Thursday, April 6, 2023

Commodus Executed Quintilii Brothers and Confiscated Villa dei Quintili


Summary: In 182, Roman Emperor Commodus executed the Quintilii brothers and confiscated Villa dei Quintili, their vast Roman estate along Via Appia Antica.


"Restoration of the Villa of the Quintilii, on the Appian Way, by Canina," M.M. Ripley and W.J. Clarke, History of Rome, vol VI (1883), opposite page 454 (translation of "Restauration de la villa des Quintilii sur la via Appia, d'après Canina," V. Duruy, Histoire des Romains, Tome VI, page 17): Internet Archive Book Images, Public Domain, via Flickr

In 182 CE, Roman Emperor Commodus executed the Quintilii brothers and confiscated Villa dei Quintili, their massive Roman residential complex located near Via Appia Antica's fifth milestone and recognized as findspots of a bust of one of the brothers and a marble head of Cleopatra.
The Villa of the Quintilii (Italian: Villa dei Quintili) was constructed for the Quintilii brothers, Sextus Quintilius Condianus and Sextus Quintilius Valerius Maximus, in the first half of the second century CE, according to conservation scientist Giusj Valentina Fichera and seven co-authors in "Limestone Provenance in Roman Lime-Volcanic Ash Mortars From the Villa dei Quintili, Rome," published in the February 2015 issue of Geoarchaeology. Construction took place during the reigns of Roman emperors Trajan and Hadrian (page 81). Trajan (Caesar Nerva Traianus; born Sep. 18, 53 CE) reigned from Jan. 27, 98 CE until his death, Aug. 8, 117 CE. Trajan's successor, Hadrian (Caesar Traianus Hadrianus; born Jan. 24, 76 CE), reigned until his death July 10, 138 CE.
The Quintilii brothers pursued governmental careers during the reigns of Antoninus Pius (Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Pius; Sep. 19, 86-March 7, 161 CE) and Marcus Aurelius (Marcus Aurelius Antoninus; April 26, 121-March 17, 180 CE). Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius are respected as the second through fifth, respectively, of the "Five Good Emperors" in the Roman Empire's seven-member Nerva-Antonine dynasty (Sep. 18, 96-Dec. 31, 192 CE).
Condianus and Maximus impressed with their rapport and accomplishments. Their career included consulships in 151 CE and the governorship of western Greece's Achaea region in the northwestern Peloponnese peninsula from 170 to 175 CE.
"They had offered the most striking example ever seen of mutual affection; and at no time had they ever been separated, even in the offices they held. They had grown prosperous and exceedingly wealthy, and were wont to hold office together and to act as assistants to each other," observed Roman historian Lucius Cassius Dio (ca. 155-235 CE), known as Dio Cassius, in Roman History (Ῥωμαϊκη Ἱστορία, Historia Romana), his historical compendium of ancient Rome, written in Greek (Dio's Roman History, Vol. IX, (Book LXXIII.5, page 81).
Unfortunately, Commodus (Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus; Aug. 31, 161-Dec. 31, 192 CE), who succeeded his father, Marcus Aurelius, disfavored many, including the Quintilii brothers. "Commodus was guilty of many unseemly deeds, and killed a great many people. Many plots were formed by various people against Commodus, and he killed a great many, both men and women . . . ," reported Dio Cassius (Book LXXIII.4, page 77).
Annia Aurelia Galeria Lucilla "Lucilla" (March 7, 148 or 150-182 CE), Marcus Aurelius's second daughter, numbered among her brother's opponents. In 182 CE, she unsuccessfully strategized her brother's overthrow. As punishment, she was ". . . banished to the island of Capreae" [Capri, Sorrento Peninsula, southwestern Italy], where she subsequently was executed, according to Dio Cassius (Book LXXIII.4, page 79).
The Quintilli brothers numbered among the emperor's "many" executionees. "Commodus likewise killed the two Quintilii, Condianus and Maximus; for they had a great reputation for learning, military skill, brotherly accord, and wealth, and their notable talents led to the suspicion that, even if they were not planning any rebellion, they were nevertheless displeased with existing conditions. And thus, even as they had lived together, so they died together, along with the son of one of them. . . ." (Book LXXIII.5, page 81).
Sextus Quintilius Valerius Maximus's son allegedly escaped execution by faking his death and fleeing. Reports of his survival led to executions of lookalikes.
