Quintus Lutatius Catulus (consul 102 BC) facts for kids

Quintus Lutatius Catulus (born 149 BC, died 87 BC) was an important Roman leader. He became a consul in 102 BC, which was a top government job in the Roman Republic. His partner as consul was a famous general named Gaius Marius.

During their time as consuls, two large groups of people, the Cimbri and Teutones, started moving south. They were a big threat to Rome. Marius went to fight the Teutones in Gaul, while Catulus tried to stop the Cimbri from entering Italy. Catulus couldn't stop them, and the Cimbri entered the Po Valley.

In 101 BC, Catulus continued the war. Marius, who was elected consul again, joined him. Together, they fought the invaders in the Po Valley. At the Battle of Vercellae, Marius and Catulus won a huge victory against the Cimbri. This battle ended the invasion. After the war, Catulus and Marius became rivals. Catulus later died during a difficult civil war in 87 BC.

A Roman General

When Catulus was consul, the Romans learned that the Cimbri and Teutones planned to invade Italy. Catulus was sent to defend the mountain passes in the Alps from the Cimbri. Meanwhile, Marius fought the Teutones in Gaul.

While in the Alps, Catulus worked with Lucius Cornelius Sulla to make peace with some local tribes. Catulus realized that defending all the mountain passes would spread his army too thin. So, he decided to pull his troops back to a stronger position.

During this retreat, Catulus worried the Cimbri might trap his army. He tried to win a small fight to help his troops escape the area. He led his army to a mountain overlooking the Cimbri camp. Then, he attacked them at night. This caused chaos, allowing his army to cross a stream and continue their march south.

Catulus marched until he reached the Atesis River. There, he built strong defenses on both sides of the river with a bridge connecting them. When the Cimbri arrived, they tried to block the river to cross it. The Romans started to leave their camp. Catulus tried to get his soldiers to stay, but many left. When the Cimbri attacked, only a small group of Romans were left. These brave soldiers fought well and managed to escape. Catulus had retreated twice, but he kept his army mostly safe. The next year, he was given more power to continue fighting.

Victory at Vercellae

The Cimbri had moved into the Po Valley. Eventually, they were defeated at the Battle of Vercellae by the combined armies of Catulus and Gaius Marius. Catulus led the center of the Roman army during this battle. He led his men to victory, which was a great success for him. For his part in defeating the Cimbri, he was honored with a special parade called a Triumph.

Even though they won together, Catulus and Marius were still rivals. After the war, they even built competing temples to show that the gods favored them. When Marius received most of the credit for the victory, Catulus became very angry with him. He joined forces with Sulla to remove Marius and his friends from Rome. When Marius later regained control of the city in 87 BC, Catulus faced a difficult situation and died.

A Talented Writer

Catulus was also a very skilled speaker, poet, and writer. He knew a lot about Greek literature. He wrote a history book about his time as consul. He also wrote poems.

His poems are considered his most important writings. He helped bring a new style of short, personal poems from ancient Greece to Rome. This style later became very popular with other poets like Valerius Catullus. Catulus had many literary friends from different backgrounds.

Only two of Catulus's short poems have survived. They are both about men.

A Roman Builder

Catulus was a very wealthy man. He used his money to make Rome more beautiful. Two famous buildings were known as the Monumenta Catuli:

• The Temple of Fortuna Huiusce Diei (meaning "Fortune of This Day"). This temple was built to remember the day of the great victory at Vercellae.
• The Porticus Catuli, which was a covered walkway. It was built using money from selling things taken from the Cimbri after the war.

His Family

Catulus's mother, Popillia, later married a man named Lucius Julius Caesar. She had two more sons with him: Lucius Julius Caesar and Gaius Julius Caesar Strabo. A famous Roman speaker named Cicero praised Catulus for a speech he gave about his mother after she died. This was one of the first times a Roman mother was honored in such a way.

Catulus had three wives:

• Domitia: She was the mother of his son, Quintus Lutatius Catulus Capitolinus, who also became a consul.
• Servilia: She was the mother of his daughter, Lutatia. Lutatia later married a famous speaker named Quintus Hortensius.
• Claudia: She was likely his wife for the longest time. They probably married to help Catulus get support for his election as consul.

In Stories

Catulus appears in the Masters of Rome novels by Colleen McCullough. In these books, Catulus is shown as being born a Caesar and then adopted into the Lutatius Catulus family. He is called "Catulus Caesar" in the stories.

In these novels, Catulus is shown as a proud noble and not a very good general during his time as consul with Marius. When fighting the Cimbri, his senior officer, Sulla, forces him to retreat to a safer place, even threatening to mutiny if he doesn't.

See also

• Hortensius (Cicero)