Gallus, Cani'nius
1. L.
Caninius Gallus. His praenomen Lucius is not mentioned by Cicero, but is taken from Dio Cassius (
Ind. lib. 68), who calls his son L. F.
He was a contemporary of Cicero and Caesar. In B. C. 59 he and Q. Fabius Maximus accused C. Antonius of
repetundae, and Cicero defended the accused.
Afterwards, however, Caninius Gallus married the daughter of C. Antonius. In B. C. 56 he was tribune of the people, and in this capacity endeavoured to further the objects of Pompey.
With a view to prevent P. Lentulus Spinther, then proconsul of Cilicia, from restoring Ptolemy Auletes to his kingdom, he brought forward a rogation that Pompey, without an army, and accompanied only by two lictors, should be sent with the king to Alexandria, and endeavour to bring about a reconciliation between the king and his people.
But the rogation, if it was ever actually brought forward, was not carried.
The year after his tribuneship, B. C. 55, Caninius Gallus was accused, probably by M. Colonius, but he was defended by Cicero, at the request of Pompey. In B. C. 51 he was staying in Greece, perhaps as praetor of the province of Achaia, for Cicero, who then went to Cilicia, saw him at Athens. During the civil war between Caesar and Pompey, Caninius Gallus appears to have remained neutral.
He died in B. C. 44.
He had been connected in friendship with Cicero and M. Terentius Varro, whence we may infer that he was a man of talent and acquirements. (Cic.
ad Q. Frat. 2.2, 6,
ad Fam. 1.2, 4, 7, 2.8, 7.1, 9.2, 3, 6,
ad Att. 15.13, 16.14 ;
V. Max. 4.2.6;
D. C. 39.16 ;
Plut. Pomp. 49, where he is wrongly called Canidius.)
