196:, and the first man of note in his family. His father was reportedly a butcher who had "employed his son in the menial tasks associated with that profession." Despite this low birth, on his father's death he used the inheritance to embark on a public career, making his name by prosecuting those of higher status and progressing through the various magistracies of the
272:
where the inexperienced Varro, using his day in command, pressed
Paullus to attack while ordering a short battle line. Hannibal enveloped the Roman force and inflicted huge losses. Paullus was killed in the battle while Varro escaped to Venusia with around 4,500 surviving troops. On receiving word
264:
army in pitched battle. Varro and
Paullus, though, took the rare step of combining the two consular armies, which each would normally lead separately, into an 85,000-strong force to face Hannibal. As was customary in such situations, the two consuls took charge of the force on alternating days.
323:. After securing 120 hostages from the town, Varro informed the Roman senate that the unrest was still not quelled. He was sent back with a legion to garrison Arretium. He stayed in his command of Etruria for the year 207 BC, receiving a second legion from the Senate.
229:
to the dictatorship, apparently more because of the popular support of the plebeians that could be won by doing so than from any personal conviction. Not only was Varro successful in appointing
Minucius co-dictator, but he was also elected consul for the year 216 BC.
307:
He, along with all the other generals still serving around Italy, was prorogued again for the year 214 BC. He received one of the 18 legions enrolled that year to carry out his duties. He was prorogued again and kept the legion in
Picenum for the next year.
276:
Varro was recalled to a Rome overrun by a state of panic. On arrival, he was greeted by a crowd who thanked him for not "despairing of the state" and taking his own life, thereby visibly choosing to fight on. While there, he facilitated the appointment of
640:
Jerome S. Arkenberg. Licinii
Murenae, Terentii Varrones, and Varrones Murenae: I. A Prosopographical Study of Three Roman Families, Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte Bd. 42, H. 3 (3rd Qtr., 1993), pp. 326-351
358:, charged with increasing the local population by adding new colonists after the town's losses during the Second Punic War. It has been suggested he also served as a minter of coins down to the year 197 BC.
331:
Varro does not feature for the remainder of the Second Punic War, though later held two roles in the year 200 BC. He was part of a three-man diplomatic legation to North Africa, tasked with visiting
339:. The ambassadors were instructed to inform Carthage that, despite the conclusion of the war in 201 BC, the general Hamilcar was continuing operations in
273:
that larger Roman forces were at
Canusium, he marched the survivors to join them, creating a force of roughly equal size to a standard consular army.
728:
686:
418:
69:
383:
151:
690:
73:
678:
245:
713:
662:
300:
in his position for the year 215 BC, maintaining command of the force he had consolidated at Apulia, before being sent to
281:
as dictator to settle the immediate disaster. Varro then returned to the command of his troops, taking up positions at Apulia.
56:
708:
478:
343:
and that Romans who had deserted to
Carthage had not been repatriated. Furthermore, they took gifts and congratulations to
253:
669:
454:
457:
The
Classical Element in the German War Plan of 1914, The Classical Weekly, Vol. 18, No. 18 (Mar. 16, 1925), p143.
592:
429:
379:"Licinii Murenae, Terentii Varrones, and Varrones Murenae: I. A Prosopographical Study of Three Roman Families"
288:
as a second dictator, specifically for the purpose of promoting senators to replace those killed at Cannae.
225:
In 217 BC, having completed his praetorship, Varro was one of the few senators to support the elevation of
16:
This article is about the Roman general and consul of the Second Punic War. For the Roman polymath, see
723:
733:
658:
52:
718:
210:. When discussing the provenance of his cognomen, Servius suggests that this Varro served in the
595:, The Magistrates of the Roman Republic, American Philological Association (1952). vol. I. p256.
17:
226:
8:
285:
278:
211:
738:
474:
269:
249:
239:
175:
159:
133:
128:
468:
348:
198:
118:
170:
for the year 216 BC. While holding that office, he was decisively defeated by
702:
312:
192:
167:
155:
103:
40:
378:
319:, charged with subduing a potential rebellion in the Etrurian town of
417:
Maurus
Servius Honoratus, Commentary on the Aeneid of Virgil, 11.743.