According to Dio Cassius's narration: "Sextus Condianus, the son of Maximus, who surpassed all others by reason both of his native ability and his training, when he heard that sentence of death had been pronounced against him, too, drank the blood of a hare (he was living in Syria at the time), after which he mounted a horse and purposely fell from it; then, as he vomited the blood, which was supposed to be his own, he was taken up, apparently on the point of death, and was carried to his room. He himself now disappeared, while a ram's body was placed in a coffin in his stead and burned. After this, constantly changing his appearance and clothing, he wandered about here and there. And when this story got out (for it is impossible that such matters should remain hidden very long), diligent search was made for him high and low. Many were punished in his stead on account of their resemblance to him, and many, too, who were alleged to have shared his confidence or to have sheltered him somewhere; and still more persons who had perhaps never even seen him were deprived of their property. But no one knows whether he was really slain, -- though a great number of heads purporting to be his were brought to Rome, -- or whether he made good his escape" (Book LXXIII.6, page 81).
He, or a lookalike, made an unsuccessful attempt to reclaim his father and uncle's estate after Commodus's assassination in 192 CE. The applicant's ignorance of Greek, contradictory to his father's assignments in Greece, induced Publius Helvius Pertinax (Aug. 1, 126-March 28, 193 CE), Commodus's successor, to reject the claim.
Dio Cassius wrote: "Some other man, however, after the death of Commodus boldly claimed to be Sextus and undertook to recover his wealth and rank. And he played the part bravely, though questioned much by many persons; yet when Pertinax asked him something about Grecian affairs, with which the real Sextus had been well acquainted, he showed the greatest embarrassment, being unable even to understand the question. Thus, though nature had made him like Condianus in appearance and practice had made him similar in other respects, yet he did not share in his learning" (Book LXXIII.6, pages 81-82).
The Villa of the Quintilii is acknowledged as the provenience of a marble head of Cleopatra that the Vatican Museum acquired during excavations conducted in 1783 to 1784 by papal inspector Venceslao Pezolli. German archaeologist Ludwig Curtius (Dec. 13, 1874-April 10, 1954) recognized the marble find as a portrayal of Ptolemaic Queen Cleopatra VII Philopator (69-Aug. 10 or 12, 30 BCE) in 1933 (Römische Mitteilungen, band 48: 182-192).
The Villa of the Quintilii also is pinpointed as the findspot for a bust of Sextus Quintilius Maximus, one of the property's executed co-owners. French archaeologist and art historian Henry d'Escamps (Nov. 27, 1815-Oct. 22, 1891) included the bust in his profiles of 108 Greek and Roman sculptures owned by Italian art collector Gianpietro Campana (June 6, 1808 or 1809-Oct. 10, 1880). D'Escamps noted the find's uniqueness as the only known bust of Maximus and suggested its preservation as due to burial by a faithful servant (Description des Marbres Antiques du Musée Campana à Rome, 1855, page 101).

only known bust of Sextus Quintilius Maximus, unearthed during excavation of ruins of the villa of the Quintilii illustration by French illustrator and wood engraver Paul Sellier (Aug. 4, 1842-19??); Ripley and Clarke, History of Rome, page 453: Not in copyright, via Internet Archive

Acknowledgment
My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Dedication
This post is dedicated to the memory of our beloved blue-eyed brother, Charles, who guided the creation of the Met Opera and Astronomy posts on Earth and Space News. We memorialized our brother in "Our Beloved Blue-Eyed Brother, Charles, With Whom We Are Well Pleased," published on Earth and Space News on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, an anniversary of our beloved father's death.

Image credits:
"Restoration of the Villa of the Quintilii, on the Appian Way, by Canina," M.M. Ripley and W.J. Clarke, History of Rome, vol VI (1883), opposite page 454 (translation of "Restauration de la villa des Quintilii sur la via Appia, d'après Canina," V. Duruy, Histoire des Romains, Tome VI, page 17): Internet Archive Book Images, Public Domain, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/internetarchivebookimages/14593716209; Not in copyright, via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/historyofromeofr06duru/page/454/mode/2up; Restricted Use, via BnF Gallica @ https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5945t/f21.item.texteImage
only known bust of Sextus Quintilius Maximus, unearthed during excavation of ruins of the villa of the Quintilii illustration by French illustrator and wood engraver Paul Sellier (Aug. 4, 1842-19??); Ripley and Clarke, History of Rome, page 453: Not in copyright, via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/historyofromeofr06duru/page/453/mode/1up; Internet Archive Book Images, Public Domain, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/internetarchivebookimages/14593659960/; Restricted Use, via BnF (Bibliothèque nationale de France) Gallica @ https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5945t/f20.item.texteImage

For further information:
Alföldy, Géza. Konsulat und Senatorenstand unter der Antoninen. Bonn: Rudolf Habelt Verlag, 1977), pp. 260-262.
