2. L. PINARIUS
NATTA was the brother of the wife of the celebrated tribune P.
Clodius, and obtained a seat in the college of pontiffs through the influence of his
brother-in-law, who passed over his own brother in favour of Natta. Through his connection
with Clodius, he was one of the enemies of Cicero, who mentions him on one or two occasions.
(Cic. pro Dom. 45, 52, ad Att. 4.8, b. ยง 3.)
The gentile name of Natta is only mentioned in a passage of Servius (ad Virg.
Aen. 8.269), who calls him Pinarius Natta, but the genuineness of this passage has been
called in question by Wolf (ad Cic. pro Dom. l.c.). Now as we read of
only one wife of Clodius, namely, Fulvia, it has been usually supposed that the above L. Natta
was the brother of this Fulvia, and that his full name was therefore L. Fulvius Natta*; but
Drumann has brought forward (Geschichte Roms, vol. ii. p. 370) reasons
which render it very probable, that Clodius had, previous to his marriage with Fulvia, married
another wife of the name of Pinaria, and that L. Natta was the brother of the latter and not
the brother of Fulvia. The name of Natta is otherwise unknown in the Fulvia gens. The mother
of Natta and of his sister Pinaria married a second time L. Murena, consul pro Muren. 35, pro Dom. 52.) Natta or Nacca given as a
cognomen in the Fulvia gens, as is stated in the article FULVIA GENS; but if Drumann's
supposition is correct, and we believe it is, this is a mistake.