Publius Cornelius Dolabella (consul 44 BC)

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For other people with the same name, see Publius Cornelius Dolabella.
Publius Cornelius Dolabella
Bornc. 85–69 BC[1]
Died43 BC
Cause of deathSuicide
NationalityRoman
Office
XVir sacris faciundis 51–43 BC
Legate (Caesar; Greece) 49–48 BC
Antonia Hybrida Minor
ChildrenPublius Cornelius Dolabella
Cornelius Dolabella
Cornelius Lentulus

Publius Cornelius Dolabella (c. 85/69 – 43 BC, also known by his adoptive name Lentulus)

profligate, something that Plutarch wrote reflected ill upon his patron Julius Caesar
.

Biography

Early life

His father was likely the

Servilii Caepiones.[10]

Dolabella's birth date is uncertain.[11]

Military and political careers

In the

Civil Wars (49–45 BC) Dolabella at first took the side of Pompey, but afterwards went over to Julius Caesar, and was present when Caesar prevailed at the Battle of Pharsalus (48 BC).[6]

Dolabella had himself adopted by a plebeian so that he could become

Lentulus Vatia[i] but there is no certainty in the matter.[13] In either case the adopter would likely have been a supporter of Caesar.[14] There was also a woman named Livia who expressed interest in adopting Dolabella (possibly on the behalf of her husband, since women could not adopt legally), but it is unknown if this woman's proposal was in any way connected to his adoption by Lentulus.[15]

As a tribune for the plebs for 47 BC, Dolabella had tried to bring about constitutional changes, one of which (to escape the urgent demands of his creditors) was a bill proposing that all debts should be canceled.

Africa and Spain.[6]

After Caesar had returned to Rome and been elected consul for the fifth time, he proposed to the Senate that his consulship be transferred to Dolabella. Antony protested, causing a huge disruption that made Caesar withdraw the motion out of shame. Later, Caesar exercised his role as dictator and directly proclaimed Dolabella consul.[18] This time Antony called out that the omens were unfavorable and Caesar again backed down and abandoned Dolabella.[19]

On Caesar's death in 44 BC, Dolabella seized the insignia of the consulship (which had already been conditionally promised him), and, by making friends with

Brutus and the other assassins, was confirmed in his office. When, however, Mark Antony offered him the command of the expedition against the Parthians and the province of Syria, he changed sides at once. His journey to the province was marked by plundering, extortion, and the murder of Gaius Trebonius, governor of Asia, who refused to allow him to enter Smyrna.[6]

Dolabella was thereupon declared a public enemy and superseded by Cassius who attacked him in Laodicea. When Cassius's troops captured the place (43 BC), Dolabella ordered one of his soldiers to kill him.[6]

Marriages

Dolabella was married to a woman named

Fabia and had a son by the same name with her.[9] The son may have been Publius Cornelius Dolabella the consul of 35 BC.[20] He was also married to Cicero's daughter Tullia[ii] in 50 BC.[22] In May 49 BC she gave birth to a premature son of seven months[23] that did not survive long after birth.[24][25][26] In 45 BC Tullia divorced him and gave birth to a son named Lentulus at her father's house, some weeks after the birth she died of complications and the boy is suspected to have died young[27][28][29] since his grandfather Cicero does not mention him after 45 BC.[30]

Cultural depictions

Stage

Dolabella plays a focal role in

kidnap her and her children to Rome, which convinces Cleopatra to kill herself. This version of Dolabella is highly fictionalized and a composite character of several ancient Roman people.[31]

Literature

He also appears as a character in the novel

William George Hardy.[32] He is also a supporting character in the Masters of Rome series by Colleen McCullough.[33][34][35][36]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Likely the same man as Lentulus Batiatus who trained Spartacus.[12]
  2. ^ Dolabella's first wife Fabia may have been Tullia's maternal half-aunt.[21]
  3. ^ This act likely belongs to Dolabella's son by Fabia.[30]

References

  1. ^ James K. Finn, Frank J. Groten; Res publica conquassata - page: 190
  2. ^ Broughton 1952, p. 281.
  3. ^ Broughton 1952, p. 311.
  4. ^ Broughton 1952, p. 552.
  5. ^ Shackleton Bailey 1976, pp. 29–32.
  6. ^ a b c d e f  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Dolabella, Publius Cornelius". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 8 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 386.
  7. ^ Oxford Classical Dictionary. (3rd ed., 1996) p. 394; Cassius Dio. Roman History, xlii.29.1.
  8. ^ Tansey 2018, pp. 205, 224–227, 254.
  9. ^
    ISBN 9781134264575
    – via Google Books.
  10. ISBN 9780905205625
    .
  11. ISBN 9781134264575
    – via Google Books.
  12. ^ Mattingly, Harold B. (1997). "The Date and Significance of the Lex Antonia de Termessibus" (PDF). SCHOLIA Studies in Classical Antiquity. 6: 72 – via casa-kvsa.org.
  13. ^ Pinsent, John (1976). Liverpool Classical Monthly. Vol. 1–3. p. 2.
  14. S2CID 170644338
    . Retrieved 2021-03-07. Anyone prepared to adopt so active a Caesarian in 49–48, especially for a political reason, was in all probability a Caesarian himself. But the identity of the adoptive parent has always been a puzzle.
  15. S2CID 170644338
    – via JSTOR.
  16. ISBN 978-0-19-282502-5
  17. ^ Antony, c. 10, ibid.
  18. ^ Dio 43.51.8.
  19. ^ Antony, 11.3, less clear from Dio.
  20. ISBN 0722224311
    .
  21. ^ Sousa Galito, Maria. "Ancient Roman Politics: The Vestals – Women's Empowerment" (PDF). Working Papers CEsA/CSG.
  22. ISBN 9781134264575
    – via Google Books.
  23. ^ Cicero, Marcus Tullius (March 12, 1891). "Cicero in his letters". Macmillan – via Google Books.
  24. ISBN 9781438107943
    – via Google Books.
  25. ISBN 9781847252463
    – via Google Books.
  26. ISBN 9780191514234
    – via Google Books.
  27. ^ "The correspondence of M. Tullius Cicero : Arranged according to its chronological order".
  28. ISBN 9780195375008
    – via Google Books.
  29. ISBN 9781444390759
    – via Google Books.
  30. ^ a b "ZPE". Habelt. March 12, 2000 – via Google Books.
  31. ^ The Works of John Dryden, Volume 13 - page: 415
  32. ^ William George Hardy; Macmillan of Canada, 1979. The bloodied toga: a novel of Julius Caesar - page: 54
  33. ISBN 9781781859391
    – via Google Books.
  34. ISBN 9780743214698
    – via Google Books.
  35. ISBN 9780080412054
    – via Google Books.
  36. ^ "ZPE". Habelt. March 12, 2000 – via Google Books.

Bibliography

External links
Political offices
Preceded by Roman consul
44 BC (suffect)
With: Mark Antony 		Succeeded by
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