Benucci, Michele; and Susanna Sarti. "The Campana Museum of Ancient Marbles in Nineteenth-Century Photographs." Journal of the History of Collections, vol. 24, no. 1 (March 2011): 15-24.
Available @ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275151091_The_Campana_Museum_of_ancient_marbles_in_nineteenth-century_photographs
Binns, Michael. "Roman Personal Names." Pompeii in Pictures > Roman Naming, Classes and Careers > Personal Names.
Available @ http://pompeiiinpictures.com/pompeiiinpictures/r0/roman%20personal%20names.htm
BnF Data. "Henri Descamps (1815-1891). Pays: France. Langue: Français. Sexe: Masculin. Naissance: Pointe-à-Pître, 27-11-1815. Mort: Paris, 23-10-1891. Note: Archéologue, historien d'art. -- Inspecteur des beaux-arts. -- Ecrivit sous le pseudonyme de 'Macé Descartes' une histoire de l'île de Madagascar." BnF Data.
Available via BnF (Bibliothèque nationale de France) Data @ https://data.bnf.fr/en/14324877/henri_descamps/
BnF Data. "Paul Sellier (1842-19..?). Pays: France. Langue: Français. Sexe: Masculin. Naissance: 04-08-1842. Mort: 19.. Note: Dessinateur, ayant travaillé pour 'Le Magasin pittoresque', 'Le Tour du monde'. -- Graveur sur bois." BnF Data.
Available via BnF (Bibliothèque nationale de France) Data @ https://data.bnf.fr/fr/12172946/paul_sellier/
Broughton, T. (Thomas) Robert S. (Shannon). The Magistrates of the Roman Republic. Vol. I: 509 B.C.-100 B.C. Phillip H. De Lacy, ed., Philological Monographs, no. XV, vol. I. New York: The American Philological Association, 1951.
Available via HathiTrust @ https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015009351001&view=1up&seq=9
Broughton, T. (Thomas) Robert S. (Shannon). The Magistrates of the Roman Republic. Vol. II: 99 B.C.-31 B.C. Phillip H. De Lacy, ed., Philological Monographs, no. XV, vol. II. New York: The American Philological Association, 1952.
Available via Purdue University @ https://web.ics.purdue.edu/~rauhn/Hist_416/Hist419/T.%20Robert%20S.%20Broughton%20-%20The%20Magistrates%20of%20the%20Roman%20Republic%2099%20B.C.-31%20B.C.%20Vol.%202.%20(Philological%20Monographs)%20(1952,%20American%20Philological%20Association).pdf
Broughton, T. (Thomas) Robert S. (Shannon). Supplement to The Magistrates of the Roman Republic. Phillip H. De Lacy, ed., Philological Monographs, no. XV, vol. I. New York: The American Philological Association, 1960.
Available via HathiTrust @ https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015009342562&view=1up&seq=5&skin=2021
Campana, Giampietro (1858). Cataloghi del Museo Campana: Catalogo Della Classe 1-12. Rome: Johann Daniel Preißler, 1858.
Available via Bayerische Staatsbibliothek MDZ (Münchener Digitalisierungszentrum [Munich Digitization Center]) @ https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/en/view/bsb10221181?page=,1
Canina, L. (Luigi), Commendatore. "Tav. XXXII-Tav. XXXIV." La Prima Parte Della Via Appia Dalla Porta Capena a Boville: Descritta e Dimostrata con i Monumenti Superstiti. Volume II Monumenti. Roma: Nello Stabil. Tipogr. di G. A. Bertinelli, 1853.
