Spurius Maelius facts for kids
Spurius Maelius was a very rich Roman citizen who lived a long time ago. He was a "plebeian," which meant he wasn't from a noble family. He became famous because he was killed for supposedly trying to become a king. This happened in 439 BC.
The Story of Spurius Maelius
During a time when Rome was facing a serious food shortage, Spurius Maelius bought a lot of wheat. He then sold this wheat to the Roman people at a very low price. This made him popular with many citizens.
However, a man named Lucius Minucius Augurinus, who was in charge of the city's food supply, accused Maelius. He claimed that Maelius was gathering weapons in his house. He also said Maelius was holding secret meetings. The accusation was that Maelius planned to make himself king of Rome.
The people widely believed this accusation. Maelius was called to appear before an old and respected Roman leader named Cincinnatus. Cincinnatus had been given special powers as a "dictator" to deal with the situation. A dictator in ancient Rome was a temporary leader with full power, appointed in emergencies.
Maelius refused to appear before Cincinnatus. Because of this, he was killed by Gaius Servilius Ahala. Ahala was the "Master of the Horse," which was a high-ranking military position under the dictator.
After Maelius was killed, his house was completely destroyed. The wheat he had bought was given out to the people. All of his other property was taken by the state. The open area where his house once stood was called the Equimaelium. This name helped people remember what happened to him.
Some people thought Maelius's death was a good thing. But others believed it was wrong. A Roman law called the Lex Valeria Horatia de provocatione said that people had the right to appeal a dictator's decision. Because Maelius was killed without a proper trial or a chance to appeal, his death was seen by some as an act of murder.
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