344:
297:
332:
261:
219:
203:
171:
470:
Carnage and
Culture: Landmark Battles in the Rise to Western Power
336:
316:
301:
215:
320:
207:
166:
son of a butcher, he was a populist politician who was elected
361:
Varro then disappears from history, either retiring or dying.
248:, assumed the consulship two years after the outbreak of the
214:. His first time in office for which details survive was the
187:
163:
436:, (American Philological Association, 1952). vol. I, p. 240.
354:
Varro also returned to Venusia, serving as one of the three
284:
Later in the year, he was again recalled to Rome to appoint
340:
311:
After leaving Picenum, Varro was next recorded as being a
347:, whose alliance with Rome had proved pivotal at the
218:of 218 BC, during which he was perhaps posted in
700:
315:, a citizen imbued with the authority of a
304:to levy new soldiers and guard the region.
384:Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte
158:politician and general active during the
729:Roman commanders of the Second Punic War
701:
466:
404:
402:
434:The Magistrates of the Roman Republic
473:. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.
467:Hanson, Victor Davis (2007-12-18).
399:
351:, on his becoming King of Numidia.
13:
14:
750:
254:Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus
206:and both the plebeian and curule
291:
260:(delayer) by refusing to engage
252:and the year after the dictator
634:
625:
616:
607:
598:
586:
577:
568:
559:
550:
541:
532:
523:
514:
505:
496:
487:
460:
448:
439:
423:
411:
390:
371:
181:
1:
714:3rd-century BC Roman praetors
364:
326:
233:
709:3rd-century BC Roman consuls
687:Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus
70:Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus
23:Roman general and politician
7:
356:triumviri coloniae ducendae
10:
755:
237:
15:
683:
667:
655:
650:
244:Varro and his colleague,
141:
124:
114:
109:
99:
94:
90:
79:
63:
46:
39:
35:
28:
691:Lucius Postumius Albinus
659:Gnaeus Servilius Geminus
387:, 42 (1993), pp. 326-351
186:Varro was a member of a
74:Lucius Postumius Albinus
53:Gnaeus Servilius Geminus
679:Lucius Aemilius Paullus
455:Oliver L. Spaulding Jr.
256:had earned the epithet
246:Lucius Aemilius Paullus
663:Marcus Atilius Regulus
268:The two armies met at
57:Marcus Atilius Regulus
18:Marcus Terentius Varro
377:Jerome S. Arkenberg,
227:Marcus Minucius Rufus
148:Gaius Terentius Varro
86:216 – 215 BC
30:Gaius Terentius Varro
286:Marcus Fabius Buteo
651:Political offices
279:Marcus Junius Pera
212:First Illyrian War
154:218-200 BC) was a
697:
696:
684:Succeeded by
480:978-0-307-42518-8
145:
144:
746:
724:Plebeian aediles
656:Preceded by
648:
647:
642:
638:
632:
629:
623:
622:Livy. 31.11.6-7.
620:
614:
611:
605:
602:
596:
593:T.R.S. Broughton
590:
584:
581:
575:
572:
566:
563:
557:
556:Livy. 23..32.19.
554:
548:
545:
539:
536:
530:
527:
521:
518:
512:
509:
503:
502:Polybius. 3.116.
500:
494:
491:
485:
484:
464:
458:
452:
446:
445:Polybius. 3.110.
443:
437:
430:T.R.S. Broughton
427:
421:
415:
409:
406:
397:
394:
388:
375:
250:Second Punic War
240:Battle of Cannae
176:Battle of Cannae
160:Second Punic War
153:
134:Battle of Cannae
129:Second Punic War
110:Military service
95:Personal details
84:
66:
49:
26:
25:
754:
753:
749:
748:
747:
745:
744:
743:
734:Roman quaestors
699:
698:
693:
689:
675:
673:
665:
661:
646:
645:
639:
635:
630:
626:
621:
617:
613:Livy. 27.36.12.