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/gri_33125010290381/page/n161/mode/1up
Canina, L. (Luigi), Commendatore. "Tav. XXXII. Planta Della Villa Dei Quintili Situata Lungo La Via Appia Da Vicino Alla Colonna Del Quinto Miglio." La Prima Parte Della Via Appia Dalla Porta Capena a Boville: Descritta e Dimostrata con i Monumenti Superstiti. Volume II Monumenti. Roma: Nello Stabil. Tipogr. di G. A. Bertinelli, 1853.
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/gri_33125010290381/page/n161/mode/2up
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/gri_33125010290381/page/n162/mode/2up
Canina, L. (Luigi), Commendatore. "Tav. XXXIII. Veduta Delle Reliquie Della Parte Anteriore Della Villa Dei Quintilii. Peristilio Della Villa Dei Quintilii. Esposizione Dell'Intera Architettura Della Parte Anteriore Della Villa Dei Quintilii Ove Stava Il Templetto Di Ercole Il Vestibolo Ed Il Ninfeo." La Prima Parte Della Via Appia Dalla Porta Capena a Boville: Descritta e Dimostrata con i Monumenti Superstiti. Volume II Monumenti. Roma: Nello Stabil. Tipogr. di G. A. Bertinelli, 1853.
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/gri_33125010290381/page/n165/mode/2up
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/gri_33125010290381/page/n166/mode/2up
Canina, L. (Luigi), Commendatore. "Tav. XXXIV. Veduta Delle Reliquie Principali Della Villa Dei Quintilii. Sepoloro -- Le Stesse Reliquie Vedute Di Lato. Esposizione Dell'Intera Architettura Del Grande Atrio Della Villa Dei Quintilii Esistente Al Quinto Miglio Della Via Appia." La Prima Parte Della Via Appia Dalla Porta Capena a Boville: Descritta e Dimostrata con i Monumenti Superstiti. Volume II Monumenti. Roma: Nello Stabil. Tipogr. di G. A. Bertinelli, 1853.
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/gri_33125010290381/page/n169/mode/2up
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/gri_33125010290381/page/n169/mode/2up
Canina, L. (Luigi), Commendatore. "Tavola XXXII. La pianta generale della villa dei Quintilii . . . . Tavola XXXIV." Pages 21-23. La Prima Parte Della Via Appia Dalla Porta Capena a Boville: Descritta e Dimostrata con i Monumenti Superstiti. Volume II Monumenti. Roma: Nello Stabil. Tipogr. di G. A. Bertinelli, 1853.
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/gri_33125010290381/page/n24/mode/2up
Canina, L. (Luigi), Commendatore. "Villa dei Quintilii." Pages 133-139. La Prima Parte Della Via Appia Dalla Porta Capena a Boville: Descritta e Dimostrata con i Monumenti Superstiti. Volume I Descrizione. Sesta Parte: Tra il Quinto ed il Sesto Miglio: 123-144. Roma: Nello Stabil. Tipogr. di G. A. Bertinelli, 1853.
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/laprimapartedell01cani/page/133/mode/2up
Curtius, Ludwig. "Ikonographische Beiträge zum Porträt der Römischen Republik und der Julisch-Claudischen Familie: IV Kleopatra VII. Philopator." Römische Mitteilungen, band 48 (1933): 182-192.
d'Escamps, Henry. "Sextus Quintilius Maximus. Buste en Marbre. Trouvé sur les Bords de la Voie Appienne. Ce buste est celui d'un personnage fort célèbre à Rome sous Commode, Sextus Quintilius Maximus, lequel avait acquis une grande réputation par sa science politique, son savoir dans l'art militaire et ses immenses richesses, qu'il employait noblement en encourageant les arts. Il avait un frère qui partageait ses talents et ses goûts et qui vécut auprès de lui, sans jamais s'en séparer, pendant une longue carrière de dignités et d'honneurs.
"C'est à Sextus Quintilius Maximus qu'appartenait la villa située sur la voie Appienne et que l'on nomme aujourd'hui Rome vieille ( Roma vecchia ). Le buste si précieux du musée Campana a été trouvé dans les fouilles faites en cet endroit. C'est le seul qu'on connaisse jusqu'ici.
"Après l'inique exécution de Quintilius et de son frère, ordonnée par Commode, leurs biens furent confisqués et passèrent dans le domaine. Il est à présumer que quelque serviteur fidèle parvint à y enfouir l'image de son ancien maître, qu'on a pu ainsi exhumer après tant de siècles.
