Ap. Claudius Pulcher 295

vol. III p.2848

295) Ap. Claudius Pulcher

Ap. Claudius Pulcher was the son of a Gaius (cf. the boundary stones), who was probably the consul of 577 = 177 (nr. 300). As consul in the year 611 = 143 (Fasti Cap. Chronogr. Idat. Chron. pasch. Cassiod. Cic. Cael. 33. Frontin. aqu. I 7), he was keenly seeking an opportunity to win himself a triumph, and since no one else had offered themselves up, he attacked the Alpine people the Salassi (Liv. ep. LIII. Oros. V 4, 7. Dio frg. 74, 1). He was first pushed back with severe losses (Oros. loc. cit. Obsequ. 21); <20> after the decemvirs had made a sacrifice in enemy territory following advice from the Sibylline books, he won his victory (Obsequ. loc. cit., cf. Dio loc. cit.). The senate denied him a triumph; he celebrated one anyway under his own authority and out of his own pocket (Oros. Dio frg. 74, 2. Macrob. III 14, 14; cf. Mommsen Röm. Forsch. I 214f.; St.-R. I 134f.), and when one of the tribunes was violently obstructing him and wanting to wrench him from his wagon, <30> his daughter, a Vestal Virgin, joined him in order to protect him using her invulnerability (Cic. Cael. 34. Val. Max. V 4, 6. Suet. Tib. 2; cf. nr. 384). He was a strong opponent of the younger Africanus, who beat him in his campaign for censor in 612 = 142 (Plut. Aem. Paull. 28, 3f.; praec. reip. ger. 14, 10. Cic. rep. I 31; Scaur. 32). However, he took on this office for the next time, in 617 = 137, with Q. Fulvius Nobilior, <40> and managed it very strictly (Dio frg. 80. Plut. Ti. Gracch. 4, 1. Fest. p. 286). Also, he was Princeps senatus (Plut. loc. cit.) and a Salian (Macrob. III 14, 14). He chose Ti. Gracchus to be his step-son himself (Plut. 4, 1; cf. Liv. Vell. App.; for a critique on Plutarch's account, Lübbert De gentis Claudiae comment. domest. 24), stood at his side as his laws were proposed (Plut. 9, 1), <50> and was named triumvir agris dividendis colonisque deducendis by him in 621 = 133 (Grenzsteine CIL I 552 = X 3861. I 553 = X 289. I 1504 = X 3760. Not. degli scavi 1897, 119 [cf. Neue Jahrb. f. Phil. 1898, 331f.]. Plut. 13, 1. Vell. II 2, 3. Liv. ep. LVIII Appian. bell. civ. I 13). He died shortly after Ti. Gracchus (App. I 18). Cicero calls his eloquence (Brut. 108) volubilis sed paullo fervidior [fluent but a little too intense]. Unfortunately, the sources for this man's political position aren't very rich, since without a doubt he was an influential and focused figure; <60> it is possible that some aspects have been taken from his character by Roman analysts to describe more ancient members of his family. Claudius was married to an Antistia (Plut. 4, 1; cf. vol. I p.2560 nr. 59); in terms of children, we know of two sons (nr. 302 and 296) and three daughters (nr. 384, 385, and 386).

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[from suppl. vol. III p.253-254:]

In 614 = 140, Ap. Claudius asserted that two conscriptions would not be allowed to take place within one year (Liv. ep. Oxyr. LIV), which went against the unpopular Spanish war and against the senate's decree on military power (cf. Kornemann Klio Beih. 2, 108). <page break 253/254> He died before 625 = 129 (Cic. rep. I 31). On his battle against Scipio, cf. Plut. apophth. Scip. min. 9. A further boundary-stone with his name CIL I 583 = XI 6331 = Dessau 26.

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This article is referenced by: Ap. Claudius (11), Ap. Claudius Crassus Inregillensis Sabinus (123), Ap. Claudius Pulcher (296), C. Claudius Pulcher (302), Claudia (384), Claudia (385)