318/1a. Coelia (104 BC)

AR Denarius (Rome, 104 BC)

O/ Helmeted head of Roma left.

R/ Victory driving biga l.; C COIL below horses; CALD in exergue; control-letter Q and pellet above.

3.85g; 19mm

Crawford 318/1a (72 obverse dies/90 reverse dies)

- Naville Numismatics Live Auction 38, lot 513.

Gaius Coelius C.f. C.n. Caldus:

Caldus belonged to the plebeian gens Coelia (or Caelia), of whom he was the first member to reach the consulship, thus becoming one of the very few homines novi of the last century of the Republic.  His family was of little importance; a few Caldii are still mentioned in the second century, especially a Marcus Caelius, Tribune of the Plebs, who interestingly opposed Cato the Elder, but none received the imperium.

Caldus started his career as Tribune of the Plebs in 107 BC, probably thanks to the support of Marius, after having lost an election for the quaestorship (Cicero, Pro Plancio, 52).  The highlight of his term was the successful vote of a Lex Tabellaria, which enforced the use of ballots in high treason cases (in order to limit manoeuvre during such cases).  He immediately used this law to charge for treason Gaius Popillius Laenas, a legate in the army of Lucius Cassius Longinus (the Consul of that year who died in the Battle of Burdigala), for having negotiated a ceasefire treaty judged humiliating by Caldus (Orosius, Pagans, v. 15 § 24).  Cicero adds that Caldus later regretted this law which "injured the Republic", as he only passed it to attack Laenas (De Legibus, iii. 16).  The reason behind this condamnation was doubtlessly political, since Laenas was probably the son of Publius Popillius Laenas, the Consul of 132 who mercilessly purged the supporters of Tiberius Gracchus and was thus sued by Gaius Gracchus in 122 BC.  Caldus therefore continued the feud against this family in order to gain a quick popularity among the plebs.

His reputation made, Caldus became Praetor, possibly in 99 BC and Propraetor in Nearer Spain the following year (Boughton II, p.3).  His homonymous grandson minted a denarius (RRC 437/2a) with his portrait and a Celtic boar before, perhaps alluding to a victory won by Caldus near the city of Clunia.

He then won the Consular elections for 94 BC whereas the other two candidates came from more prestigious family and had better abilities -- according to Quintus Cicero (Commentariolum Petitionis, 3); the other elected Consul was indeed Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, whose family already counted many other consuls (we do not know who was the unfortunate candidate).  Cicero however contradicts his brother and tells that Caldus had some real qualities, both in politics and private matters (Brutus, II, 165), maybe because he knew Caldus' grandson, who served with him as Quaestor during his administration of Cilicia in 50 BC.

Caldus then received a proconsulship over Transalpina and Cisalpina Gaul for a very long time, possibly up to 8 years, since he is mentioned by Livy in the Periochae (73, 10) as having won a victory over the Saluvii, a tribe in Southern Gaul, in 90 BC. Indeed, as the Social War occupied most other magistrates, some promagistrates were asked to stay in their province for several years*.  The coin mentioned above also bears the inscription IMP, and Crawford suggests that Caldus was hailed Imperator for this victory, but this reward may actually have been given to Caldus' son Gaius - who is also featured on this coin.

Caldus was a staunch supporter of Marius and the Populares.  During the Civil War against Sulla in 83 BC, he unsuccessfully tried to prevent Pompey's army to merge with that of Sulla (Plutarch, Pompey, 7).  He might have died during the proscriptions of Sulla.

*T. Corey Brennan, The Praetorship in the Roman Republic: Volume 2: 122 to 49 BC, OUP USA, 2000, p.363.

Collection : Roman Republic