Publicia gens

The gens Publicia (Pūblicia),[1] occasionally found as Poblicia or Poplicia, was a plebeian family at ancient Rome.

Members of this gens are first mentioned in history during the period following the First Punic War, and the only one to achieve the consulship was Marcus Publicius Malleolus in 232 BC.

[4] Although the Publicii are not mentioned at Rome prior to the third century BC, they claimed descent from a legendary figure from the time of the kings.

Ancus Publicius of Cora was said to have been one of the generals of the Latin League, together with Spurius Vecilius of Lavinium, in a war against the Romans during the reign of Tullus Hostilius, the third King of Rome, who claimed dominion over the cities of Latium following the destruction of Alba Longa.

There were two main branches, or stirpes, of the Publicii under the Republic, distinguished by the cognomina Malleolus and Bibulus.

Denarius of Gaius Publicius, 80 BC. The obverse depicts a head of Roma , while on the reverse Hercules is strangling the Nemean lion , perhaps an allusion to the famous Temple of Hercules at Cora .
Denarius of Gaius Publicius Malleolus, late 90s BC. The obverse depicts a head of Mars and a hammer, alluding to the surname Malleolus . On the reverse is a naked warrior between a trophy and a ballot, with the inscription "C. Malleolus".
Denarius of Marcus Publicius, 46–45. The obverse depicts Roma, whilst the reverse shows Hispania bestowing the palm-branch of victory to a soldier on a ship, alluding to the arrival of the Pompeians in Spain after their defeat at Thapsus .