Gaius Julius Jullus

Gaius Julius Iulus was a member of the Roman gens Julia, and was nominated dictator in 352 BC.

Family The Julii Iuli were the oldest branch of the ancient patrician Julia gens, and their magistracies span nearly a century and a half leading to Gaius' dictatorship. However, only one other member of the family is recorded following the sack of Rome by the Gauls in 390 BC: Lucius Julius Iulus, who was consular tribune in 388, and again in 379.

The tribunes of the plebs blocked the elections from being held until the senate agreed to put forward candidates in accordance with the Licinian law. Meanwhile, the dictator, Titus Manlius Torquatus, would not permit the elections to be held if plebeian candidates were allowed; thus, the elections could not be held until after the dictator's term of office had expired, and even then an interrex had to be appointed, as the senate and the tribunes could not agree to the terms. Under Roman law, the interrex was required to resign his office after five days, and another was appointed; then another, and another, until eleven interreges had been appointed.

It soon became apparent that there was no impending hostility from Etruria, as the rumor of an alliance had been false. The dictator was unable to secure the election of two patrician candidates, but the patricians were not yet ready to accept defeat. Following Julius' resignation, Gaius Sulpicius Peticus was appointed interrex; he too failed to procure the desired result, but his successor, Marcus Fabius Ambustus, succeeded, and two patricians were elected in violation of the Licinian law.