PUBLIUS

CORNELIUS

See also:

• LENTULUS

LENTULUS  , called SPINTHER from his likeness to an actor of that name, one of the chief adherents of the Pompeian party . In 63 n.c. he was curule aedile, assisted Cicero in the suppression of the Catilinarian conspiracy, and distinguished himself by the splendour of the games he provided . Praetor in 6o, he obtained the governorship of Hispania Citerior (59) through the support of Caesar, to whom he was also indebted for his election to the consulship (57) . Lentulus played a prominent part in the recall of Cicero from exile, and although a temporary coolness seems to have arisen between them, Cicero speaks of him in most grateful terms . From 56—53 Lentulus was governor of the province of Cilicia (with Cyprus) and during that time was commissioned by the senate to restore Ptolemy XI . Auletes to his kingdom (see PTOLEMIES) . The Sibylline books, however, declared that the king must not be restored by force of arms, at the risk of peril to Rome . As a provincial governor, Lentulus appears to have looked after the interests of his subjects, and did not enrich himself at their expense . In spite of his indebtedness to Caesar, Lentulus joined the Pompeians on the outbreak of civil war (49) . The generosity with which he was treated by Caesar after the capitulation of Corfinium made him hesitate, but he finally decided in favour of Pompey . After the battle of Pharsalus, Lentulus escaped to Rhodes, where he was at first refused admission, although he subsequently found an asylum there (Cicero, Ad Alt. xi . 13 .

1) . According to Aurelius

Victor (De vir. ill. lxxviii., 9, if the reading be correct), he subsequently fell into Caesar's hands and was put to death . Gee Caesar, Bell . Cie. i . 15-23, iii . 102; Plutarch, Pomp . 49; Valerius Maximus ix . 14, 4; many letters of Cicero, especially Ad Fu,n. i. i-9 .