During the search for information into Cassius’ time at
Myndos I came across a reference to two more Romans residing in the city,
Lucius Magius and Lucius Fannius.
L. Magius & L. Fannius, who were later to be declared
enemies of the state by the Senate, had fought with Gaius Flavius Fimbria in
the 1st Mithridian War. Following Fimbria’s death in 85 BC they
sided with Mithridates before aligning themselves with Sulla.
At what point they moved to Myndos is
unclear but they were living there circa 80 BC and are named in In Verrem Cicero’s trial of Gaius Verres
(Cic. Ver. 2.1.86 – 88) which took place in Rome 10 years later.
Miletus had a fleet of 10 ships which were gifted or funded
by Rome on the understanding that, when required, they could be called into
service by the republic.
Verres, a legate in the service of Gnaeus Cornelius
Dolabella governor of Cillicia, had requested a ship from the Milesian fleet to
escort him to Myndos. In Cicero’s account “They immediately gave him a light vessel, a
beautiful one of its class, splendidly adorned and armed”. On his
arrival Verres sold the ship to Magius and Fannius, dismissing the Milesian
captain and crew, directing them to return to Miletus by foot.
Cicero summing up the theft says:
“O ye immortal gods! the incredible avarice, the unheard-of
audacity of such a proceeding! Did you dare to sell a ship of the Roman fleet,
which the city of Miletus had
assigned to you to attend upon you?”
Magius’ and Fannius’ date of departure from Myndos is not
recorded; however by 76 BC they were delivering letters from Mithridates to Quintus
Sertorius in Italy, an action which resulted in the senate declaring them
enemies of the state and issuing an order for them to be apprehended. They
avoided capture, delivered Mithridates’ letters and were later documented sailing
between Sertorius’ naval base at Dianium to Sinope in Portus to deliver
Sertorius’ reply.
In the C. D Yonge translation on Perseus Tuft, Gaius Verres
is referred to as Caius Verres but other sources use Gaius or Gaius (Caius).
The Yonge translation also refers to Lucius Magius’ partner
as Lucius Rabius, most other sources I’ve seen name him as Lucius Fannius
M. Tullius Cicero. The Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero,
literally translated by C. D. Yonge. London. George Bell & Sons. 1903.
Perseus Digital Library
.
