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Lucius Postumius Megellus (c. 345 BC – c. 260 BC) was a politician and general during the middle years of the Roman Republic. Reportedly an arrogant and overbearing man, he was elected consul three times, and was one of the principal Roman military leaders during the Third Samnite War. ==Early career and his first two consulships== A member of the patrician Postumia clan, a family reportedly at the forefront of the so-called Struggle of the Orders in their attempts to prevent the opening up of the political offices to the plebeian classes, Megellus’ career was marked by overbearing and oppressive behaviour in his dealings with his fellow magistrates and with the citizens of the Republic.〔Arnold, pg. 391〕 His career was also closely entwined with the ongoing Samnite Wars, which allowed him the scope to ascend to the highest levels of political office, and use his victories to further his career, regardless of the law (such as his disregard of the Lex Genucia to claim the consulship for the third time in 291). Megellus first came to prominence during his time as Curule Aedile, c. 307 BC,〔Broughton, pg. 165〕 where he heavily fined (''pecunia multaticia'') any individuals who broke the Lex Licinia Sextia by encroaching on public land.〔Forsythe, pg. 342〕 With the amounts he had collected, Megellus promised to build a temple dedicated to Victory, a promise he fulfilled in 294 BC.〔 His election as consul for the first time in 305 BC saw him participate in the closing years of the Second Samnite War. Leading the armies of the Republic, according to Livy〔Livy 9:44〕 he defeated the Samnites at the Battle of Bovianum and took the town of Bovianum. Returning to Rome, Megellus and his consular colleague Marcus Fulvius Curvus Paetinus took the towns of Sora, Arpinum and Cerennia.〔Salmon, pg. 251〕 Livy stated that Megellus received a triumph for his victory, but this is not corroborated by the Fasti Triumphales.〔Broughton, pg. 166〕〔Smith, pg. 1008〕 The capture of Bovianum caused the Samnites to sue for peace in 304 BC, ending the Second Samnite War. With the resumption of hostilities in 298, Rome was soon in need of experienced military commanders to take the field against a coalition of enemies, with the Samnites to the south in league with the Etruscans, Umbrians and Gauls to the north. Therefore in 295 BC, with Rome under threat of imminent invasion,〔 Magellus, now a private citizen and ineligible to serve again as consul due to the lex Genucia, was granted the powers of a Propraetor as a ''privatus cum imperio''.〔Oakley, pg. 10〕 He was given command of a legion, stationed on the ''ager Vaticanus'', on the right hand side of the Tiber.〔Oakley, pgs. 274; 282 & 288〕 As part of the campaign that culminated in the Battle of Sentinum, Magellus was ordered to attack the Etruscans, in particular the armies and territory around the town of Clusium.〔Broughton, pg. 178〕〔Oakley, pg. 292〕 It is believed that he was not involved in any serious campaigning, and returned to Rome shortly afterwards where his army was disbanded.〔Oakley, pg. 293; Smith, pgs. 1008-1009〕 Elected consul for the second time in 294 BC, Megellus was given command of the forces on the southern front.〔Oakley, pg. 349〕 He captured several towns in Samnium, but in Apulia he was routed and put to flight, and after being himself wounded he was driven into Luceria with a few of his men.〔Forsythe, pg. 327〕 Returning to Rome where to recover from his wounds, he dedicated the temple of Victory in Rome, built with the fines exacted during his curule aedileship.〔 When he had recovered, he again returned to campaign in Samnium, where he captured the towns of Milionia and Ferentinum.〔Smith, pg. 1009〕 Contradictory accounts have Megellus also campaigning in Etruria in 294 BC, but these tend to be discounted by modern scholars.〔Oakley, pg. 349; Forsythe, pgs. 326-329〕 At the end of the campaigning season, he celebrated a triumph over the Samnites.〔〔Oakley, pg. 372〕 This triumph was notorious, as his senatorial enemies claimed that he was not entitled to one, as he had technically left the province which the Senate had assigned to him, during his return to Rome.〔Oakley, pg. 374〕 Disregarding the opposition, he celebrated it without the Senate’s permission, which was customary, earning him a good deal of enmity.〔Oakley, pg. 373〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Lucius Postumius Megellus (consul 305 BC)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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