Ap. Claudius Pulcher 298

vol. III p.2853-2854

298) Ap. Claudius Pulcher

He was the older of the two sons of C. Claudius (nr. 303) and took on the first name Appius from birth; after his brother (nr. 299) gained the same praenomen once he was adopted, he was primarily called that as well as Appius maior, <60> and he was differentiated from his brother by adding C. f. He turned up in politics early, since in 696 = 58 Cicero was afraid that he would be able to raise charges against his brother Quintus because of his governorship in Asia (Cic. ad Att. III 17, 1). Both Appii then turn up as prosecutors in the trial of Milo 702 = 52 (Ascon. Milon. p. 29f. 34); the elder was the speaker (ibid. p. 34. 36. 48), <page break 2853/2854> and would also have been the one who refused to accept the legal remunerations, because he had only wanted to avenge his uncle (ibid. p. 48). He was probably also the one who moved the troops out of Gaul in 704 = 50, who had been made available to Caesar by Pompey and who had then been demanded back for the war against the Parthians (Plut. Pomp. 57, 3. Cic. ad Att. VII 15, 3. 20, 1 following O. E. Schmidt Briefwechsel des Cicero 127). <10> It isn’t particularly evident which side he took in the following battles. His stay in Greece must have come to an end in the following years (Suet. gramm. 10), so it is possible that, following his uncle Appius, he had stood on Pompey’s side. In the year 711 = 43, Cicero wrote the letter of recommendation for him (ad fam. XI 22) to Decimus Brutus, according to which Appius must have joined Antony, but must also have been seeking contact with the other side. <20> Either way, he was on the side of the triumvirs at the end, since in the year 716 = 38 he became consul, despite nothing being known about his other lower-ranking positions in office (inscriptions of Herculaneum see below Chronogr. Idat. Chron. pasch. Cassiod. Dio XLVIII Ind. 43, 1. Zonar. X 23). Later, he was in charge of Spain and lead victorious battles there, since the Tab. triumph. Barberin. describes his triumph ex Hispania on 1st June 722 = 32 (CIL I² p. 77), <30> and two inscriptions from Herculaneum give him the title of imperator (CIL X 1423. 1424). The first one, which has now been lost and which also describes him as VIIvir epulon[um], was the building-inscription from a theatre built by him in this city; the second is on the base of a statue, which was set up to give thanks to him after his death here. Perhaps the coins of an unknown colony, probably a Spanish one, also belong to him, which have the inscription: Ap. Pulcher procos. (Imhoof-Blumer Monnaies grecques [Amsterdam 1883] 231). <40>

([Münzer.])

[from suppl. III p.254]

The letter X 29 sent to him on 6th July 711 = 43 is closely connected with Cicero’s letter to Appius fam. XI 22. <10> Perhaps Appius had to lead the expansion of Caesar’s colony Emporiae in Spain (see vol. V p.2527ff.); there, an inscription: Appio Claudio | Pul[chro …] has been found (Rev. archéol. 1902, XLI 359 nr. 102), and in Rome an inscription has emerged which could be a dedication of a colony for him (Not. d. scavi 1906, 248 line beginnings: Ap. Pulch[ro …] | cos … | Colo … | Ap …); cf. the coins p.2854, 39 [ie, the coins mentioned at the end of this article]. Perhaps he is also the Ap. Pulcher whose name often turns up on amphorae in Mutina and Cisalpine Gaul (Dessau 8571). <20>

[Münzer.]

This article is referenced by: Ap. Claudius (15), Ap. Claudius Pulcher (299)

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