Papus

the name of a family of the patrician Aemilia Gens.

1. M. Aemilius Papus, was created dictator in B. C. 321, in which year the Romans received their memorable defeat from the Samnites near Caudium. (Liv. 9.7.)

2. Q. Aemilius Papus, twice consul, first in B. C. 282, and again in 278, and censor in 275. In both his consulships and in his censorship he had as colleague C. Fabricius Luscinus. In his former consulship he was employed against the Etruscans and Boians, while Fabricius was engaged in Southern Italy. He completely defeated the allied forces, and the chastisement which the Boians received was so severe, that Cisalpine Gaul remained quiet for upwards of fifty years (Dionys. A. R. 18.5 ; comp. Plb. 2.20). The passage in Frontinus (1.2.7) which speaks of the defeat of the Boii by Aemilius Paullus (an error for Papus), is rightly referred by Niebuhr (Hist. of Rome, vol. iii. p. 430) to the above-mentioned victory, though most modern writers make it relate to the conquest of the Gauls by the consul of B. C. 225 [see below, No. 3]. In B. C. 280 he accompanied Fabricius, as one of the three ambassadors who were sent to Pyrrhus. The history of this embassy, as well as of his second consulship and censorship, is given in the life of his colleague. [Luscinus, No. 1.]

3. L. Aemilius Cn. N. Papus, Q. F., grandson apparently of No. 2, was consul B. C. 225, with C. Atilius Regulus. This was the year of the great war in Cisalpine Gaul. The Cisalpine Gans, who had for the last few years shown symptoms of hostility, were now joined by their brethren front the other side of the Alps, and prepared to invade Italy. The conduct of this war was assigned to Aemilius, while his colleague Regulus was sent againt Sardinia, which had lately revolted. Aemilius stationed himself near Ariminum, on the road leading into Italy by Umbria, and another Roman army was posted in Etruria, under the command of a praetor. The Gauls skilfully marched between the two armies into the heart of Etruria, which they ravaged in every direction. They defeated the Roman praetor when he overtook them, and would have entirely destroyed his army, but for the timely arrival of Aemilius. The Gauls slowly retreated before the consul towards their own country; but, in the course of their march along the coast into Liguria, they fell in with the army of the other consul, who had just landed at Pisa, having been lately recalled from Sardinia. Thus plaicld between two consular armies, they were obliged to fight, and though they had every disadvantage on their side, the battle was long contested. One of the consuls, Regulus, fell in the engagement; but the Gauls were at length totally defeated with great slaughter. Forty thousand of the enemy are said to have perished and ten thousand to have been taken prisoners, among whom was one of their kings, Concolitanns. Aemilius followed up his victory by marching through Liguria and invading the country of the Boii, which he laid waste in every direction. After remaining there a few days he returned to Rome and triumphed. (Polyb. ii. 23-31; Oros. 4.13; Eutrop. 3.5; Zonar. 8.20; Flor. 2.4; Appian, Celt. 2.)

Aemilius Papus was censor B. C. 220, with C. Flaminius, two years before the breaking out of the second Punic War. In the census of that year there were 270,213 citizens. (Liv. Epit. 20, 23.22.) In B. C. 216 Papus was one of the triumviri, who were appointed in that year on account of the dearth of money. (Liv. 23.23).

4. M. Aemilius Papus, maximus curio, died B. C. 210. (Liv. 27.6.)

5. L. Aemilius Papus, praetor B. C. 205, obtained Sicily as his province. It was under this Aemilius Papus that C. Octavius, the great-grand-father of the emperor Augustus, served in Sicily. (Liv. 28.38; Suet. Auq. 2.) [Octavius, No. 12.] The L. Aemilius Papus, decemvir sacrorum, who died in B. C. 171, is probably the same person as the preceding. (Liv. 42.28.)