Lucius Papirius Cursor

Lucius Papirius cursor was a military leader and politician of the Roman Republic.

Papirius was elected consul (326, 320, 319, 315 and 313 BC ), according to the fasting five times, he was twice dictator ( 325/324 and 309 BC ). Three times he is listed as Master equitum (340, 320 and 319 BC ) and as often as victor (324, 319 and 309 BC ). 325 BC, he was appointed " dictator rei gerundae causa " to lead the Second Samnitenkrieg ( 326-304 BC ), whose main hero he was.

Papirius was an excellent commander and a man of ancient Roman rigor and efficiency. 324 BC he condemned as dictator Quintus Fabius Maximus his MA equitum Rullianus for a delivered against his order of battle him to death and could be moved only by the united prayers of the Father, the Senate and the people to pardon him.

320 BC Papirius avenged the defeat of the Romans in the Caudine passports by forcing the fallen to the Samnites Luceria to surrender all lost at Caudium ensigns captured again and 7000 Samnites sent through the yoke. 309 BC in turn appointed a dictator, he defeated the Samnites in longula and triumphed for the second time about it.

His nickname cursor (the " runners ") is Papirius have received, according to the historian Livy because of its speed in running. The current research, however, assumes that Papirius inherited his Kognomen of grandfather and father.

His son Lucius Papirius cursor, consul in 293 BC fought victoriously against the Samnites.

Swell

• Livy: History of Rome, Book VII -X. Fragments of the second decade, ed. v. Hans Jürgen Hillen, Darmstadt 1994.