Gaius Claudius Marcellus (praetor 80 BC)

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Gaius Claudius Marcellus (c. 120 BC – 50 BC or later) was a Roman senator who became praetor in 80 BC and then governor of Sicily in 79 BC. He found Sicily in distress because of the previous governor’s harsh abuses, but by ruling with fairness he restored the province’s prosperity. The Sicilians viewed him as a savior, and statues were placed in many towns. The Marcellea festival, honoring his ancestor Marcus Claudius Marcellus, was renewed in his honor.

Marcellus later served as an augur and sat as a judge in the famous Verres trial; Cicero contrasts his honest administration with Verres’s corruption. He lived to see his son, also named Gaius Claudius Marcellus, become consul in 50 BC, with Cicero sending him a congratulatory letter.