"En dehors de l'intérêt iconographique, ce marbre a un véritable mérite d'exécution." Page 101. Description des Marbres Antiques du Musée Campana à Rome: Sculpture Grecque et Romaine. Paris: Typographie de Henri Plon. Imprimeur de l'Empereur, 1856.
Available via BnF (Bibliothèque nationale de France) Gallica @ https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k42464812/f281.item
d'Escamps, Henry. "Sextus Quintilius Maximus. Buste en Marbre. Trouvé sur les Bords de la Voie Appienne. Ce buste est celui d'un personnage fort célèbre à Rome sous Commode, Sextus Quintilius Maximus, lequel avait acquis une grande réputation par sa science politique, son savoir dans l'art militaire et ses immenses richesses, qu'il employait noblement en encourageant les arts. Il avait un frère qui partageait ses talents et ses goûts et qui vécut auprès de lui, sans jamais s'en séparer, pendant une longue carrière de dignités et d'honneurs.
"C'est à Sextus Quintilius Maximus qu'appartenait la villa située sur la voie Appienne et que l'on nomme aujourd'hui Rome vieille (Roma vecchia). Le buste si précieux du musée Campana a été trouvé dans les fouilles faites en cet endroit. C'est le seul qu'on connaisse jusqu'ici.
"Après l'inique exécution de Quintilius et de son frère, ordonnée par Commode, leurs biens furent confisqués et passèrent dans le domaine. Il est à présumer que quelque serviteur fidèle parvint à y enfouir l'image de son ancien maître, qu'on a pu ainsi exhumer après tant de siècles.
"En dehors de l'intérêt iconographique, ce marbre a un véritable mérite d'exécution." Page 101. Description des Marbres Antiques du Musée Campana à Rome: Sculpture Grecque et Romaine. Paris: Imprimerie de W. Remquet, Goupy et Cie, 1862.
Available via BnF (Bibliothèque nationale de France) Gallica @ https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b84324494/f484.item.texteImage
Available via Google Books Read Free of Charge @ https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/dJ1xOZT_I_gC?hl=en&gbpv=1
de Font-Réaulx, Dominique. "Genèse d'un livre d'art: La Description des marbres antiques du musée Campana à Rome (1855-1862)." Revue de la BNF, no. 44 (2013/2): 5-17.
Available @ https://www.cairn.info/revue-de-la-bibliotheque-nationale-de-france-2013-2-page-5.htm
Dillon, Matthew; and Lynda Garland. "2.4 Frontinus On Aqueducts 1.5: Rome's water supply . . . . In the consulship of Marcus Valerius Maximus and Publius Decius Mus (312 BC), the thirtieth year after the start of the Samnite War, the Appian aqueduct was brought into the city by Appius Claudius Crassus, the censor, who was later given the surname Caecus ('the blind'); he was also responsible for the construction of the Appian Way from the Capena gate up to the city of Capua." Ancient Rome: Social and Historical Documents From the Early Republic to the Death of Augustus, "2 The Public Face of Rome; The Infrastructure of the City: 2.1-2.4." Routledge Sourcebooks for the Ancient World. Second edition. First published 2005. New York: Routledge, 2015.
Available via Google Books @ https://www.google.com/books/edition/Ancient_Rome/pL0BCgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=roman+consuls+312+bce&pg=PT87&printsec=frontcover
Duruy, Victor. "Le sort des Quintilius frappa l'imagination des contemporains, quelque habitués et endurcis qu'ils fusent à ces scènes de meurtre: c'étaient deux frères, Troyens d'origine, renommés pour leurs richesses, leur savoir, leurs talents militaires, et qui ne c'étaient jamais séparés. Les princes, se plaisant à honorer cette amitié fraternelle, leur avaient fait courir ensemble la carrière des charges publiques: ils avaient été en même temps consuls, chefs di'armée et gouverneurs d'Achaïe, l'un servant de lieutenant à l'autre; ils signaient tous deux les dépêches, et Marc Aurèle sanctionnait cette illégalité touchante, en adressant à tous deux un rescrit qui se lit encore au Digeste. Commode les réunit aussi, mais dans la mort. On voit encore dans la campagne de Rome, les grandes ruines de leur palais qu'au moyen âge on appelait la Roma Vecchia. Dion raconte que, pour échapper, le fils de l'un d'eux, Condianus, avait répandu le bruit de sa mort. Simulant une chute de cheval, il s'était fair rapporter chez lui tout sanglant, et, tandis qu'un bélier brûlait à sa place sur le bûcher, il s'était enfui et caché. Plusieurs payèrent de la vie leur ressemblance avec le jeune Quintilius. Après la mort de Commode, un faux Condianus réclama le riche héritage. Il était fort au courant de l'histoire de sa prétendue famille et répondit pertinemment à toutes les questions. Mais Pertnax, vieux professeur de grammaire, s'étant avisé de lui parler grec, il se troubla, et l'on décida qu'un homme qui fasait des fautes dans la langue d'Homère ne pouvait être un Quintilius." Pages 15-20. Histoire des Romains Depuis les Temps les Plus Reculés Jusqu'à l'Invasion des Barbares. Tome VI: De l'Avènement de Commode à la Mort de Dioclétien. Graz, Austria: Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt, 1970.
