Marcus Cornelius Maluginensis

Marcus Cornelius Maluginensis was a Roman politician and member of the Second Decemvirate in 450 and 449 BC.

Family

He was part of the Cornelii Maluginenses, patrician branch of the gens Cornelia. He was grandson of Servius Cornelius Maluginensis, consul in 485 BC. According to Livy, and Dionysius of Halicarnassus, he was the brother of Lucius Cornelius Maluginensis Uritus Cossus (consul in 459 BC) but his name would be the same as his father if we refer to the filiation given by the Fasti Capitolini.

Biography

Marcus Cornelius Maluginensis was one of the ten members of the Second Decemvirate, presided over by Appius Claudius Crassus and elected for the purpose of drafting the Law of the Twelve Tables, first written law of the Roman Republic. At the instigation of Crassus, the decemvirs illegally held onto power the following year, refusing to proceed with the election of consuls. This year, a war escalated with the Sabines setting up in Eretum and the Aequi camped under Mons Algidus. The Roman troops were divided into two armies so that they could fight on two fronts. Marcus Cornelius received the command of the army that fought the Aequi, with three other decemvirs; Lucius Minucius, Titus Antonius, and Lucius Sergius. Meanwhile, Appius Claudius and Spurius Oppius Cornicen remained in Rome to assure the defense of the city, and the four other decemvirs fought against the Sabines.

The two Roman armies were kept in check on each front. The army commanded by Marcus Cornelius had withdrawn to Tusculum then moved to the call of Lucius Verginius, whose daughter had been enslaved by Crassus during one of his scandalous trials. Following the trial, Lucius Verginius had been forced to kill his own daughter. His story provoked a mutiny of the soldiers which elected the twelve military tribunes. Under their command, they returned to Rome and set up on the Aventine then joined with the other army under Crassus and Spurius Oppius Cornicen, who were imprisoned in Rome, but committed suicide during their prosecution. The eight other decemvirs, including Marcus Cornelius Maluginensis, were exiled.