Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus
Encyclopedia
Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus was a consul
of the Roman Republic
in 146 BC. His colleague was Lucius Mummius Achaicus
, whose military achievements outshone him.
He was from the Lentuli
branch of the gens
Cornelia. He had held the office of praetor
by 149 BC.
In 161, Cornelius Lentulus was sent as an ambassador with Publius Apustius to Cyrene
for the purpose of informing Ptolemy VII of Rome's decision to end its alliance with Ptolemy VI.
His son, who had the same name
, was consul in 97 BC
.
Roman consul
A consul served in the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic.Each year, two consuls were elected together, to serve for a one-year term. Each consul was given veto power over his colleague and the officials would alternate each month...
of the Roman Republic
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
in 146 BC. His colleague was Lucius Mummius Achaicus
Lucius Mummius Achaicus
Lucius Mummius , was a Roman statesman and general, also known as Leucius Mommius. He later received the agnomen Achaicus after conquering Greece.-Praetor:...
, whose military achievements outshone him.
He was from the Lentuli
Lentulus
Lentulus, the name of a Roman patrician family of the Cornelian gens, derived from lentes , which its oldest members were fond of cultivating . The word Lentulitas is coined by Cicero to express the attributes of a pronounced aristocrat. The three first of the name were L...
branch of the gens
Gens
In ancient Rome, a gens , plural gentes, referred to a family, consisting of all those individuals who shared the same nomen and claimed descent from a common ancestor. A branch of a gens was called a stirps . The gens was an important social structure at Rome and throughout Italy during the...
Cornelia. He had held the office of praetor
Praetor
Praetor was a title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to men acting in one of two official capacities: the commander of an army, usually in the field, or the named commander before mustering the army; and an elected magistratus assigned varied duties...
by 149 BC.
In 161, Cornelius Lentulus was sent as an ambassador with Publius Apustius to Cyrene
Cyrene, Libya
Cyrene was an ancient Greek colony and then a Roman city in present-day Shahhat, Libya, the oldest and most important of the five Greek cities in the region. It gave eastern Libya the classical name Cyrenaica that it has retained to modern times.Cyrene lies in a lush valley in the Jebel Akhdar...
for the purpose of informing Ptolemy VII of Rome's decision to end its alliance with Ptolemy VI.
His son, who had the same name
Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus (consul 97 BC)
Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus was a consul of the Roman Republic in 97 BC. He had been praetor by 100 BC. His consular colleague was Publius Licinius Crassus. During their consulship, the senate passed a decree banning human sacrifice. Despite the fame of the gens Cornelia and his attainment of Rome's...
, was consul in 97 BC
97 BC
Year 97 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Lentulus and Crassus...
.