Caesar: Grandfather of Mark Antony

CAESAR
Head of young Mars left wearing a crested helmet

Rev.
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Venus Genetrix in Biga left drawn by two cupids, before them a lyre

Rome 103 BC

Sear 198

ex-Harlan J. Berk

Lucius Julius Caesar was Mark Antony's grandfather and Gaius Julius Caesar's cousin. He was moneyer in 103 BC and tried in vain to obtain the quaestorship. However he was praetor in 94 and then became the proconsul of Macedonia. Finally he gained the Consulship in 90 BC the same year his younger brother Gaius was aedile.

In 90 BC Lucius Julius Caesar as consul defeated the Samnites and proposed the Lex Julia which offered citizenship to all communities in Italy that were not in revolt. In the following year 89, the Lex Plautia Papiria extended citizenship to those who gave up the fight by a certain date. Lucius Julius Caesar was now made censor along with Publius Licinius Crassus (father of the triumvir). But it was a time of unrest.

In 87 Marius returned to Rome with Cinna and captured the city. Lucius and Gaius were killed during the fighting and according to Livy their heads were exposed on the speakers platform.