Coriolanus

:This article is about the legendary figure. For the Shakespeare play, see Coriolanus.

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Gaius Marcius Coriolanus is widely believed to be a legendary figure who is said to have lived during the 5th century BC. He was given the agnomen "Coriolanus" as a result of his action in capturing the Volscian town of Corioli in 493 BC.

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According to Plutarch, Coriolanus represented the Roman aristocracy and was well respected in the Roman Senate for arguing against the democratic inclinations of the plebeians. He was perpetually banished from Rome upon being convicted on charges of misapropriation of public funds. He later turned against Rome and made allegiance with the same Volscians he had once fought against. Plutarch's account of his defection tells that Coriolanus donned a disguise and snuck into the home of a wealthy Volcian noble, a certain Tullus Aufidius, and appealed to him as a suppliant. Coriolanus and Aufidius then persuaded the Volscians to break their truce with Rome and raise an army to invade. When Coriolanus' Volscian troops threatened the city, Roman matrons, including his wife and mother, were sent to persuade him to call off the attack. At the sight of his mother, wife and children throwing themselves at his feet in supplication, Coriolanus relented, withdrew his troops from the border of Rome, and retired to Aufidius' home city of Antium. Aufidius then raised support to have Coriolanus put on trial by the Volcians, and then formed a conspiracy to assassinate him before the trial had ended.

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The tale of Coriolanus' appeal to Aufidius is quite similar to a tale from the life of Themistocles, a leader of the Athenian democracy who was a contemporary of Coriolanus (given the important dictinction that Themistocles was an actual historical figure and Coriolanus was not). During Themistocles' exile from Athens, he travelled to the home of Admetus, King of the Molossians, a man who was his personal enemy. Themistocles came to Admetus in disguise and appealed to him as a fugitive, just as Coriolanus appealed to Aufidius. Themistocles, however, never attempted military retailiation against Athens.

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Legendary: REDIRECT Legend...

5th century BC: (6th century BC - 5th century BC - 4th century BC - other centuries)...

Agnomen: An Agnomen is a nickname or an alias. It is not a pseudonym as it is a real name. But an agnomen is usually a name in addition and not a substitution for the real name. For example, Aristides "the Just" or "Iron" Mike Tyson....

Coriolanus related Images and Photos (experimental)

Volumnia before Coriolanus