15 Facts About Publius Vatinius

Publius Vatinius was a Roman politician during the last decades of the Republic.

Publius Vatinius did not appear to have had consular ancestors, making him a novus homo.

Publius Vatinius's extortions were so oppressive that the inhabitants were obliged to complain of his conduct; Pina Polo and Diaz Fernandez, in The Quaestorship in the Roman Republic doubt the Ciceronean story, saying "the text implies Vatinius carried out his mission with extraordinary zeal and that his diligence led some merchants to complain".

Publius Vatinius passed legislation to regulate challenges against jurymen, to set limits of the size of staffs for provincial governors, to establish a colony at Novum Comum, and to regulate diplomacy with foreign kings.

Cicero, in an invective against Publius Vatinius, connected Publius Vatinius with the incident during his tribunate where consul Bibulus was pushed to the floor of the forum and assaulted with a bucket of manure when he tried to intercede against a speech his co-consul Caesar was making.

Publius Vatinius was likely put up for election to the augurate, but the alliance between Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus was unable to win him election.

Publius Vatinius was prosecuted, possibly by Gaius Licinius Macer Calvus, in the first half of 58; the trial was stopped by the intercession of the people's tribune Publius Clodius Pulcher and violent disorder.

Cicero spoke on behalf of Sestius with a scathing speech against the character of Vatinius called in P Vatinium testem interrogatio.

Some claims are "obviously rhetorical": Publius Vatinius "respected the intercession made by some of his fellow tribunes".

Marcus Porcius Cato and Publius Vatinius were both candidates for the praetorship; Pompey and Crassus successfully defeated Cato "by means of bribery, obstruction, and violence", securing election for Publius Vatinius.

Publius Vatinius stayed with Caesar during the start of the civil war and continued as one of his lieutenants until 47.

Publius Vatinius was elected that year as augur, succeeding Appius Claudius Pulcher.

Publius Vatinius was sent to Illyricum with three legions to reclaim the province and was successful, being acclaimed imperator and receiving supplicatio for his success.

Publius Vatinius probably died some time shortly after his triumph.

Publius Vatinius was married twice, first to Antonia and later to a woman named Pompeia.