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Lucius Cornelius Merula (died 87 BC) was a politician and priest of the late Roman Republic. He held the office of ''Flamen Dialis'' (high priest of Jupiter), and wore the ''flamens cap at all times, unlike the other ''flamines'' who only wore it while performing sacrifices. In 87 BC, during the civil war between Marius and Sulla, he was appointed consul by the Senate in place of Marius's ally Cinna, who had been driven from the city. He negotiated the return of Cinna and Marius from banishment, and abdicated his consulship. However, false charges were made against him during Marius's purges of his political enemies, and he committed suicide, opening his veins in the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus and imploring the gods to avenge him on Cinna and his allies. He had first taken care to remove his ''flamens cap, for it was considered a sin for a ''flamen'' to wear it at his death. The position of ''Flamen Dialis'' was now vacant. Marius's seventeen-year-old nephew Julius Caesar was nominated to fill it in 86 BC by Marius and Cinna.〔Suet. ''Div. Iul.''1.1 ''if'' that Julius was born in 102 - not 100 BC (so that he was of legal age 43 when he became consul in 59). See Gaius Stern, "Julius Caesar’s Term as ''Flamen Dialis''" CACW 2010.〕 Scholars disagree but this nomination was annulled by Sulla subsequently.〔Suet. ''Div. Iul.''1.2 makes clear that Sulla deprived Julius of the priesthood, so he must have held it. See Gaius Stern, ''op. cit''.〕 The position was not filled again until under Augustus, between 16 and 10 BC, dated by Dio to 11 BC, but Tacitus to 15 BC.〔Tac. ''Ann''3.58. Note that many translators wrongly edit Tacitus to match Dio instead of editing Dio to match Tacitus (the more reliable historian), again see Stern ''op. cit''.〕 ==References== 〔 *Appian, ''Civil Wars'' (1.65 ), (70 ), (75 ) *Velleius Paterculus, ''Roman History'' (2.20 ), (22 ) *Florus, ''Epitome of Roman History'' 2.9 *Suetonius, ''Julius'' (1 ) *Cassius Dio, ''Roman History'' (54.35 ) 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Lucius Cornelius Merula (consul 87 BC)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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