Marcus Lollius

Marcus Lollius ( – after 2 BC) was a Roman politician, military officer and supporter of the first Roman emperor Augustus. His father was Marcus Lollius. Little is known of his family and early life. It is likely that he was a homo novus or a new man of politics in the late Roman Republic and early Imperial era.

Early political career Lollius has been assumed to be the "Marcus" referred to in Appian's Civil Wars. Appian recounts that Lollius was a legate of Marcus Junius Brutus, who after the Battle of Philippi in 42 BC had been proscribed. Lollius hid himself as a slave and was purchased by a "Barbula" (assumed to be Quintus Aemilius Lepidus), before his identity was revealed by a friend to Lepidus in Rome. Lepidus went to Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa who interceded on Lepidus' behalf with Octavian, who then ensured that the name of Lollius was removed from the proscription lists.

Lollius fought in the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, where Lollius interceded before Octavian on behalf of Lepidus, who had been captured while fighting for Mark Antony. As Lollius joined Octavian and as upward Roman mobility depended on patronage, there is a possibility that Lollius and Augustus were close friends before Augustus had eliminated his rivals. Galatia was previously ruled as a kingdom, and their last king, Amyntas, had died. Thereafter, Augustus sent Lollius to Galatia to serve as its governor and to integrate Galatia into the Empire, an important task.

The inscription reads, in Latin:

M LOLLIVS M F Q LEPI[dus m f c]OS EX S C PROBAVERVNT

"Marcus Lollius, son of Marcus, and Quintus Lepidus, son of Marcus, "Consuls, approved this in accordance with a decree of the Senate." We know about his consulship from the inscription, that can be seen here. . Another inscription found near Torino is mentioning Lollius as consul "sine collega". Lollius was the first person from the gens Lollia to obtain a consulship. The military defeat that Lollius suffered, known as the clades Lolliana, is coupled by Suetonius with the disaster of Publius Quinctilius Varus, Suetonius called it disgraceful rather than dangerous. In 15 BC Augustus dispatched his step-son Tiberius to rectify the situation and to regain the captured standard of the Legio V Macedonica. The Romans then proceeded to conquer Rhetia and the Alpine region. Although the political and military career of Lollius suffered, and he was never again given command of an army, he remained on friendly terms with Augustus.

Lollius in 2/1 BC was appointed by Augustus as a tutor to his adopted son and grandson Gaius Caesar on his mission to the Roman East and to learn about government. as he was accused of receiving bribes from the Parthian King, Phraates. who had married her sister. Messalla's son was later adopted by his mother and aunt's father and renamed Marcus Aurelius Cotta Maximus Messalinus. Tacitus (Annals XII.22) states Marcus Aurelius Cotta Maximus Messalinus was great-uncle to Lollia Paulina.

Aurelia bore Lollius the following children: Son, Marcus Lollius who was also known as Lollius Maximus

Archaeological evidence Between 2005 and 2006, professors and archaeologists from the University of Cologne, Germany, and the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, participated in archaeological studies and restorations of Roman antiquities in Sagalassos, Turkey. Among their various finds was an inscribed cylindrical base for a colossal statue representing Lollius. On the statue base there is an honorific Greek inscription stating, "Marcus Lollius is honored by the demos [people of Sagalassos] as their patronus [patron]." This means Lollius must have brought privileges to the city, perhaps such as intervention in the extension of its territory, solving territorial disputes with neighboring cities or estates, or special contacts with the emperor.

Another pair of finds connected with the statue base found at Sagalassos are two foot fragments that may have belonged to a colossal statue of Lollius from the reign of Augustus. The ancient boots, which are identified as "lion boots" or mulleus, were embroidered, buckled on the outside and strapped in the inside. These boots were made from leather, in particular from cat skin. These boots symbolized power and were considered royal footwear. These items found are possibly dated to about 1 BC, when Lollius and Gaius Caesar visited the Roman East. As Gaius Caesar at this time was honored in many cities, it seems that Lollius was also an honored personality in this region. The original monument of Lollius was ca. 5 meters tall, and his statue was placed in one of the most important locations in Sagalassos. The remains of Lollius' statue are now on display at Burdur Museum in Turkey.