Quintus Servilius Caepio

Quintus Servilius Caepio was a Roman patrician, statesman and soldier. He was the son of Quintus Servilius Caepio who was consul in 106 BCE and who lost his army during the Battle of Arausio (Caepio the Younger served under his father at Arausio). He was elected praetor some time in the last 90s BC and fought for Rome during the Social War. He was killed in the second year of the war while fighting the Marsi by Quintus Poppaedius Silo. Previously his father had been tried before the people by the tribune Gaius Norbanus for his catastrophic loss at the Battle of Arausio; he was convicted and banished. In his quaestorship the younger Caepio used violence to oppose Lucius Appuleius Saturninus, a tribune of the plebs and a political ally of Norbanus, in Saturninus' attempt to pass a bill to sell grain at a deeply discounted price to the Roman people. In his role as he issued coins with the inscription ('for the purchase of grain by order of the senate'), implying senate sponsorship of the grain law. but Sumner disputes this, saying there's no evidence that he held the office.

Caepio became a chief opponent of Marcus Livius Drusus' legislative programme for 91,

Early in 90 BC, Caepio initiated a suit with Quintus Varius Severus against Marcus Aemilius Scaurus for a second time but left to serve as legate in the Social War. After the death of Lupus he was made joint-commander of Rome's northern army with Gaius Marius. Marius had expected sole command and he did not get along with Caepio with disastrous results. After having dealt with a raiding legion of Marsi at Varnia, Caepio attempted to give Marius instructions, but Marius ignored them. Caepio was left on his own and was then obliged to move his legions back towards Caeoli. Once they reached the Arno at Sublaqueum they were tricked into leaving a secure position and attacked by the Marsi.

Caepio's army was massacred, with Caepio being killed by the Marsi leader, Quintus Poppaedius Silo.

Family He likely had a son named Quintus from an early marriage to an unknown woman. Caepio later married Livia, sister of Marcus Livius Drusus, around 100 BC. Caepio and Livia had three children: Servilia, the mistress of Julius Caesar, mother of Brutus, and mother-in-law of Gaius Cassius Longinus; another daughter Servilia Minor; and a son, Gnaeus Servilius Caepio.

Caepio divorced Livia 97 BC after falling out with her brother. Livia subsequently remarried in c. 96 BC to Marcus Porcius Cato: their children were Marcus (the famous Cato the Younger) and Porcia. Both Livia and Porcius Cato died . As a result, all of Livia's children (including those by Caepio) grew up in the household of Livius Drusus, until the latter's assassination in 91 BC.

In fiction Caepio appears as a major character in The First Man in Rome and The Grass Crown, the first two books of Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series. Plot points include Caepio's efforts to launder the Gold of Tolosa, which his father stole, and his opposition to Drusus's efforts to enfranchise Rome's Italian allies. This fictional Caepio is depicted as being divorced from Livia because of his cruelty towards her, rather than for purely political reasons.