Gaius Claudius Marcellus Maior - Family and Political Career

Family and Political Career

The Claudii Marcelli were a plebeian family, members of the nobiles with a long history of consulships throughout the history of the Republic. Following a century without the family reaching the consulship, three Claudii Marcelli were Consuls in succession: in 51 BCE Marcus Claudius Marcellus (the brother of Gaius Marcellus); in 50 BCE Gaius Claudius Marcellus Minor (their cousin); and in 49 BCE Gaius Marcellus himself.

Gaius Marcellus was born sometime before 91 BCE. His father was M. Claudius Marcellus, curule aedile of 91; his great-grandfather was M. Claudius Marcellus who was three times consul, and whose own grandfather – also a M. Claudius Marcellus – was five times consul and fought against Hannibal in Italy.

Nothing is known of his earlier life, any military service, or his quaestorship and entry to the Senate, although he may have been the candidate in opposition to Clodius for the curule aedileship of 56 BCE of whom, on 23 November, Cicero wrote “The candidate Marcellus is snoring so loud that I can hear him next door” (although the other two contemporary Claudii Marcelli are also possibles).

Marcellus must have held the praetorship at the latest in 52 BCE, but he could have held the office some years before – there is no mention of this in the historical record.

In 50 BCE Marcellus was elected consul for the following year alongside Lentulus Crus, as opponents to Caesar. Both his brother Marcus and cousin Gaius (Minor) had strongly opposed Caesar during their own consulships, working to have his proconsulship of Gaul terminated and to prevent Caesar from standing for election as consul of 48 BCE in absentia . Caesar had blocked Marcus by working with the tribunes and the other consul, Servius Sulpicius Rufus, and then Gaius (Minor) by heavily bribing his consular colleague, Lucius Aemilius Lepidus Paullus, but had not yet been able to secure election to a second consulship without having to stand as a candidate in Rome and without relinquishing his proconsular command (which would expose him to prosecution for illegalities in his first consulship). The election of Marcellus and Lentulus as consuls for 49 was within the normal framework of family connections and influences, but also a snub to Caesar through his own candidate, Servius Sulpicius Galba. Gaius Marcellus and Lentulus Crus continued the policy of the Claudii Marcelli in their opposition to Caesar.