Cm's video: Carbo Gnaeus Papirius

Gnaeus Papirius Carbo (d.81 BC) was the main leader of the Marian faction during Sulla's Second Civil War, and was killed after fleeing into exile in Africa as his cause began to collapse. Carbo was the son of another Gn. Papirius Carbo, one of the consuls for 113 BC. He committed suicide after he was defeated by the Cimbri at the battle of Noreia (112 BC). The younger Carbo served as tribune of the plebs in 92 BC. During his time in this post a meeting of the people got out of control, and he was blamed. A law was passed making the person who proposed a law responsible for any disorder caused by its discussion. He also put forward a law on the use of the secret ballot in some forms of voting. Carbo joined the anti-Sullan forces during Sulla's First Civil War, and took part in the siege of Rome of 87 BC, where he served alongside the consul Cinna and was posted 'opposite' the city walls, presumably besieging the walls facing away from the Tiber (Sertorius was posted above Rome on the Tiber and Marius between Rome and the sea). He then accompanied the Marian army as it moved away from Rome, and camped about 11 miles from the city, after cutting off supplies. Sulla's supporters made the mistake of leaving the city to face Cinna and Marius, and lost control of Rome. Cinna and Marius were invited in, the pro-Sullan Consul G. Octavius was killed, and Marius began a reign of terror that was ended by his death early in 86 BC. The leadership of the Marian faction then fell to Cinna, who served as consul in 86, 85 and 84 BC. Carbo was his co-consul in 85 and 84 BC. When it became clear that Sulla was winning the war against Mithridates VI of Pontus, and would soon be free to return to Italy, Cinna and Carbo began to raise fresh armies, while also selecting themselves as the consuls for 83 BC. Cinna decided to take the battle to Sulla in the Balkans, but this badly backfired. The second detachment to cross the Adriatic was turned back by a storm and deserted once they were safely back in Italy. The rest of the army then refused to risk the crossing. Cinna attempted to put down the mutiny, but mishandled the situation and was murdered. Carbo was thus left in sole command, and refused to hold an election for a replacement for Cinna. However he also decided not to hold the consulship for 83 BC, which instead went to Gaius Norbanus and Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus. Carbo became the proconsul for Gaul for 83 BC. Sulla invaded Italy in 83 BC. Carbo's role at the start of the war (Sulla's Second Civil War) isn't entirely clear. Plutarch reports that he commanded one of a series of armies sent to deal with the young Pompey, who was raising an army for Sulla in Picenum, but the details of this campaign appear to duplicate events elsewhere. In the second battle Scipio lost the loyaly of his army, which switched sides, and in the third Carbo is said to have been defeated in battle on the River Aesis. However Scipio lost the loyalty of his army in a better documented encounter against Sulla at Teanum, while one of Carbo's lieutenants was defeated on the Aesis in the first battle of 82 BC. These are probably the genuine incidents, rather than the versions of 83 BC. As Sulla advanced towards Rome in 83 BC the two consuls both suffered defeats. Norbanus was defeated in battle at Casilinium or Mount Tifata, on the Volturnus River. Scipio agreed to peace talks at Teanum, a few miles to the north, where Sulla was able to convince his entire army to change sides. After this disaster Carbo is reported to have said that 'In making war upon the fox and the lion in Sulla, he was more annoyed by the fox'. Carbo, who had probably accompanied one of these armies, rushed back to Rome, where he secured control of the city, and had Sulla's supporters declared public enemies. At about this point the Temple of Jupiter on the Capital burnt down, and some blamed Carbo for the disaster, but it wasn't clear if this was the case at the time. The campaign of 83 BC then began to wind down. Carbo decided to serve as one of the consuls for 82 BC, alongside Marius the Younger, son of Gaius Marius, and despite his young age an powerful recruiting tool. Marius was given the task of facing Sulla to the south of Rome, while Carbo went north to deal with Metellus Pius and the young Pompey. We now come to the more likely battle of the Aesis, where Carbo's lieutenant Carinnas was defeated by Metellus at the river on the northern border of Picenum. Carbo then arrived and restored the situation, and forced Metellus to retreat north. He then besieged him at an unnamed location somewhere to the north of Ariminum (Rimini).