345/1. Cornelia (88 BC)

AR Denarius (Rome, 88 BC)

O/ Helmeted bust of Mars seen from behind, with head turned to r.; spear over l. shoulder and sword over r. shoulder.

R/ Victory in biga r., holding reins & wreath; CN LENTVL in exergue.

3.56g; 19mm

Crawford 345/1 (615 obverse dies/683 reverse dies)

Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Clodianus (b.114 BC):

Lentulus initially belonged to the gens Claudia (or Clodia), but was later adopted by Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus, Praetor in 100 and Consul 3 years later. The reason behind this adoption is unknown, but it was possibly done to bring an heir to a childless Cornelius Lentulus. Since the Lentulii were one of the two most famous branches of the Cornelii (the other being the Scipii), he could also afford the cost of a political career for his adopted child, whilst this cost might have been too high for Lentulus' natural father (even the great Paulus Aemilius was forced to put his last two sons for adoption for a similar reason).

Being promoted in the most influential gens of the Republic greatly helped Lentulus, as well as the patronage of Pompey the Great, whose political influence at this time was rising steadily. The beginning of his career is not known, but he was Praetor in 75 and reached the consulship in 72 with Lucius Gellius Publicola, another partisan of Pompey, and his political partner throughout his cursus honorum. They both supported their patron by recognising the grants of citizenship he had given in Spain after his victories against Sertorius (Cicero, Pro Balbo, 19). They also protected Sthenius of Thermae from Verres, the famous Propraetor of Sicily attacked by Cicero -- also in Pompey's circle (In Verrem, 93ff).

Lentulus is now mostly remembered for having lost against Spartacus during the Third Servile War (73-71 BC). Publicola was initially successful against Crixus, who had stayed in Southern Italy whilst Spartacus was moving up north. Lentulus tried to block him in the Apennines, waiting for Publicola to arrive from the south and flank Spartacus, but the rebel slave leader foresaw the danger and defeated the consuls separately before they could regroup (Appian, Civil Wars, I, 117). They tried once again to attack him by combining their legions, but lost at the Battle of Picenum.

After these humiliating defeats, both consuls were relieved from military duties and the leadership of the war was given to Crassus (Plutarch, Crassus, 10), who hastily finished it before the return of Pompey from Spain to avoid sharing the laurels of victory with him.

Lentulus came back to the fore thanks to his benefactor, and became Censor with Publicola in 70. Their censorship was marked by a purge of 64 senators (Livy, Periochae, 98). The reason behind this purge is unclear, but the victims of this purge had been involved in several corruption cases, notably the Oppianicus case, dealt by Cicero in his Pro Cluentio. The reason might have also been political, since many of the purged senators, including Lentulus' cousin Publius Cornelius Lentulus Sura, later joined the Catiline Conspiracy (Plutarch, Cicero, 17).

After this, Lentulus and Publicola are once again mentioned together as lieutenants to Pompey during his famous expedition against the Cilician pirates in 67 (Appian, Mithridates, 95), during which he assigned them to defend Italy.

Lentulus had a homonymous son who is only mentioned once by Cicero in a letter as a legate in Gaul in 60 (Atticus, 1, 19).

This denarius obviously alludes to the victory of Rome during the Social War, which ended the same year.

Collezione : Roman Republic