ πολλῆς ἀγεννείας! qui etiam Antonium confirmasse dicitur, ut me impediret, quo ipse, credo, honestius. [I knew one C. Marcellus who was more cowardly, it’s unfortunate that he was consul. Oh how unkind! I myself even think that this was less honest than when it was said that somebody had supported Antonius to get in my way.]. His relationship with Caesar could have offered Marcellus a reason to excuse his change of sides, <10> but it wouldn’t have made it possible to cover up his weakness in character; his political role was, therefore, finished. Neither Caesar nor Caesar’s opponents, like M. Marcellus, wanted anything to do with the defector; Gaius took the greatest pains in reconciling with this cousin of his, and in proving his loyalty to him (Cic. ad fam. IV 7, 6. 9, 4). He fell at the dictator’s feet in order to beg for Marcus’ pardon (ibid. IV 4, 3. Marcell. 10. 34. Schol. Gronov. p. 418 Or.), <20> but after Caesar had given in to the senate who had taken up this request as well, the pardoned man wasn’t too thankful for his supporter (Cic. ad fam. IV 11, 1). C. Marcellus first turns up again after Caesar’s murder; his brother-in-law Octavian had a good relationship with him and consulted him about state affairs (Cic. ad Att. XV 3, 2. 12, 2; Phil. III 17. Nicol. Damasc. v. Caes. 13 [FHG III 433]), <30> he also made himself useful in influencing Cicero (Cic. ad Att. XVI 14, 2. 15, 6. Plut. Cic. 44, 1). According to the statements made in these letters, Marcellus also seems to have been on good terms with Atticus, and should therefore probably be taken as being the Marcellus who arranged for Atticus to write his family history (Nep. Att. 18, 4). He died at the beginning of the year 714 = 40; his widow Octavia was still pregnant by him when she entered her second marriage, with M. Antony, <40> in the same year out of political motives (Appian. bell. civ. V 64. Plut. Ant. 31, 1f. Dio XLVIII 31, 3). One son and two daughters were born from the marriage between Marcellus and Octavia (Plut. Ant. 87, 2; Marc. 30, 7; cf. nr. 230. 422. 423).

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This article is referenced by: C. Claudius Marcellus (214), M. Claudius Marcellus (229), Augustus (Octavius) (Iulius 132)