Laenas

• a surname in the gens Popilia, v. Popilius.

the name of a distinguished plebeian family of the gens Popillia. The name was derived, according to Cicero (Cic. Brut. 14), from the sacerdotal cloak (laena) with which the consul M. Popillius, who was at the same time flamen Carmentalis, rushed from a public sacrifice into the forum, to pacify the plebeians, who were in open revolt against the nobility. The name is to be spelt accordingly Laenas, as the Fasti Capitolini and Diodorus (16.15) have it, and not Lenas, as is found in some MSS. of Livy. The family of the Laenates was unfavourably distinguished even among the Romans for their sternness, cruelty, and haughtiness of character.

1. M. Popillius Laenas, M. F. C. N., was consul B. C. 359. The civil disturbances which he is said to have suppressed by his authority and eloquence were perhaps more effectually quelled, as Livy intimates (7.12), by a sudden attack in the night of the Tiburtines on Rome. The city was full of consternation and fear: at daybreak, however, and as soon as the Romans had organised a sufficient corps, and sallied forth with it, the enemy was repulsed. In the second year after this M. Laenas is mentioned (Liv. 7.16) as prosecutor of C. Licinius Stolo for the transgression of his own law, which limited the possession of public land to 500 jugera. Pighius (Annales, vol. i. p. 284) has put down Popillius as praetor of the year B. C. 357, but this is not warranted by Livy's expression, as Drakenborch has shown (ad Liv. 7.16); and it is even improbable, from the term (accusare) used by Valerius Maximus (8.6.3). Perhaps Popillius was aedile, whose duty it seems to have been to prosecute the transgressors of agrarian as well as usury laws. (Comp. Liv. 10.13.) Popillius was consul again in the next year (B. C. 356), when he drove the Tiburtines into their towns. (Liv. 7.17.) He was chosen consul for a third time B. C. 350, when he won a hard-fought battle against the Gauls, in which he himself was wounded (Liv. 7.23; App. Celt. 1.2.), and for which he celebrated a triumph -the first ever obtained by a plebeian. Popillius concluded his brilliant career by a fourth consulship, B. C. 348.

2. M. Popillius Laenas, M. F. M. N., consul B. C. 316. (Liv. 9.21.)

3. M. Popillius Laenas, P. F. P. N., one of the tribunes for establishing a colony near Pisae (Liv. 40.43), was chosen praetor B. C. 1 76 (Liv. 41.18), but obtained leave to stop at Rome instead of going into his province, Sardinia, the command of which was continued to the pro-praetor, Aebutius. Popillius was chosen consul B. C. 172. and sent with an army against the Ligurian mountaineers. He conquered them in a pitched battle, after great slaughter. The remainder of the whole tribe who had escaped from the carnage determined on surrendering themselves to the mercy of the Roman general; but they were all sold as slaves, and their city plundered and destroyed. When this news reached Rome, the senate disapproved of Popillius's proceedings, and decreed, in spite of his haughty and angry remonstrances, that he should restore the Ligurians to liberty, to their country, and, as far as possible, to their property. Popillius, however, acted in direct opposition to this decree. On his return to Rome he was called to account, but escaped through the influence of his family. (Liv. 42.22.) Nevertheless, Popillius obtained (B. C. 159) the most honourable office of Rome, that of censor, which he exercised, as may be presumed, with vigour and severity. (Fast. Capitol.; Liv. Epit. 47; Gel. 4.20; Nonius, s. v. Strigosus.)

4. P. Popillius Laenas, brother to the preceding, and with him triumvir coloniae deducendae. (Liv. 40.43.)

5. C. Popillius Laenas, P. F. P. N., brother to the two preceding ones, was consul (B. C. 172) in the year after his brother Marcus had so shamefully treated the Ligurians. He supported his brother, and warded off his punishment. He was the first plebeian consul who had a plebeian for a colleague (Fast. Capitol.); and he served afterwards as legate in Greece. (Liv. 43.19, 24.) The haughtiness of his character is most apparent in his behaviour as ambassador to Antiochus, king of Syria, whom the senate wished to abstain from hostilities against Egypt. Antiochus was just marching upon Alexandria when he was met by the three Roman ambassadors. Popillius transmitted to him the letter of the senate, which Antiochus read and promised to take into consideration with his friends. Then Popillius described with his cane a circle in the sand round the king, and ordered him not to stir out of it before he had given a decisive answer. This boldness so frightened Antiochus, that he at once yielded to the demand of Rome. (Liv. 45.12; Polyb. Exc. Legat. 92; V. Max. 6.4; Vell. 1.10; App. Syr. 131.) C. Popillius was consul a second time B. C. 158.

6. M. Popillius Laenas, M. F. P. N., the son of No. 3, was consul B. C. 139, and, as pro-consul in the following year, suffered a defeat from the Numantines. (Liv. Epil. 55; Frontin. Strateg. 3.17; App. Hisp. 79.)

7. P. Popillius Laenas, C. F. P. N., was consul B. C. 132, the year after the murder of Tib. Gracchus. He was charged by the victorious aristocratical party with the prosecution of the accomplices of Gracchus; and in this odious task he showed all the hard-heartedness of his family. (Cic. Lael. 20; V. Max. 4.7; Plut. T. Gracc. 20.) C. Gracchus afterwards aimed at him in particular, when he passed the bill that those magistrates who had condemned a citizen without trial should be called to account. Popillius withdrew himself, by voluntary exile, from the vengeance of Gracchus, and did not return to Rome till after his death. (Vell. 2.7; Cic. Brut. 25; Plut. T. Gracch. 20.)

8. C. Popillius Laenas, the son of the preceding, is mentioned, as well as his father, by Cicero (Cic. Brut. 25), as an eloquent speaker. Perhaps he is the same C. Popillius who is spoken of by Cicero (Cic. Ver. 1.13) as being convicted for embezzlement (peculatus).

9. C. Popillus (Laenas?), served as legate in Asia, and commanded, along with Minucius Rufus, a Roman fleet in the war with Mithridates. (Appian, App. Mith. 17.)

10. P. Popillius Laenas, tribune of the people B. C. 85, a furious partisan of Marius, had his predecessor, Lucilius, thrown down from the Tarpeian rock, and his colleagues banished. (Vell. 2.24.)

11. Popillius Laenas, a senator who unintentionally frightened Brutus and his fellow-conspirators by his confidential conversation with Caesar in the senate on the day Caesar was murdered. (Appian, App. BC 2.115, 116.)

12. C. Popillius Laenas, the military tribune who executed on Cicero the sentence of the triumvirs in cutting off his head and right hand, for which he was rewarded by Antonius with 1,000,000 sesterces above the stipulated price. (Appian, App. BC 4.19.) [W.I]

The name of a family of the gens Popilia, its members being distinguished for their sternness and haughty pride. The most famous of them was Gaius Popilius Laenas, consul in B.C. 172. He was afterwards sent as ambassador to Antiochus, king of Syria, whom the Senate wished to abstain from hostilities against Egypt. Antiochus was just marching upon Alexandria, when Popilius gave him the letter of the Senate, which the king read and promised to take into consideration with his friends. Popilius straightway described with his cane a circle in the sand around the king, and ordered him not to stir out of it before he had given a decisive answer. This boldness so impressed Antiochus that he at once yielded to the demand of Rome. (Livy , xlv. 12.)