Coventry from Rome was many thing — a political trick , an act of revenge , and a terrible verdict even its best citizen fell prey to . When you own much of the known world , it ’s easy to stick someone in a street corner . Here are five mass the Romans boot .
1. Agrippa Postumus
expatriate to : Planasia , 9 CECause : It ’s not quite clearRecalled : Never
Agrippa Postumus ( top ) was Caesar Augustus ’ grandson through his daughter , Julia . WhenAgrippa ’s father and brother died , he move up in the line of succession . The other option to inherit the potty was Tiberius , a man Augustus was n’t warm of . At 44 , Tiberius was an experient general , while Agrippa Postumus was abrawling , run around 15 yr previous . Like it or not , Augustus decide Tiberius was the good choice . The next year , Augustus sent Agrippa away from Rome and in 9 CE he permanently ostracise him to Planasia ( now Pianosa ) , a little island off Tuscany .
Under guard duty , Agrippa was forbidden any news of home . He died about the same meter as Augustus in 14 CE , likely murdered on the order of the now - ruling Tiberius . His mother Julia , also in exile , buy the farm soon after .
And then … he come back . A man claiming to be Agrippa travel toward Rome in 16 CE , shore up the dawdle living Agrippa ’s father and Brother had built long ago . In reality , this was Agrippa ’s hard worker Clemens . The man was fake , but Tiberius dread a very tangible conspiracy and executed Clemens later that year .
Agrippa Postumus may have been exiled for political reasons or simply because he was an irrepressible wild baby . But his expatriation and expiry ( twice ! ) helped Tiberius prevail the power Augustus did n’t want to give to him .
2. Metellus Numidicus
Exiled to : Rhodes , 100 BCECause : RevengeRecalled:99 BCE
Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus was , by most accounts , an blue blood beloved by the common Roman . Even rumors of warfare profiteer in Africa , which werespread by his police lieutenant Gaius Marius , could n’t dim his popularity . Marius ended up taking Metellus ’ consulship and instruction , but Metellus was nonetheless receive by Rome in triumph in 107 BCE .
When he was elected censor in 102 BCE — which put him in charge of keep the census , superintend areas of the government ’s finances , and policing public morality — Metellus try and failed to expel Marius ' political ally , the tribune L Appuleius Saturninus , from the senate .
Marius and Saturninus work statute law that was advisedly noisome to the aristocracy . Metellus resist his oath and paid the necessary fine . After Saturninus charge him with betrayal , protagonist of Metellus arm themselves and prepared to prevent it . Metellus wanted no polite unrest on his account , so he told them to stand down and he went quietly into exile in 100 BCE .
In Rhodes , Metellus was able to study Hellenic ism and crop an interest in war and the arts far from the machination of Rome . Saturninus was bolt down that same yr , and Marius ’ mightiness was n’t enough to keep Metellus away . Metellus ' boy call for the exile to be rear , and Metellus Numidicus was recall to a hero ’s welcome , after which he retired to private life . A little time away can figure out marvel .
3. Gaius Marius
Exiled to : Africa , 87 BCECause : SullaRecalled : He march back in 87 BCE
Gaius Marius was once considered the “ 3rd founder of Rome . ” nation - bred , Marius raise a successful army from Rome ’s miserable and landless and win five consulships through foreign wars between 104 and 100 BCE ( in add-on to his first , earned in 107 ) . Only one other Roman had ever held six consulship . Nearing old age , Marius felt destined to wear that record .
In 88 BCE , consulship over the warfare in Asia went to Marius ’ one - time subordinate , Cornelius Sulla . most 70 , Marius require the command . A political scuffle run to street fighting . Sulla lost , but he bet on the dedication of his army , who refused Marius and followed Sulla into Rome .
No Roman had ever marched on the immortal city before , and the invasion was a struggle . ineffective to pay his own army to fight for him , Marius send his son to Africa and fly across Italy . Bad wind kept Marius from sailing . separate from friends , he hid in a swamp until he was captured and take for in a house in a Ithiel Town in the south of Rome . A German slave was sent in to execute him , but Marius ’ trueness to the poor and landless paid off . The slave guide away , crying , “ I can not down Gaius Marius . ” Freed thereafter , Marius found his allies waiting on an island off Naples .
They navigate for Africa and half were killed in Sicily when they stopped for supplies . When they arrive at Africa , they were denied launching . tousled and aweary , Marius bivouac in the ruin of Carthage before find his son .
charge up a power of his old soldiers , Marius got a 2nd idle words . Besieging papist port on the room , he landed in Italy , adding freed slaves to his growing army . Joining forces with the ousted consul Cinna , Marius again process on Rome .
Marius returned a vanquisher , but in a hunky-dory display of passive - pugnacity he declared he could not legally figure as a fugitive . Voting to repeal his exile start , but Marius get bore and get in anyway , his fanatical hard worker United States Army killing at the slightest nod of his head . Cinna had to slaughter the Marians as they sleep to stop the bloodshed .
astonishingly , expat regenerate Marius ’ clout . Duly elected in 86 BCE , he finally earn his 7th consulship . Sulla was deport and Marius die just week after .
4. Cicero
Exiled to : Macedonia , 58 BCECause : Executing citizens without trialRecalled:57 BCE
There were degree to every Coventry . Full exile strip wealth and citizenship and would be a withering loss . Cicero felt its sting at the helping hand of a stately he unsuccessfully charge with profanation , P Clodius Pulcher .
Cicero was well - respected , and in 63 BCE , he was named " father of the fatherland " for uncover aplot against the state .
Using his own good connexion as tribune , Clodius charge Cicerowith executing the machinator without due process . Cicero appealed , but the consul were in Clodius ’ sac and mobs waited to continue the guilty finding of fact with furiousness . Even Cicero ’s ally — and one of Rome ’s most potent men — Gnaeus Pompey stood back .
ostracise to Macedonia , his houses destroyed and solid ground dedicate to the goddess of Liberty , Cicero fall into a depressive disorder . Inletters rest home , he despair at the shame he had wreak on his family . But mass were sympathetic . Pompey needed Cicero back and had the young tribune , Milo , campaign for his return . Clodius ’ thugs campaign in opposition and days of street fighting ended only when Milo ’s own pack guarded the senate while it voted for Cicero ’s recall . Clodius range the only balloting against .
5. Ovid
Exiled to : Tomis , 8 CECause : He would n’t sayRecalled : Never
Getting kicked out of Rome was defective enough . regretful , sometimes , was where you finish up .
Ovid , a military personnel about townspeople and a poet with no political motivation , love Rome for Rome . Famed for erotic poesy , he ran up against moral reforms that Augustus act out . However , this might have been a smoke screen to punish Ovid for a less real “ fault . ” Ovid writes it was not a offence but more of a " fault " that greatly offended Augustus and that it was not safe to babble out about . assimilator agree it was something he understand or heard , perhaps entangled with Augustus ' family unit life .
Tomis , a coastal town on the Black Sea , waswild and untamed . A rural expatriation for an urbane man was a distorted punishment . Ovid missedRome’svines and orchards .
Technically , Ovid was not fully exiled , just “ relegated , ” but still able-bodied to keep his property . He left his married woman in Rome to wield their estate of the realm and headdressed verse to Augustusasking to be forgiven . Augustus was unmoved by his verse .
His early work was stripped from public libraries and his deportee poesy was circulated privately . His most famed verse form completed in exile , theMetamorphoses , end , " wherever Roman might put out … in my fame forever I will live . "
