Who was Gnaeus Octavius and what family did he belong to?
Gnaeus Octavius entered the Roman political arena as a member of the Plebeian gens Octavia. His father held the consulship in 128 BC, establishing a family tradition of high office.
Questions about Gnaeus Octavius (consul 87 BC)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did Gnaeus Octavius serve as consul and what were his main duties during that year?
Gnaeus Octavius secured election for the upcoming consulship of 87 BC. He faced pressure regarding the First Mithridatic War while standing alongside his colleague Lucius Cornelius Cinna to swear an oath upholding changes made by Sulla.
Why did Gnaeus Octavius oppose Lucius Cornelius Cinna and Marius in 87 BC?
Octavius spoke eloquently and energetically against proposals to enroll new citizens across all Roman tribes and recall Marius from exile. These political differences caused immediate quarrels between the two consuls in 87 BC.
How did Gnaeus Octavius die and who killed him on the Janiculum hill?
Gaius Marcius Censorinus stormed the Janiculum with a small cavalry force and captured Octavius who refused to escape when faced with this assault. Censorinus beheaded Octavius and took his head to Cinna before nailing it to the Rostra for public display.
What historical sources document the life and death of Gnaeus Octavius?
Plutarch discusses him in his lives of Marius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla. References from Michael Lovano, Arthur Keaveney, T. Robert S. Broughton, and William Smith document these events.