Serra'nus
10. SEX.
ATILIUS SERRANUS GAVIANUS, originally belonged to the Gavia gens, but was adopted by one of the Atilii.
He was quaestor in B. C. 63 in the consulship of Cicero, who treated him with distinguished favour; but in his tribunate of the plebs, B. C. 57, he notwithstanding allowed himself to be purchased by Cicero's enemies in order to prevent his recal from banishment, and in conjunction with his colleague, Q. Numerius Rufus, offered the most vigorous resistance to Cicero's friends. When the consul Lentulus proposed in the senate on the 1st of January the recal of Cicero, Serranus begged that the question might be adjourned, in order that he might have a night to consider it : this time he employed in securing for himself increase of the pay which he had already received. After Cicero's return to Rome, Serranus put his veto upon the decree of the senate restoring to Cicero the site on which his house had stood, but he found it advisable to withdraw his opposition. (Cic.
pro Sest. 33, 34, 39, 43, post lied. ad Quir. 5, ad Att. 4.2 ยง 4,
de Harusp. Resp. 15 ; Ascon.
in Pison. p. 11, ed. Orelli.)
