Quintus Ancharius (Roman Praetor in 56 B. C.): Questions of Reconstruction of Cursus Honorum

The article, based on the analysis of epigraphic data and the ancient narrative tradition, traces the honorable career of Q. Ancharius, a representative of the Roman political elite of the 70s — 50s of the 1st century B. C., whose personal qualities, according to the characteristics given to him by Cicero, corresponded to the Roman civic virtues of the Republican period. The article considers controversial issues of whether the references in the sources refer to the person under study or to his father (Q. Ancharius, praetor in 88 B. C.), as well as the dates of Ancharius the Younger’s passage through the steps of the career ladder. The author of the article presents arguments in favor of Q. Ancharius occupying the quaestorship in 74 B. C. and the proquaestorship in the following years. The information from sources on the plebeian tribunate of Q. Ancharius is summarized. Ancharius in 59 B. C. and praetorship in 56 B. C. The last official position known from the sources is noted as the status of Q. Ancharius as proconsul, which he received in 55 B. C., and it is specified what it was conditioned by. Observations are made on the Greek terminology of inscriptions related to the designation of Roman positions — magistracy and promagistracy. The author believes that when studying the Roman political elite one should not limit oneself only to families that had consuls, and sets the task of studying all leaders who achieved the first magistracy with imperium — praetorship.