Gaius Manilius

Gaius Manilius was a Roman tribune who, in 66 BCE, proposed a law granting Pompey extraordinary command over the war against Mithradates VI of Pontus. This law, known as the Lex Manilia, allowed Pompey to take over the command from Lucullus and reorganize the East, ultimately leading to his significant military and political success.1

In ancient Rome, a tribune was an official with various military and civil duties. The most significant were the tribuni plebis, or tribunes of the plebs, who emerged by the 5th century BCE. Their role was to protect the common people and they held the power of veto, which could nullify the actions of magistrates. The office of tribune was a crucial part of Roman political life, with its powers sometimes curtailed and later restored, eventually being incorporated into the authority of the emperor.2