Available via BnF (Bibliothèque nationale de France) Gallica @ https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5945t/f19.item.texteImage
Duruy, Victor. "Seul buste connu d'une des victimes de la tyrannie de Commode. Il a été trouvé dans les ruines de la villa des Quintilii sur la voie Appienne. Cf. Henry d'Escamps, Descript. des marbres du musée Campana, etc., no. 101. Paris, 1855." Pages 16. Histoire des Romains Depuis les Temps les Plus Reculés Jusqu'à l'Invasion des Barbares. Tome VI: De l'Avénement de Commode à la Mort de Dioclétien. Graz, Austria: Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt, 1970.
Available via BnF (Bibliothèque nationale de France) Gallica @ https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5945t/f20.item.texteImage
Fichera, Giusj Valentina; Cristina Maria Belfiore; Mauro Francesco La Russa; Silvestro Antonio Ruffolo; Donatella Barca; Riccardo Frontoni; Giuliana Galli; and Antonino Pezzino. "Limestone Provenance in Roman Lime-Volcanic Ash Mortars From the Villa dei Quintili, Rome." Geoarchaeology: An International Journal, vol. 30 (February 2015): 79-99.
Available via ResearchGate @ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272165601_Limestone_Provenance_in_Roman_Lime-Volcanic_Ash_Mortars_from_the_Villa_dei_Quintili_Rome#pf3
Lucius Cassius Dio. "By certain charms and magic rites Hadrian would be relieved for a time of his dropsy, but would soon be filled with water again. . . . The emperor lamented bitterly the plight to which his malady and his helplessness had brought him, in that he was not able to make away with himself, though he still had the power, even when so near death, to destroy anybody else. Finally he abandoned his careful regiment and by indulging in unsuitable foods and drinks met his death, shouting aloud the popular saying: 'Many physicians have slain a king.'" Book LXIX.22-23, pages 462-465. Dio's Roman History, vol. VIII. With an English Translation by Earnest Cary, Ph.D. On the Basis of the Version of Herbert Baldwin Forster, Ph.D. Loeb Classical Library LBL 175. London: William Heinemann Ltd; New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, MCMXXV [1925].
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/diosromanhistory08cassuoft/page/463/mode/1up
Lucius Cassius Dio. "Commodus likewise killed the two Quintilii, Condianus and Maximus; for they had a great reputation for learning, military skill, brotherly accord, and wealth, and their notable talents led to the suspicion that, even if they were not planning any rebellion, they were nevertheless displeased with existing conditions. And thus, even as they had lived together, so they died together, along with the son of one of them. They had offered the most striking example ever seen of mutual affection; and at no time had they ever been separated, even in the offices they held. They had grown prosperous and exceedingly wealthy, and were wont to hold office together and to act as assistants to each other. Sextus Condianus, the son of Maximus, who surpassed all others by reason both of his native ability and his training, when he heard that sentence of death had been pronounced against him, too, drank the blood of a hare (he was living in Syria at the time), after which he mounted a horse and purposely fell from it; then, as he vomited the blood, which was supposed to be his own, he was taken up, apparently on the point of death, and was carried to his room. He himself now disappeared, while a ram's body was placed in a coffin in his stead and burned. After this, constantly changing his appearance and clothing, he wandered about here and there. And when this story got out (for it is impossible that such matters should remain hidden very long), diligent search was made for him high and low. Many were punished in his stead on account of their resemblance to him, and many, too, who were alleged to have shared his confidence or to have sheltered him somewhere; and still more persons who had perhaps never even seen him were deprived of their property. But no one knows whether he was really slain, -- though a great number of heads purporting to be his were brought to Rome, -- or whether he made good his escape. Some other man, however, after the death of Commodus boldly claimed to be Sextus and undertook to recover his wealth and rank. And he played the part bravely, though questioned much by many persons; yet when Pertinax asked him something about Grecian affairs, with which the real Sextus had been well acquainted, he showed the greatest embarrassment, being unable even to understand the question. Thus, though nature had made him like Condianus in appearance and practice had made him similar in other respects, yet he did not share in his learning." Book LXXIII.5-6, pages 80-83. Dio's Roman History, vol. IX. With an English Translation by Earnest Cary, Ph.D. On the Basis of the Version of Herbert Baldwin Forster, Ph.D. Loeb Classical Library LBL 175. London: William Heinemann Ltd; New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, MCMXXV [1925].
