Publius Rutilius Rufus | |
|---|---|
| Consul of the Roman Republic | |
| In office 105 BC – 105 BC Serving with Gnaeus Mallius Maximus | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 158 BC |
| Died | after 78 BC Smyrna (modern-day İzmir, Turkey) |
| Nationality | Ancient Roman |
Publius Rutilius Rufus (158 BC – after 78 BC) was a Roman statesman, soldier, orator and historian of the Rutilia gens, as well as a great-uncle of Gaius Julius Caesar (through his sister Rutilia, Caesar's maternal grandmother). He achieved the highest political office in the Roman Republic when he was elected consul in 105 BC.
During his consulship, he reformed the drill system and improved army discipline. As legate to Quintus Mucius Scaevola, he attempted to protect the inhabitants of Asia from extortion by the equites, which provoked them to raise the accusation of extortion from those provincials. The charge was false, but as the juries were chosen from the equestrian order, he was condemned. He was exiled and went to Smyrna, where he wrote a history of Rome in Greek.