Lucius Licinius Lucullus

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Lūcullus, Lucius Licinius (c.114–57 BC), Roman general and statesman. He was Sulla's most reliable officer, entrusted with the diplomatic side of his dealings in the East, and became his literary executor. He governed Africa as propraetor in 77 with honesty and humanity. Consul in 74, he obtained the command against Mithridatēs, king of Pontus, and carried out a series of brilliant campaigns in the Third Mithridatic War until his troops, kept under strict discipline, began to mutiny. He settled the taxation of Asia fairly, thereby offending business interests at Rome, and in 66 he was replaced by Pompey under the Manilian law (see PRO LEGE MANILIA) and returned to Rome, where he had to wait until 63 for a triumph. He then led the senate's opposition to the eastern settlement of his rival Pompey, but after unpleasant experiences of Caesar's consulate (59) retired and gave himself up to the indulgence of his hedonist tastes, having acquired great wealth in Asia. His luxury became proverbial: ‘Lucullan’ has been applied as an epithet to good food. He was an ardent philhellene, a lover of literature and the arts. The books of the Pontic kings, booty from the war, remained his private property, but he was always ready to lend them, and his library became a centre for literary Greeks at Rome (see PRO ARCHIA). He wrote a (lost) history in Greek of the Marsian War (90–89 BC). He lapsed into insanity before his death.

This article is on the Consul of 151 BC. For the descendent (this man's grandson) see Lucullus, and for others of this name see Licinius (gens).

Lucius Licinius Lucullus was a novus homo who became Consul in 151 BC. He was imprisoned by the Tribunes for attempting to enforce a troop levy too harshly. Upon reaching Hispania, he was disappointed to find that the Celtiberians had made peace, and attacked the Vaccaei and Cauci, without any warrant from the Senate^[1]. He besieged the city of Cauca, and when the inhabitants surrendered, he demanded they do so under several conditions. One of these conditions was that a Roman garrison be installed in the city, which promptly killed all the adult males and plundered the city.^[2]

He besieged the city of Intercatia, and they surrendered only when Scipio Africanus the Younger guaranteed that the treaty would not be broken.^[3]

He was also involved in the Lusitanian War.

Preceded by Lucius Valerius Flaccus and Marcus Claudius Marcellus

Consul of the Roman Republic with Aulus Postumius Albinus 151 BC

Succeeded by Tiberius Quinctius Flaminius and Manius Acilius Balbus

References

1. ^ Appian Roman History 6.51
2. ^ Appian Roman History 6.52
3. ^ Appian Roman History 6.54

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