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/diosromanhistory09cassuoft/page/81/mode/1up
Lucius Cassius Dio. "Trajan was preparing to make a fresh expedition into Mesopotamia, but, as his malady began to afflict him sorely, he set out, intending to sail to Italy, leaving Publius Aelius Hadrian with the army in Syria. . . . Trajan himself suspected that his sickness was due to poison that had been administered to him; but some state that it was because the blood, which descends every year into the lower parts of the body, was in his case checked in its flow. He had also suffered a stroke, so that a portion of his body was paralyzed, and he was dropsical all over. On coming to Selinus in Cilicia, which we also call Traianopolis, he suddenly expired, after reigning nineteen years, six months and fifteen days." Book LXVIII.33, pages 422-423. Dio's Roman History, vol. VIII. With an English Translation by Earnest Cary, Ph.D. On the Basis of the Version of Herbert Baldwin Forster, Ph.D. Loeb Classical Library LBL 175. London: William Heinemann Ltd; New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, MCMXXV [1925].
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/diosromanhistory08cassuoft/page/422/mode/1up
Lucius Cassius Dio. "When the Scythian situation once more demanded his attention, it caused him to give his son a wife, Crispina, sooner than he wished. For the Quintilii had been unable to end the war, although there were two of them and they possessed great shrewdness, courage and experience; and consequently the rulers themselves were forced to take the field. Marcus also asked the senate for money from the public treasury, not because such funds were not already at the emperor's disposal, but because he was wont to declare that all the funds, both these and others, belonged to the senate and to the people. . . ." Book LXXII.33, pages 56-57. Dio's Roman History, vol. IX. With an English Translation by Earnest Cary, Ph.D. On the Basis of the Version of Herbert Baldwin Forster, Ph.D. Loeb Classical Library LBL 175. First printed 1927. Reprinted 1955. London: William Heinemann Ltd; Cambridge MA: Harvard Universty Press, MCMLV [1955].
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/diosromanhistory09cassuoft/page/56/mode/2up
Macchioni, Phyllis. "LIFE: The Quintili Brothers." This Italian Life. Feb. 21, 2016.
