Home > Publius Cornelius Lentulus Sura
Publius Cornelius Lentulus, nicknamed Sura, (d. December 5, 63 BC) was one of the chief figures in the Catiline conspiracy.When accused by Sulla (to whom he had been quaestor in 81 BC) of having squandered the public money, he refused to render any account, but insolently held out the calf of his leg (sura), on which part of the person boys were punished when they made mistakes in playing ball. He was praetor in 75, governor of Sicily 74, consul 71.
In 70, being expelled from the senate with a number of others for immorality, he joined Catiline. Relying upon a Sibylline oracle that three Cornelii should be rulers of Rome, Lentulus regarded himself as the destined successor of Lucius Cornelius Sulla and Lucius Cornelius CinnaLucius Cornelius Cinna ( Latin: L·CORNELIVS·L·F·L·N·CINNA), a member of the Cinna family of the Cornelii of ancient Rome, was a supporter of Marius in his contest with Sulla. After serving in the war with the Marsi as praetorian legate, he was elected con. When Catiline left Rome after CiceroFor other uses see Cicero (disambiguation Marcus Tullius Cicero ( January 3, 106 BC December 7, 43 BC) was an orator and statesman of Ancient Rome, and is generally considered the greatest Latin prose stylist. Biography Cicero was born in Arpinum and caug's first speech In Catilinam, Lentulus took his place as chief of the conspirators in the city. In conjunction with C. Cornelius Cethegus, he undertook to murder Cicero and set fire to Rome, but the plot failed owing to his timidity and indiscretion.
Ambassadors from the Allobroges being at the time in Rome, the bearers of a complaint against the oppressions ot provincial governors, Lentulus made overtures to them, with the object of obtaining armed assistance. Pretending to fall in with his views, the ambassadors obtained a written agreement signed by the chief conspirators, and informed Q. Fabius Sanga, their "patron" in Rome, who in his turn acquainted Cicero.
The conspirators were arrested and forced to admit their guilt. Lentulus was compelled to abdicate his praetorship, and, as it was feared that there might be an attempt to rescue him, he was put to death in the Tullianum on the 5th of December 63.
See Dio CassiusDio Cassius Cocceianus ( 155 after 229), was the son of Cassius Apronianus, a Roman senator, and born at Nicaea in Bithynia. His true name was Cassius, but he assumed the other two names, as being descended on the mother's side from Dio Chrysostom. Thus, xxxvii. 30, xlvi. 20; PlutarchMestrius Plutarch (c. 120) was a Greek historian/ biographer and essayist. Born in the small town of Chaeronea, in the Greek region known as Boeotia, probably during the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius, Mestrius Plutarch travelled widely in the Medite, Cicero, 17; SallustSallust (Gaius Sallustius Crispus ( 86- 34 BC), Roman historian, belonging to a well-known plebeian family, was born at Amiternum in the country of the Sabines. After an ill-spent youth he entered public life, and was elected tribune of the people in 52,, Catilina; Cicero, In Catilinam, iii., iv.; Pro Sulla, 25.
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Ancient Romans
Republican consuls
