Lucius Gellius Publicola (consul 72 BC)

Lucius Gellius Publicola (c. 132 BC – c. 54 BC) was a Roman politician and general who was one of two Consuls of the Republic in 72 BC along with Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Clodianus. A supporter of Pompey, he is noted for being one of the consular generals who led Roman legions against the slave armies of Spartacus in the Third Servile War.

The first member of the Gellii to achieve the consulate, at an early age Publicola was attached to Gaius Papirius Carbo as his contubernalis. He began his climb up the cursus honorum with his election as quaestor around 102 BC followed by aedile around 96 BC. This was followed by his election as Praetor Peregrinus in 92 BC, after which he was posted as propraetor to the province of Asia in the following year.

In 89 BC, Publicola was a senior legate under Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, beginning a long association with that family that would continue with Strabo’s son, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus So much so that when he achieved the consulate in 72 BC, he was noted as a Pompeian consul and pushed through a bill to validate grants of citizenship by Pompey in Hispania. He and his colleague also ensured that no Roman citizen in the provinces could be tried in absentia on a capital charge – an attempt to restrict the ravages of Gaius Verres in Sicily.

However, the major event of his consulship was the revolt of Spartacus and the eruption of the Third Servile War. Having won a number of victories against ill-prepared Roman forces, the Senate now recognised Spartacus as a serious threat and sent both the consuls to confront the slave armies at the head of four legions. Initially successful, Publicola defeated Crixus and 30,000 rebel slaves at Mount Garganus near Apulia, then moved northwards behind Spartacus's forces which were moving north. With Clodianus barring Spartacus in the north, they hoped to catch the rebels between the two armies. Spartacus' slave army destroyed Clodianus' legions, and then turned and defeated the oncoming legions of Publicola. Gathering their shattered forces, both consuls gave chase but were once again defeated at a battle near Picenum.

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