Marcus Atilius Regulus (consul 294 BC)
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Marcus Atilius Regulus, consul in 294 BC, was the second man from the gens Atilia
to become consul of Rome..
He succeeded an illustrious plebeian consul Publius Decius Mus
who had "devoted himself to the gods," i.e., deliberately thrown himself into the thick of battle after due rituals to ensure Roman victory against the Samnites.
During his consulship Atilius Regulus fought in Samnium and Apulia and won the battle at Interamna, but a triumph was refused.. In fact, Atilius Regulus obtained his triumph according to the Fasti triumphales.
Regulus is best known as father of the ill-fated consul Marcus Atilius Regulus
(consul 267 BC and suffect consul 256 BC) and probably father of another consul Gaius Atilius M.f. Regulus
who was consul in 257 BC and 250 BC. At least two of his grandsons were also consuls. Aulus Atilius A.f. Calatinus
, a relative of Rullianus, was a patrilineal relative.
The Atilii were the leading family of Campania at the time of their gaining Roman citizenship, and the surname Regulus might refer to their regal position in that society.
Calatinus is clearly a cognomen referring to Calatia, six miles southwest of Capua. This region had been conquered during the consulship of the first named Atilius, Marcus Atilius Regulus Calenus, in 335 BC. Since his colleague, the patrician Marcus Valerius Corvus
, actually conquered Cales, it is likely that Atilius came from there.
Gens Atilia
Marcus Atilius Regulus Marcus Atilius Regulus- son of the above and consul 267BC and 256BCGaius Atilius Regulus - consul in 257BC and 250BCMarcus Atilius Regulus - consul in 227BC...
to become consul of Rome..
He succeeded an illustrious plebeian consul Publius Decius Mus
Publius Decius Mus (340 BC)
Publius Decius Mus, son of Quintus, of the plebeian gens Decia, was a Roman consul in the year 340 BC. He is noted particularly for sacrificing himself in battle through the ritual of devotio, as recorded by the Augustan historian Livy.-Career:...
who had "devoted himself to the gods," i.e., deliberately thrown himself into the thick of battle after due rituals to ensure Roman victory against the Samnites.
During his consulship Atilius Regulus fought in Samnium and Apulia and won the battle at Interamna, but a triumph was refused.. In fact, Atilius Regulus obtained his triumph according to the Fasti triumphales.
Regulus is best known as father of the ill-fated consul Marcus Atilius Regulus
Marcus Atilius Regulus
Marcus Atilius Regulus , a general and consul in the ninth year of the First Punic War...
(consul 267 BC and suffect consul 256 BC) and probably father of another consul Gaius Atilius M.f. Regulus
Gaius Atilius Regulus (consul 257 BC)
C. Atilius M. f. M. n. Regulus Serranus was a Roman Republican consul who twice held the consulship in the middle of the 3rd century BC. His elder brother, father, and grandfather were all consuls....
who was consul in 257 BC and 250 BC. At least two of his grandsons were also consuls. Aulus Atilius A.f. Calatinus
Aulus Atilius Calatinus
Aulus Atilius Calatinus , was a politician and general in Ancient Rome. He was the first Roman dictator to lead an army outside Italy , when he led his army into Sicily. He was consul in 258 BC and again in 254 BC, a praetor and triumphator in 257 BC, and finally a censor in 247 BC...
, a relative of Rullianus, was a patrilineal relative.
Origins of the Atilii
The Atilius Reguli were cousins of the other famous Atilii, the Atilii Calatinii. The origins of the Atilii are somewhat uncertain, although a Calabrian connection is indicated.The Atilii were the leading family of Campania at the time of their gaining Roman citizenship, and the surname Regulus might refer to their regal position in that society.
Calatinus is clearly a cognomen referring to Calatia, six miles southwest of Capua. This region had been conquered during the consulship of the first named Atilius, Marcus Atilius Regulus Calenus, in 335 BC. Since his colleague, the patrician Marcus Valerius Corvus
Marcus Valerius Corvus
Marcus Valerius Corvus was a Roman general of the 4th century BC, characterized as a farmer who lived to be one hundred.-Biography:...
, actually conquered Cales, it is likely that Atilius came from there.