A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

was tribune of the soldiers B. C. 210 under the consul Marcellus, and praetor B. C. 200, in which year he obtained Cisalpine Gaul as his province. He gained a brilliant victory over the Gauls, who had laid siege to Cremona under the command of the Carthaginian Hamilcar. More than 35,000 Gauls were killed or taken prisoners, and Hamilcar and three noble Gallic chiefs also fell in the battle. The senate voted a thanksgiving of three days in consequence of the victory, and the honour of a triumph was granted to Purpureo, though not without some opposition. He was consul B. C. 196 with M. Claudius Marcellus, and with his colleague defeated the Boii. Purpureo vowed three temples to Jupiter, two in the Gallic war during his praetorship, and the other during his consulship: one of these was consecrated in B. C. 194, and the other two in B. C. 192. After the conquest of Antiochus by Scipio, Purpureo was one of the ten commissioners sent by the senate to settle the affairs of Asia. He is mentioned again in B. C. 187, as one of the vehement opponents of the

triumph of Cn. Manlius Vulso [VULSO]. He was one of the candidates for the censorship in B. C. 184, when L. Valerius Flaccus and M. Porcius Cato were elected. In the following year, B. C. 183, he was sent, with two other senators, as ambassador to Transalpine Gaul; and this is the last time that his name occurs. (Liv. 27.2, 31.4, 6, 10, 21, 47-49, 33.24, 37, 34.53, 35.41, 37.55, 38.44, 45, 54, 39.40, 54.)