Available @ http://thisitalianlife.blogspot.com/2016/02/life-quintili-brothers.html
Marriner, Derdriu. "Beware the Ides of March: The Assassination of Julius Caesar." Earth and Space News. Thursday, March 3, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/03/beware-ides-of-march-assassination-of.html
Marriner, Derdriu. "Beware the Ides of March Meal: Caesar or Brutus Salad, Cleopatra's Dulcis Coccora, Caesar Cocktail." Earth and Space News. Thursday, March 10, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/03/beware-ides-of-march-meal-caesar-or.html
Marriner, Derdriu. "Caesar Commissioned Gilt Statue of Cleopatra for Venus Genetrix Temple." Earth and Space News. Thursday, Sep. 22, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/09/caesar-commissioned-gilt-statue-of.html
Marriner, Derdriu. "Caesar Salad Recipe: Named for Chef Cesare Cardini, Not Julius Caesar. Earth and Space News. Thursday, March 17, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/03/caesar-salad-recipe-named-for-chef.html
Marriner, Derdriu. "Caesarion Sought to Refuge in India But Was Lured Away To Be Murdered." Earth and Space News. Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/08/caesarion-sought-to-refuge-in-india-but.html
Marriner, Derdriu. "Cleopatra Had Planned Flight From Egypt But Nabateans Burned Her Ships." Earth and Space News. Thursday, Sep. 1, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/09/cleopatra-had-planned-flight-from-egypt.html
Marriner, Derdriu. "Cleopatra or Caesarion Could Have Refuged in Five Ports in Western India." Earth and Space News. Thursday, Sep. 8, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/09/cleopatra-or-caesarion-could-have.html
Marriner, Derdriu. "Cleopatra Painting in Pompeii May Copy Statue in Venus Genetrix Temple." Earth and Space News. Thursday, Sep. 29, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/09/cleopatra-painting-in-pompeii-may-copy.html
Marriner, Derdriu. "Julius Caesar's Birth Quintilis 12/13 Became July in Julian Calendar." Earth and Space News. Thursday, July 21, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/07/julius-caesars-birth-quintilis-1213.html
Marriner, Derdriu. "Julius Caesar's Birth Quintilis 12/13 Became July in Julian Calendar." Earth and Space News. Thursday, July 21, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/07/julius-caesars-birth-quintilis-1213.html
Marriner, Derdriu. "Mother and Child Fresco in Pompeii May Depict Cleopatra With Caesarion." Earth and Space News. Thursday, Sep. 15, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/09/mother-and-child-fresco-in-pompeii-may.html
Marriner, Derdriu. "Quintilii Marble Head May Copy Cleopatra Statue in Temple of Venus." Earth and Space News. Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/10/quintilii-marble-head-may-copy.html
M.L. "Villa of Quintilii." Rome and Art. Jan. 28, 2021.
Available @ https://www.romeandart.eu/en/art-villa-quintilii.html
Paris, Rita, ed. Via Appia: The Villa of the Quintili. Milano: Electa; Roma: Ministero per i Beni e le Attività culturali, Soprintendenza Archeologica di Roma, 2000.
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/viaappiavillaofq0000unse/
Ripley, M.M.; and W.J. Clarke, trans.; Rev. J.P. Mahaffy, ed. "The fate of the Quintilii struck the imagination of contemporaries, habituated and hardened as they were to scenes of murder: they were two brothers of Trojan origin, famous for their wealth, learning, and military talents, and they were inseparable. The preceding Emperors, taking pleasure in honoring this fraternal friendship, had caused them to pass through the career of public duties together. They had been consuls, heads of armies, and governors of Achaia, one serving as lieutenant to the other; they both signed despatches, and Marcus Aurelius sanctioned this affectionate illegality, addressing to the two a rescript which may still be read in the Digest. Commodus also united them, but in death. There still exist on the Appian Way the great ruins of their palace, called in the Middle Ages Roma Vecchia. Dion relates that, to save his life, the son of one of them, Condianus, had caused it to be reported that he was dead. Feigning to fall from his his horse, he had himself brought home covered with blood, and while a ram was burned in his stead on the funeral pile, he made his escape and concealed himself. Many paid with their lives for their resemblance to the young Quintilius. After the death of Commodus a pretended Condianus claimed the rich inheritance. He was extremely well informed in the history of the Quintilii, and answered all questions pertinently. But Pertinax, formerly a teacher of grammar, confused the claimant by addressing him in Greek; whereupon it was decided that a man not versed in the language of Homer could not be a Quintilius." Page 455. History of Rome, and of the Roman People, From Its Origin to the Invasion of the Barbarians by Victor Duruy. Vo. VI. Boston: C.F. Jewett Publishing Company, 1883.
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/historyofromeofr06duru/page/455/mode/1up
Ripley, M.M.; and W.J. Clarke, trans.; Rev. J.P. Mahaffy, ed. "The only bust known of any of the victims of Commodus. It was found in the ruins of the village of the Quintilii, on the Appian Way. Cf. Henry d'Escamps, Descript. des marbres du Musée Campana, etc., No. 101. Paris, 1855." Page 453. History of Rome, and of the Roman People, From Its Origin to the Invasion of the Barbarians by Victor Duruy. Vo. VI. Boston: C.F. Jewett Publishing Company, 1883.
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/historyofromeofr06duru/page/452/mode/2up
Sarti, Susanna. Giovanni Pietro Campana (1808-1880): The Man and His Collection. Studies in the History of Collections series, vol. II. Oxford: Archaeopress, 2001.


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