Titus Annius Milo

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Titus Annius Milo Papianus was a Roman political agitator, the son of Gaius Papius Celsus, but adopted by his maternal grandfather, Titus Annius Luscus.

He joined the Pompeian party, and organized bands of mercenaries and gladiators to support the cause by public violence in opposition to Publius Clodius, who gave similar support to the democratic cause. Milo was tribune of the plebs in 57 BC. He took a prominent part in bringing about the recall of Cicero from exile, in spite of the opposition of Clodius.

Milo became praetor in 54 BC, and in that year married Fausta, daughter of the dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla and ex-wife of Gaius Memmius.

In 53 BC, when Milo was candidate for the consulship and Clodius for the praetorship, the two leaders met by accident on the Via Appia at Bovillae and Clodius was murdered (January 18, 52 BC). Milo was impeached; his guilt was clear, and his enemies took every means of intimidating his supporters and his judges. Marcus Tullius Cicero was afraid to speak, and the extant Pro Milone is an expanded form of the unspoken defence. Milo went into exile at Massilia (today Marseille), and his property was sold by auction. He joined Marcus Caelius Rufus in 48 in his rising against Caesar, but was captured and executed at Cosa, near Thurii in Lucania.

Milo in popular culture

Titus Annius Milo appears as a reoccurring character in John Maddox Roberts' SPQR series of novels. These historical mysteries are presented as memoirs of fictional Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger; Milo is a trusted friend of Metellus.

References

Milo also plays a part in Steven Saylor's book A Mist of Prophecies.

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