Marcus Aemilius

Marcus Aemilius was a politician and advocate. His family was patrician but had fallen on hard times and he had to work as hard as a 'new man' for election to senatorial posts. Supported by the powerful clan of the Metelli-he married Caecilia Metella, daughter of Metellus Delmaticus, who bore him two children-he was elected consul for 115, with a Metellus as his colleague. In doing so he defeated Rutilius Rufus, and the two vainly engaged in mutual prosecution for bribery of the electorate. During his consulship he humiliated the praetor Decius Subulo who had prosecuted the victorious Opimius, won a victory over the Ligurians for which he earned a triumph, and began the great Aemilian Way through Cisalpine Gaul. He was made leader (princeps) of the Senate by the censors (one his father-in-law), perhaps unfairly, as there were patricians alive senior to him. He became the effective leader of the Metelli in the Senate and presided over the court to investigate senatorial corruption set up by the tribune Mamilius Limetanus, despite his having led an embassy in 112 to negotiate with Jugurtha. He had also served as legate to Bestia in his unsuccessful campaign against Jugurtha in 111. He was a censor in 109 but had to resign when his colleague, M. Livius Drusus died. In 104 he took over the management of the supply of cheap grain from Saturninus, and in 100 proposed the emergency 'Ultimate Decree' of the Senate against Saturninus and his mob. He went c.95 as head of an embassy to the province of Asia, which was suffering under the rapacity of Roman governors and businessmen: this seems to have led to Scaevola's humane governorship. In 92 and again in 90 he was targeted by Caepio, who was hostile to M. Livius Drusus, whom Scaurus was now supporting in his attempt to conciliate the Italians, but escaped prosecution. In 90 the tribune Q. Varius, who had created a court to punish those who had negotiated with the Italians, summoned Scaurus before it, but Scaurus delivered a withering speech, which silenced him. He died a rich man, having earned his wealth through business rather than extortion: his methods may not always have been honest and he took a bribe from Jugurtha, but he was never convicted of a crime. A powerful man who, according to Cicero, 'almost ruled the world with his nod', he wrote an autobiography which failed to survive long. Sallust described him as a disreputable power-seeker.