Consul 44 Bc Publius Cornelius Dolabella

He was by far the most important of the patrician Cornelii Dolabellae but he arranged for himself to be adopted into the plebeian Cornelii Lentuli so that he could become a plebeian tribune. He married Cicero's daughter, Tullia, although he frequently engaged in extramarital affairs. Throughout his life he was an extreme profligate, something that Plutarch wrote reflected ill upon his patron Julius Caesar.

Early life

His father was likely the urban praetor of 69 BC, Publius Cornelius Dolabella, who also served as governor of Asia. Dolabella was related to the Servilii Caepiones.

Dolabella's birth date is uncertain.

Military and political careers

In the Civil Wars (49–45 BC) Dolabella at first took the side of Pompey, but afterwards went over to Julius Caesar, and was present when Caesar prevailed at the Battle of Pharsalus (48 BC).

Dolabella had himself adopted by a plebeian so that he could become tribune of the plebs. His adoptive father has been supposed to have been a Lentulus Marcellinus (but the plebeian status of people of this branch is disputed) or Lentulus Vatia but there is no certainty in the matter. In either case the adopter would likely have been a supporter of Caesar. There was also a woman named Livia who expressed interest in adopting Dolabella (possibly on the behalf of her husband, since women could not adopt legally), but it is unknown if this woman's proposal was in any way connected to his adoption by Lentulus.

As a tribune for the plebs for 47 BC, Dolabella had tried to bring about constitutional changes, one of which (to escape the urgent demands of his creditors) was a bill proposing that all debts should be canceled. He tried to enlist the support of Mark Antony, but his fellow tribunes Gaius Asinius Pollio, consul in 40 BC, and Lucius Trebellius Fides advised Antony not to support the measure. Antony, who also suspected he had been cuckolded by Dolabella, took up arms against him when Dolabella occupied the Forum in an attempt to use force to pass the bill. The Senate voted to support this, and a clash ensued in which both sides took losses. Upon his return from Alexandria, Caesar, seeing the expediency of removing Dolabella from Rome, pardoned him, and subsequently took him as one of his generals in the expedition to Africa and Spain.

After Caesar had returned to Rome and been elected consul for the fifth time, he proposed to the Senate that his consulship be transferred to Dolabella. Antony protested, causing a huge disruption that made Caesar withdraw the motion out of shame. Later, Caesar exercised his role as dictator and directly proclaimed Dolabella consul. This time Antony called out that the omens were unfavorable and Caesar again backed down and abandoned Dolabella.

On Caesar's death in 44 BC, Dolabella seized the insignia of the consulship (which had already been conditionally promised him), and, by making friends with Brutus and the other assassins, was confirmed in his office. When, however, Mark Antony offered him the command of the expedition against the Parthians and the province of Syria, he changed sides at once. His journey to the province was marked by plundering, extortion, and the murder of Gaius Trebonius, governor of Asia, who refused to allow him to enter Smyrna.

Dolabella was thereupon declared a public enemy and superseded by Cassius who attacked him in Laodicea. When Cassius's troops captured the place (43 BC), Dolabella ordered one of his soldiers to kill him.

Marriages

Dolabella was married to a woman named Fabia and had a son by the same name with her. The son may have been Publius Cornelius Dolabella the consul of 35 BC. He was also married to Cicero's daughter Tullia in 50 BC. In May 49 BC she gave birth to a premature son of seven months that did not survive long after birth. In 45 BC Tullia divorced him and gave birth to a son named Lentulus at her father's house, some weeks after the birth she died of complications and the boy is suspected to have died young since his grandfather Cicero does not mention him after 45 BC.

Stage

Dolabella plays a focal role in John Dryden's 1600s play All for Love, where he is portrayed as warning Cleopatra about Octavian planning to kidnap her and her children to Rome, which convinces Cleopatra to kill herself. This version of Dolabella is highly fictionalized and a composite character of several ancient Roman people.

Literature

He also appears as a character in the novel The Bloodied Toga by William George Hardy. He is also a supporting character in the Masters of Rome series by Colleen McCullough.

• Cornelia gens