Talk:Quintus Lutatius Catulus (consul 102 BC)

Latest comment: 4 years ago by LuciusHistoricus in topic "Catulus Caesar"

"Catulus Caesar" edit

The stemma of the gens Julia is well-known, even if that for the gens Lutatia is less so. Regardless, that Q. Catulus was born Sex. Julius Caesar, was first cousin to C. Caesar's (ie. the dictator's) father, and was adopted into to gens Lutatia from gens Julia is, as far as I call tell, pure rubbish. First, the dictator had no first cousin. His only uncle (Sex. Caesar, praetor in 123 BC) left no known children. Second, the praenomen of Q. Catulus' father is known, and it isn't Sextus. The son's filiation - Q.f. - shows that he was the natural son of a Quintus. Thus the son of another Q. Lutatius Catulus. See T.R.S. Broughton (1951) Magistrates of the Roman Republic Vol.1 p.567; C. Settipani (2000) Continuite Gentilice et Continuite Familiale dans les Familles Senatoriales Romaines a l'Epoque Imperiale p. 67. 82.44.82.167 (talk) 10:01, 14 January 2008 (UTC)Catiline63Reply


Do you have any citations for that or is just an opinion of yours that you can not find concrete evidence that he was indeed a Caesar adopted into the Lutati Catuli clan?

Not that I'm doubting you, it's just a more common belief that he is indeed a Caesar. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.115.137.162 (talk) 23:03, 6 October 2008 (UTC)Reply

It may be a "common" belief among readers of McCullough's fiction, the article is about a historical, not fictional, character. If Catulus he were a natural Julius Caesar adopted into the Lutatii Catuli, he would have borne the filiation of his natural, not adoptive, father. "Q.f." proves he was a natural son of a Quintus. References as stated above, but any academic book on Roman onomastics should do you.Catiline63 (talk) 01:14, 11 April 2009 (UTC)Reply

I added the Caesar bit after reading Linda Telford’s Sulla: A Dictator Reconsidered (a biography, not a novel). Telford uses Catulus Caesar too - but in hindsight she might a adherent of the “common” belief theory started by McCullough. All my other sources (written sources, not on-line ones) use Catulus without Caesar. So...I stand corrected. LuciusHistoricus (talk) 08:13, 5 October 2019 (UTC)Reply