Lucius Furius Purpureo was aRoman politician and general, becoming consul in the year 196 BC. Lucius Furius was from thegens Furia patrician family inRome.
Purpureo was amilitary tribune in 210 BC during theSecond Punic War. After theBattle of Numistro againstHannibal, he was left behind in charge of the wounded with a small number of guards, while the consulMarcus Claudius Marcellus pursued the enemy.[1]
He was apraetor in 200 BC and receivedCisalpine Gaul as his province. Shortly after he arrived in Cisalpine Gaul with 5,000Latin troops, about 40,000Insubres,Cenomani, andBoii, led by the Carthaginian general, Hamilcar, plunderedPlacentia and besiegedCremona. Upon learning of the invasion, Purpureo requested more troops from Rome. TheSenate responded by sending him a new army of two Roman legions and a similar number of Latin troops. After sending his original 5,000 troops toEtruria, Purpureo proceeded to raise the siege at Cremona.[2] He gained a brilliant victory. Over 35,000 Gauls were killed or taken prisoner, and Hamilcar and three Gallic chiefs fell in the battle. The senate voted three days of thanksgiving in consequence of the victory, and the honor of a triumph was granted to him.[3]
The following year, Purpureo was a deputy of the proconsul Publius Sulpicius Galba during peace talks withMacedonia and their ambassadors. Not much was achieved at this meeting and the Macedonians tried to convince theAetolians, a Roman ally, to break their alliance and join Macedonia. This event ensured that no peace was concluded and both sides continued to fight.[4]
In 196 BC, Purpureo was Consul withMarcus Claudius Marcellus. Both assigned to Cisalpine Gaul, they, together and separately, forced the Boii and other native tribes into submission. On their return to Rome, Marcellus celebrated a triumph.[5]
Lucius Furius Purpureo was the son of Spurius Furius Purpureo. It is known that Purpureo was a descendant ofMarcus Furius Camillus and had a son of his own namesake who served as Legatus in Aetolia in 200 BC under Publius Sulpicius Galba.
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| Preceded by | Consul of theRoman Republic withMarcus Claudius Marcellus 196 BC | Succeeded by |