- Marcus Manlius Capitolinus, Plebeian Hero

After nothing but the uber-patrician Camillus for a long time, a plebeian hero seems long overdue. Welcome to what is essentially the first part in our mini-series on the rise and fall of Marcus Manlius Capitolinus.

Patrician Turned Demagogue

Marcus Manlius Capitolinus already had quite the reputation in Rome by 385 BCE (circa!). Aside from the usual patrician accomplishments, he had been the only one to wake to the sound of distressed geese when the Gauls attempted to ascend the Capitoline and kill the defending Romans in their sleep. Thanks to him, there was soon a pile of scrambled Gauls at the bottom of the hill and the Capitoline remained under Roman control.

But that had been years ago. Was he feted everywhere he went now? Where was the endless confetti falling from the sky? Where were the statues in his likeness? And why did everyone think Camillus was so amazing? The green-eyed monster was driving the Manlius train, and it drove him straight into the arms of the plebeians.

Manlius decided to befriend the plebeians, choosing fame over what was “right” (and by that, we are assuming our sources mean, right for an elite dude). There was always lingering tension between the patricians and plebeians, as our listeners well know. However, in 385, debt was once again an issue, probably as so many people had to borrow money to rebuild their houses after the Gallic sack. Manlius took up their cause, decrying the hideous situation that so many decent Romans found themselves in. The injustice!

The senate did not like the way this was going, so they decided it was time to appoint a dictator. And no, they did not choose Camillus. We will give you some time to pick yourselves up off the floor.

Aulus Cornelius Cossus

The dictator they chose was from a distinguished family - just the kind of guy who would be able to keep a lid on this Manlius situation. But it would not make any sense to openly say that was the reason for his appointment. Instead, the senate claimed they needed someone to deal with the many enemies the Romans were surrounded by. That would be the Volscians, and then a bunch of people who were SUPPOSED to be their friends - Latins, Hernicans, and even some ‘colonists’ from Circeii and Velitrae.

Cossus and his trusty master of the horse, Titus Quinctius Capitolinus, quickly assembled an army. Nothing will keep people’s mind off their crushing debt more than a victory! With the gods on their side, Cossus and Quinctius secure just that, with remarkable ease - no javelins needed.

With the Volscians put in their place, Cossus could finally turn his attention to Rome’s treacherous allies, who magically keep appearing in the ranks of their enemies. But things were getting out of hand in the city…

Shirts Off For Virtus!

Ten points if you guessed that Marcus Manlius was behind the chaos that faced Cossus when he returned. Manlius had interceded when a talented centurion was about to be condemned for debt. The shame that a man who had given so much to his city should be rewarded with a life in slavery! What were those patricians doing, allowing Rome to operate like this?

The gratitude of the centurion towards Manlius, who he dubbed ‘the father of Roman plebeians’, knew no bounds. He told his story to the rest of the people, including his rescue, which naturally involved him taking off his shirt so people could see the scars earned fighting for the state. You know the Romans totally lose it when this happens, so they needed no further convincing - Manlius was, well, the man!

With the plebs firmly behind him, Manlius feels bold enough to call out the patricians. Just when you thought things could not get more controversial! Was Manlius just using the plebeians to get revenge, or was he really a hero of the common man?

For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/

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