Tiberius Aemilius Mamercus

Tiberius Aemilius Mamercus or was a Roman senator active in the fifth century BC. He was consul in 470 and 467 BC.

Tiberius Aemilius Mamercus
Consul of the Roman Republic
In office 1 August 470 BC [1] – 31 July 469 BC Serving with Lucius Valerius Potitus (consul 483 BC)
Preceded by	Appius Claudius Sabinus Regillensis (consul 471 BC), Titus Quinctius Capitolinus Barbatus
Succeeded by	Titus Numicius Priscus, Aulus Verginius Tricostus Caeliomontanus (consul 469 BC)
In office 1 August 467 BC – 31 July 466 BC Serving with Quintus Fabius Vibulanus
Preceded by	Titus Quinctius Capitolinus Barbatus, Quintus Servilius Priscus Structus (consul 468 BC)
Succeeded by	Quintus Servilius Priscus Structus (consul 468 BC), Spurius Postumius Albus Regillensis (consul 466 BC)
Personal details
Born	Unknown Ancient Rome
Died	Unknown Ancient Rome

Family

Mamercus was a member of the Aemilii Mamerci, a branch of the gens Aemilia. He was the son of Lucius Aemilius Mamercus, consul in 484, 478, and 473, and the grandson of a Mamercus Aemilius.[2]

Biography

In 470, Mamercus was elected consul with Lucius Valerius Potitus Publicola as colleague. The political situation in Rome was strained, the tribunes of the plebs continued to demand that land be distributed equally to the people. Livy states that Mamercus argued in favour of land distributions to the plebs. Tribunes Marcus Duillius and Gnaeus Siccius prosecuted Appius Claudius Sabinus, who was bitterly opposed to their legislation that distributed land to the people, however he died before the proceedings ended.[3][4]

The Aequi and the Sabines, taking advantage of the internal conflict at Rome, made raids into Roman territory. Potitus was sent to fight the Aequi, while Mamercus fought a campaign against the Sabines. The Sabines confined themselves to their camp and would not engage the Roman army. Mamercus laid waste the Sabine countryside, and also the villages, prompting the Sabines to come forth to stop him. An uncertain battle was fought, and both sides retreated, however the war continued in following years.[5][6][7]

Mamercus was elected consul a second time in 467, with Quintus Fabius Vibulanus as his colleague. Mamercus again supported the agrarian law of the plebeian tribunes in favor of a distribution of land to the people and was confronted by the conservative senators. With his colleague Vibulanus, he successfully bought an end to the conflict by passing a law that the lands of the Volsci at the new Roman colony of Antium be distributed. Three commissioners were named for the purpose of dividing the lands.[8][9][10]

Mamercus launched another military expedition against the Sabines along with his colleague who fought the Aequi. He did not provoke a long battle, despite extensive pillaging of Sabine territory.[11][12]

Notes

1. Robert Maxwell Ogilvie, Commentary on Livy, books 1–5, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1965, pp. 404, 405.
2. Broughton 1951, p. 31
3. Livy II, 61; III, 1
4. Broughton, p. 31 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFBroughton (help)
5. Livy II, 62-64
6. Dionysius of Halicarnassus IX, 51-55
7. Broughton 1951, p. 31
8. Broughton 1951, p. 32
9. Livy III, 1.2-5
10. Dionysius of Halicarnassus IX, 59.1-3
11. Livy III, 1
12. Dionysius of Halicarnassus IX, 59

Bibliography

Primary sources

• Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities, Book IX
• Livy, The History of Rome, Books II-III

Secondary sources

• Broughton, Thomas Robert Shannon (1951), The Magistrates of the Roman Republic, Philological Monograph No. 15, New York: American Philological Association, ISBN 0-89130-811-3