C. Claudius Pulcher 300

vol. III p.2855-2856

300) C. Claudius Pulcher

The third son of Ap. Pulcher nr. 293. He became augur in 559 = 195 (Liv. XXXIII 44, 3), as praetor peregrinus in 574 = 180 he lead the trials against poisoning in the capital city (Liv. XL 37, 4. 42, 5), <10> and as consul in 577 = 177 (Fasti Cap. Chronogr. Idat. Chron. pasch. Polyb. XXV 4, 1. Cic. Cael. 33. Liv. XLI 8, 1. Obsequ. 8. Cassiod.) he released a law relating to the status of allies (Liv. XLI 9, 9ff.). He kept Istria as a province with new troops (loc. cit. 8, 3f. 9, 3. 8), when he found out about the victories of the consul of the previous year he hurried straight over there, overwhelmed him with allegations, and demanded that he immediately hand over the army and the province. When he was denied this, he must have turned back to Rome through Aquileia, <20> and, in accordance with the order, marched into Istria with the new army, where he gained the poorly defended Nesactium by draining the river that protected it, he took over even more cities, and forced the whole people into submission (loc. cit. 10, 5-11, 9). Next, he was called to Liguria, and won a great victory there at the river Scultenna and turned home clothed in glory, after he had vanquished two peoples (loc. cit. 12, 2. 7-10); <30> he had a triumph de Histre[is] et Liguribus (loc. cit. 13, 6-8. Acta tr. CIL I² p. 48 and 341). After elections were held, his command was renewed; he returned to the province at once so that he could snatch Mutina from the Ligurii, which they had taken in the meantime (Liv. XLI 14, 3. 6. 16, 7-9); there was a further revolt, which broke out in Liguria to suppress Claudius - who had strengthened his armed forces from Parma - but he was called back to join up with the armies of both the consuls in Mutina (loc. cit. 17, 6. 9. 18, 1. 5f.), <40> and probably continued to fight under their higher command (this is uncertain because of a gap in the text of Livy). Because of his experience in war, he was put at the consul P. Licinius Crassus’ side against Perseus in 583 = 171 as tribunus militum (Liv. XLII 49, 8). In 585 = 169, he became censor with Ti. Sempronius Gracchus (Fasti Cap. Liv. XLIII 14, 1ff.). Because they were very strict (Liv. XLIV 16, 8. XLV 15, 8f.), <50> the tribune of the plebs P. Rutilius raised a charge of high treason against them; perhaps Claudius would have been condemned by the people, had the more popular Gracchus’ explanation that he would share the fate of his colleague not brought about his acquittal (Liv. XLIII 16, 1-16. Cic. rep. VI 2 [in Gell. VII 16, 11]. Val. Max. VI 5, 3. Fest. p. 285). The two censors only ended up in conflict over the status of freedmen, <60> since Claudius opposed Gracchus’ strict measures. In their eventual compromise, he almost achieved what he had been aiming for: namely, that the freedmen would in fact lose their voting rights (Liv. XLV 15, 3-7; cf. Cic. de inv. I 48. Mommsen St.-R. III 438; Auct. de vir. ill. 57, 3, which connects these events with the charges against the censors, is inexact). <page break 2855/2856> In 587 = 167, Claudius was one of the ten tasked with restructuring their relationships in Macedonia and Greece (Liv. XLV 17, 2) and journeyed over there (loc. cit. 31, 9. Polyb. XXX 13, 8), but he died in the same year (Liv. XLV 44, 3).

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This article is referenced by: Ap. Claudius Pulcher (293), Ap. Claudius Pulcher (295)