Lucius Cornelius Sisenna
Lucius Cornelius Sisenna (c. 120 – 67 BC) was a Roman soldier, historian, and annalist. He was praetor in 78 BC.
Life
Little is known of Sisenna's life or family. The first Cornelius Sisenna (perhaps Lucius' grandfather or great-grandfather) appears as urban praetor in 183 BCE.
It is likely that Sisenna actively supported Sulla during the civil wars of the 80s BCE. He was friends with some of Sulla's most important associates, including Lucullus,[3] and was apparently overly partial towards Sulla in his writings.[4] Moreover, soon after Sulla's dictatorship, Sisenna was elected to the praetorship for 78 BCE, which implies that he had benefitted politically from Sulla's victory.[5]
Apart from his praetorship in 78 BCE, very little is known of Sisenna's political career. It has been suggested that he governed Sicily in 77 BCE after his praetorship, but it is impossible to be certain.
Histories
Sisenna is most noteworthy as the author of a lost Histories covering the years ca. 90 to 78 BCE.[12] Nothing survives of this work save a few fragments, mostly preserved by the late antique grammarian Nonius Marcellus.[13]
It seems Sisenna's history ran to at least 12 books, but perhaps as many as 23.
Sisenna's work was widely read in antiquity, and became a crucial source for the 80s BCE: in
Despite his wide readership, few direct judgements on Sisenna survive. Cicero states that Sisenna was a learned man dedicated to his studies (doctus vir et studiis optimis deditus), and claims that his history 'far surpassed all its predecessors' (facile omnis vincat superiores).[22] Sallust also commends Sisenna, calling his account of Sulla's life 'the best and most carefully written' (optime et diligentissime omnium). Sallust does, however, critique him for being overly partisan towards Sulla.[23]
Cicero also mentions that Sisenna was fond of unusual and antiquated language: he sought to be a 'reformer of ordinary speech' (quasi emendator sermonis usitati), and persisted in using 'strange and unheard-of words' (minus inusitatis verbis uteretur).[24]
Sisenna may also be the writer, mentioned by
References
- ^ Livy 39.45
- ^ L. Rawson, 'L. Cornelius Sisenna and the early first century B.C.', CQ 29/2 (1979),
- ^ Plut. Luc. 1.5
- ^ Sall. Iug. 95
- ^ T.C. Brennan, The Praetorship in the Roman Republic, Vol. 2 (2000), p. 751, n. 358
- ^ L. Rawson, 'L. Cornelius Sisenna and the early first century B.C.', CQ 29/2 (1979), p.334
- ^ Cic. Verrines, passim
- ^ C. Pelling, 'Lucius Cornelius Sisenna', in The Oxford Classical Dictionary
- ^ App. Mithr. 94
- ^ Dio 36.1
- ^ C. Pelling, 'Lucius Cornelius Sisenna', in The Oxford Classical Dictionary
- ^ Vell. Pat. 2.9.5
- ^ M. Lovano, The Age of Cinna: Crucible of Late Republican Rome (2002), p.144
- ^ C. Pelling, 'Lucius Cornelius Sisenna', in The Oxford Classical Dictionary
- ^ Vell. Pat. 2.9.5
- ^ Tac. Hist. 3.51
- ^ Cic. Corn. in Ascon. 74C
- ^ Sall. Hist. 1.1M
- ^ E. Badian, Studies in Greek and Roman History (1964), pp. 212–214
- ^ L. Rawson, 'L. Cornelius Sisenna and the early first century B.C.', CQ 29/2 (1979), p. 327
- ^ R. Morstein-Marx, 'Consular appeals to the army in 88 and 87', in H. Beck, A. Duplá, M. Jehne, and F. Pina Polo (eds), Consuls and res publica (2011), p. 271.
- ^ Cic. Brut. 128; c.f. nearly identical statement at Leg. 1.7
- ^ Sall. Iug. 95
- ^ Cic. Brut. 159
- ^ Ovid, Trist. 2.443–4
- ^ E.g. L. Rawson, 'L. Cornelius Sisenna and the early first century B.C.', CQ 29/2 (1979), pp. 332–3