C. Claudius Nero 246

vol. III p.2774-2776

246) C. Claudius Nero

As Ti. f. Ti. n. the grandson of nr. 248; his praenomen is given incorrectly as Ap. in Eutrop. III 18, 2, Tib. in Suet. Tib. 2. In the year 540 = 214, Nero served under Marcellus (Liv. XXIV 17, 3f.; cf. Sil. It. XII 173 and p.2743), and he was praetor in 542 = 212 (Liv. XXV 2, 5). In his praetorship, he was first sent to Suessula (ibid. 3, 2), then joined the consuls to besiege Capua (ibid. 22, 7f.), <40> then continued to take part in the following year as propraetor (Liv. XXVI 5, 8). After the city was captured, he embarked to Spain with some of his troops (imprecisely App. Iber. 17), landed in Tarraco, and took over control of the Scipiones’ leaderless army. The story about the following events (Liv. XXVI 17, cf. XXVII 44, 9. Zonar. IX 7. Frontin. strat. I 5, 19) suffers from chronological and geographical difficulties (on the time Wilsdorf Leipz. Stud. I 76. Soltan Herm. XXVI 412; on the place Weissenborn z. d. St. des Liv.). <50> According to this, Nero surrounded the whole Punic army under Hasdrubal in a narrow passage, forcing it to surrender, but he let himself be completely and utterly conned by his cunning enemy, since Hasdrubal put off the discussions about the terms of surrender for so long that he won enough time for all his troops to gradually leave their endangered camp unnoticed. <60> Nero had demonstrated that he wasn’t up to scratch for his mission, and was therefore replaced by P. Scipio and M. Iunius Silanus (Liv. XXVI 19, 10. 20, 4), but after holding a position as legate again under Marcellus in 545 = 209 (Liv. XXVII 14, 4), he was then elected consul for 547 = 207, because the greatest hopes and expectations had been placed on his shoulders. <page break 2774/2775> He was only considered to be too fierce and violence, which meant that people had to elect a calmer and more peaceful colleague to serve with him (Liv. XXVII 34, 1ff.; cf. also Oehler Der Letzte Feldzug des Barkiden Hasdrubal und die Schlacht am Metaurus, Berl. 1897 [Berl. Stud. N. F. II] 14. 20, 1). M. Livius Salinator ended up being elected. Nero’s testimony had done a lot of damage to him in a trial once before (Liv. XXIX 37, 10. Val. Max. IV 2, 2), <10> and since then he had been living in self imposed exile, angry at the state, and particularly at Nero. However, the two newly elected consuls managed to reconcile with each other, and they promised to act unanimously for the good of their fatherland (Fasti Cap. Chronogr. Idat. Chron. pasch. Nep. Cato 1, 2. Liv. XXVII 35, 6ff. XXXI 12, 8. Cassiod. Val. Max. IV 2, 2. VII 2, 6. Auct. de vir. ill. 50, 2). They drew lots on the provinces before they entered office, <20> though they were still kept in Rome for a while afterwards because they needed to gather arms thoroughly (Liv. XXVII 36, 10. 38, 1ff.). Nero had received the war against Hannibal in lower Italy and gathered his forces together at Venusia (ibid. 40, 13f.). He lead them to Lucania to delay the enemy on their way north, and met him at Grumentum. It did not result in a particularly large battle (Zonar. IX 9); <30> the account in Livy XXVII 41, 2ff. of a great victory won by the Romans is very strongly exaggerated to make the Romans look better, since Hannibal was not stopped, but did indeed reach Venusia. Nero followed him and remained at his heels when Hannibal was marching from Venusia to Metapont, and again back to Canusium (Liv. XXVII 43, 14-17). While Hannibal was waiting here for a message from his brother Hasdrubal, a lucky coincidence dropped the message into Nero’s hands, <40> who managed to gain certain knowledge about his enemy’s plans from it. Now, it seemed like he would be able to back up the trust his fellow citizens had placed in him by doing something cunning. There have been debates about the real reasons behind his actions; success justified it, but failure would have loaded him with severe guilt. The details of the events are not always reliable and do not belong here (cf. eg. Oehler loc. cit. 25. 