612:
608:
603:
599:
591:
587:
582:
578:
573:
569:
564:
560:
555:
551:
546:
542:
537:
533:
529:Livy. 22.61.14.
528:
524:
519:
515:
510:
506:
501:
497:
492:
488:
481:
465:
461:
453:
449:
444:
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428:
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400:
395:
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376:
372:
367:
329:
294:
242:
236:
184:
85:
80:
64:
47:
31:
24:
21:
12:
11:
5:
752:
742:
741:
736:
731:
726:
721:
719:Curule aediles
716:
711:
695:
694:
685:
682:
674:216 BC
666:
657:
653:
652:
644:
643:
633:
631:Livy. 31.49.6.
624:
615:
606:
604:Livy. 27.24.9.
597:
585:
576:
574:Livy. 24.10.3.
567:
558:
549:
547:Livy. 23.23.11
540:
538:Livy. 23.22.10
531:
522:
513:
511:Livy. 22.54.6.
504:
495:
486:
479:
459:
447:
438:
422:
410:
408:Livy. 22.26.1.
398:
396:Livy. 22.25.18
389:
369:
368:
366:
363:
349:Battle of Zama
328:
325:
293:
290:
238:Main article:
235:
232:
202:, holding the
199:cursus honorum
183:
180:
143:
142:
139:
138:
137:
136:
126:
122:
121:
119:Roman Republic
116:
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107:
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101:
97:
96:
92:
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88:
87:
77:
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67:
61:
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50:
44:
43:
37:
36:
33:
32:
29:
22:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
751:
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732:
730:
727:
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722:
720:
717:
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710:
707:
706:
704:
692:
688:
681:
680:
672:
671:
664:
660:
654:
649:
637:
628:
619:
610:
601:
594:
589:
583:Livy.24.44.5.
580:
571:
565:Livy. 24.10.3
562:
553:
544:
535:
526:
517:
508:
499:
493:Livy. 22.54.1
490:
482:
476:
472:
471:
463:
456:
451:
442:
435:
431:
426:
419:
414:
405:
403:
393:
386:
385:
380:
374:
370:
362:
359:
357:
352:
350:
346:
342:
338:
335:, and senior
334:
324:
322:
318:
314:
309:
305:
303:
299:
292:215 to 207 BC
289:
287:
282:
280:
274:
271:
266:
263:
259:
255:
251:
247:
241:
231:
228:
223:
221:
217:
213:
209:
205:
201:
200:
195:
194:
193:gens Terentia
189:
179:
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149:
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127:
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117:
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108:
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98:
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89:
83:
78:
75:
71:
68:
62:
58:
54:
51:
45:
42:
38:
34:
27:
19:
677:
670:Roman consul
668:
636:
627:
618:
609:
600:
588:
579:
570:
561:
552:
543:
534:
525:
520:Livy. 22.61.
516:
507:
498:
489:
469:
462:
450:
441:
433:
425:
413:
392:
382:
373:
360:
355:
353:
330:
310:
306:
295:
283:
275:
267:
257:
243:
224:
204:quaestorship
197:
191:
190:family, the
185:
147:
146:
125:Battles/wars
81:
65:Succeeded by
41:Roman Consul
216:praetorship
208:aedileships
182:Early years
100:Nationality
48:Preceded by
703:Categories
365:References
327:Later life
313:Propraetor
296:Varro was
262:Hannibal's
234:Consulship
115:Allegiance
345:Masinissa
337:Numidians
298:prorogued
258:cunctator
82:In office
59:(suffect)
739:Terentii
333:Carthage
321:Arretium
220:Sardinia
188:plebeian
172:Hannibal
164:plebeian
317:praetor
302:Picenum
174:at the
676:With:
477:
270:Cannae
168:consul
156:Roman
104:Roman
475:ISBN
341:Gaul
162:. A
72:and
55:and
152:fl.
705::
432:,
401:^
381:,
222:.
178:.
483:.
420:.
150:(
20:.
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