Marcus Petreius
Marcus Petreius | |
|---|---|
| Born | 110 BC Picenum, Italy |
| Died | April 46 BC (aged 64) Numidia, near Cirta (modern Constantine, Algeria) |
| Cause of death | Killed in duel |
| Nationality | Roman |
| Occupation | General |
| Office | Praetor (64 BC) Military Tribune Prefect Legate |
| Parent |
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| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Roman Republic Sulla Pompey |
| Rank | Legate |
| Battles/wars |
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Marcus Petreius (110 BC – April 46 BC) was a Roman politician and general. He was a client of Pompey and like Pompey he came from Picenum a region in eastern Italy. He cornered and killed the notorious rebel Catiline at Pistoia.
Career
The chronology of the early stages of Petreius’ career is unclear.[1] He was in any case the first in his family line to enter into the Senate. Sallust describes him as a military man, who in 62 BC already had a thirty-year-long career in the army as Military tribune, Prefect and Legate behind him.[2] Petreius served at the latest in 64 BC as Praetor, although the exact year he took on this position is unknown.
Petreius first served under
Lucius Sergius Catilina at Pistoria in early 62 BC, while Hybrida remained away from the battle with a foot ache.[3] During Gaius Julius Caesar's Consulship of 59 BC, Marcus Petreius allied himself with Caesar's bitter opponent Marcus Porcius Cato (the Younger).[4]
From 55 BC, Petreius and
Zama: Petreius and Juba decided upon a duel, in which Petreius killed Juba. Petreius then killed himself with the help of a slave.[10]
References
- , naturalis historia 22, 11).
- ^ Sallust, Bellum Catilinae 59, 6: Homo militaris, quod amplius annos triginta tribunus aut praefectus aut legatus aut praetor cum magna gloria in exercitu fuerat.
- ^ Sallust, Bellum Catilinae 59, 4–61.
- ^ Cassius Dio 38, 3, 2.
- ^ Velleius Paterculus 2, 48, 1.
- ^ Caesar, de bello civili 1, 38–87.
- ^ Cassius Dio 43, 13, 3.
- ^ Appian, Civil Wars 2,95.
- ^ Pseudo Caesar, de bello Africo 91, 1.
- ^ Appian, Civil Wars 2, 100; Seneca, de providentia 2, 10; Pseudo Caesar, de bello Africo 94 switches the roles of Petreius and Juba