Licinius Macer
Template:Short description Template:Coin image box 1 double Gaius Licinius Macer (died 66Template:NbspBC) was a Roman annalist and politician.
Life
A member of the ancient plebeian clan Licinia, he was tribune in 73Template:NbspBC. Sallust mentions him agitating for the people's rights.<ref>Sallust, Histories, 3.34.</ref> He became praetor in 68Template:NbspBC, but in 66Template:NbspBC Cicero succeeded in convicting him of bribery and extortion, upon which Macer committed suicide.<ref>Valerius Maximus, 9.12.7.</ref>
Work
Macer wrote a history of Rome, in 16 books. The work is now lost, but from Livy and Dionysius who both used it, we know that it began with the founding of the city,<ref>For instance, Origo gentis romanae, Chapter 23.</ref> and that Pyrrhus appeared in Book II. Livy casts doubt on Macer's reliability, suggesting that he misrepresented events in order to glorify the Licinii,<ref>Livy, 7.9.5 Template:Webarchive</ref> but notes that he quotes original sources such as the Linen Rolls.<ref>Livy, 4.7.12 Template:Webarchive, 4.20.8, 4.23.2 .</ref> According to Macrobius, he credited Romulus with the introduction of intercalation to the Roman calendar.<ref>Macrobius, Saturnalia, Book I, Chapter 13, §20</ref>
See also
- Licinius Macer Calvus, his son and a noted poet.