Quintus Servilius Caepio
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
Quintus Servilius Caepio the Elder
Roman statesman and general, Consul in 106 BC, Proconsul of Cisalpine Gaul 105 BCE. Led one of the two forces against the Germanic tribes, the Teutones, the Cimbri, and Tigurni/Marcomanni/Cherusci in the Battle of Arausio in 105 BCE, along with then consul, Gnaeus Mallius Maximus.
While marching to to Arausio, Caepio plundered the temples of the town of Tolosa, finding over 50,000 15 lb. bars of gold and 10,000 15 lb. bars of silver. The riches of Tolosa were shipped back to Rome, but only the silver made it; the gold was stolen by a band of marauders, who were believed to have been hired by Caepio himself. The Gold of Tolosa was never found, and was said to have been passed all the way down to the last heir of the Servilius Caepiones, Marcus Junius Brutus.
At the Battle of Tolosa, Caepio refused to co-operate with his superior officer, consul Gnaeus Mallius Maximus, who was a New Man, not a member of the Roman Elite. Caepio refused to even camp with Maximus and his troops, when it appeared that Maximus was going to reach a treaty and take the glory for the battle, Caepio ordered his men to engage to Germans, and the battle that ensued saw the complete destruction of the Roman army.
Upon his return to Rome, Caepio was tried for "the loss of his Army" by Tribune of the Plebs, Gaius Norbanus. Caepio was convicted, and was given the harshest sentence allowable: he was stripped of his citizenship, forbidden fire and water within eight hundred miles of Rome, fined 15,000 talents (about 825,000 lbs) of gold, and forbidden from seeing or speaking to his friends or family until he had left for exile.
Caepio spent the rest of his life in exile in Smyrna in Asia Minor..
Quintus Servilius Caepio the Younger
Roman Statesman, fought for Rome during the Marsic Wars of the Italian Rebelion against Rome. Married to Livia Drusa, sister of Marcus Livius Drusus the Younger. Fathered three children with Livia, Servilia, who was the mistress of Julius Caesar, another daughter, also called Servilia, and a son Caepio. He divorced Livia after a political and personal dispute with her brother. Livia would marry Cato Salonianus and go on to sire Marcus Porcius Cato, Caesar's most adament opponent.
Caepio became an adamant opponent to Drusus and his laws attempting to give full citizenship to the Italians. Caepio, it was rumored, was even involved in the assassination of Drusus. Caepio was made a Legate in the Roman Army, he was captured and executed by the Italians after being tricked into leaving a secure position.