30. 66[; from suppl. I p.320: R. Oehler Berl. philol. Wochenschr. XIX 428-435 discusses an investigation into the battle at Metaurus by B. W. Henderson which I am unable to access (English historical review 1898)]); the main points are the following: <50> Nero left the majority of his army against Hannibal, and set off in long forced marches north with a selected band of 6000 men on foot and 1000 men on horseback. At Sena Gallica, he joined with his colleague and the praetor Porcius Licinus and pressured them to begin battle at once. Hasdrubal, who had finally picked up on the fact that his opponent was increasing their strength, wanted to avoid the battle and retreat over the Metaurus, <60> but he was attacked in this unfavourable position. Amazingly, he and his army were defeated, but even the Romans knew that everything was still to play for, so Nero made a cunning plan for the second time, which ended up deciding the outcome of the war, when he surrounded the left wing of the enemy and attacked them at the flanks and in the back. <page break 2775/2776> Immediately after the victory, he broke off again; allegedly he arrived back in Apulia in six days, and had Hasdrubal’s head thrown at Hannibal’s outposts (Liv. XXVII 43-51. Val. Max. VII 4, 4. Frontin. strat. I 1, 9. 2, 9. II 3, 8. 9, 2. Suet. Tib. 2. Flor. I 22, 50-54. Eutrop. III 18, 1f. Oros. IV 18, 9-15. Ampel. 18, 12. 36, 3. 46, 6. Auct. de vir. ill. 48, 2-4. Hor. carm. IV 4, 36-71. Sil. Ital. XV 543ff. Polyb. XI 1, 5ff. Appian. Hann. 52f. Zonar. IX 9, finally on the battle Oehler loc. cit.; as well as K. Lehmann DLZ XVIII 902ff.). <10> The battle at Metaurus destroyed Hannibal’s last hopes; he moved back to the southernmost part of the peninsula. For the Romans, the battle was revenge for Cannae, a victory with the vastest consequences. In the capital city, people had been keeping track of Nero’s daring campaign in fearful suspense; now they greeted the victors with endless joy. <20> Both consuls came to Rome at the same time, but Nero’s enemy remained near the enemy. So, because he turned up without his troops and because the victory had been won under Livius’ jurisdiction, he was satisfied with riding in alongside his colleague’s wagon at the celebratory triumph parade, but all eyes were directed specifically at him (Liv. XXVIII 9, 2-18. Val. Max. IV 1, 9. Auct. de vir. ill. 48, 5). <30> Then Nero named Livius dictator to hold the elections, and gave up his command (Liv. XXVIII 10, 1. 10. 11, 12). Unfortunately, the unity and teamwork both men showed during their consulship did not last, and in 550 = 204 when they were both made censor, their old grievances came up again and manifested in rather small and unpleasant disputes (Fasti Cap. Liv. XXIX 37, 1ff. XXXVI 36, 4. XXXIX 3, 5. Val. Max. II 9, 6. VII 2, 6. Auct. de vir. ill. 50, 3). <40> In 553 = 201, Nero went to Egypt with two other embassies, not just to indicate the end of the war with Carthage there, but to create a huge association against Macedonia, and finally to declare war against them (Polyb. XVI 25-27. 34f. Liv. XXXI 2, 3; cf. Nissen Krit. Unters. 98. 122f.). [from suppl. I p.320: A witty quote from probably this Nero in Cic. de or. II 248. Quintil. inst. or. VI 3, 50.]

([Münzer.])

This article is referenced by: M. Claudius Marcellus (220), Ti. Claudius Nero (249)

This person is on the following family trees: The patrician branch of the Claudii