Mamercus Aemilius Scaurus

Mamercus Aemilius Scaurus (died AD 34) was a Roman rhetorician, poet and senator. Tacitus writes that Scaurus was "a man of distinguished rank and ability as an advocate, but of infamous life." He was suffect consul from July to the end of the year AD 21, with Gnaeus Tremellius as his colleague. Scaurus was a member of the patrician Aemilia gens. His father was Marcus Aemilius Scaurus. The younger Scaurus was married twice. His first wife was Aemilia Lepida, who bore him a daughter; Lepida was accused of adultery and attempting to poison Publius Sulpicius Quirinius, found guilty, and exiled. After Lepida had died, or Scaurus divorced her, he married Sextia. Life The first mention of Scaurus in historical literature comes in AD 14, at the time of Tiberius' accession to the throne. Both Scaurus and Quintus Haterius gave speeches of congratulation, which the new emperor suspected of being insincere. While Tiberius responded to Haterius' comments with invective, he passed over what Scaurus said in silence. Scaurus appears periodically in Tacitus' Annales afterwards. In the year 21, when Corbulo complained on the Senate floor that a young noble, Lucius Sulla, had not shown him respect at a gladiatorial show despite being an ex-praetor, much older and more respected by the older senators, Scaurus, Lucius Arruntius, and other kinsmen of the young Sulla defended him. Arguments followed and were only ended when Drusus intervened and brought the body back to order. Both Sulla and Scaurus apologized to Corbulo.