Publius Sulpicius Rufus

Publius Sulpicius Rufus (/ˈruːfəs/; c. 121 BC – 88 BC) was an orator and of the Roman Republic, most famous as tribune of the plebs in 88 BC.

Sulpicius served as legate in 89 BC to Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo in the Social War. In 89 BC, he was elected as tribune for the following year. It is worth noting that the Sulpicii family were of patrician status: since patricians were legally barred from standing as Tribune of the Plebs, Sulpicius must have therefore carried out a formal transfer to the plebeians at some point before 89 BC (as Publius Clodius Pulcher was to do in 59 BC).

Soon afterwards Sulpicius declared in favour of Gaius Marius and the populares, a move considered to be a surprising volte face by contemporaries: Cicero, for instance, remarks that 'the popular breeze carried Sulpicius, who had set out from an excellent position, further than he wished' He was deeply in debt, and it seems that Marius had promised him financial assistance in the event of his being appointed to the command in the Mithridatic Wars, which had already been appointed to Sulla. To secure the appointment for Marius, Sulpicius brought in a franchise bill by which the newly enfranchised Italian allies and freedmen would have swamped the old electors. The majority of the senate were strongly opposed to the proposals; a justitium (cessation of public business) was proclaimed by the consuls, but Marius and Sulpicius fomented a riot, and the consuls, in fear of their lives, withdrew the justitium. The proposals of Sulpicius became law, and, with the assistance of the new voters, the command was bestowed upon Marius, at the time a privatus holding no elected office.

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