Spurius Cassius Vecellinus

Spurius Cassius Vecellinus or Vicellinus (died 485 BC) was one of the most distinguished men of the early Roman Republic.

After a failed round of negotiations, war was declared against the Sabines, but as both sides were reluctant to come to blows, no hostilities ensued.

The strife between the patricians and plebeians was a recurring theme throughout the early history of the Republic, and in time cost Cassius his life.

In contrast with his former position, Cassius ratified a treaty with the Latins on Rome's behalf, thereby removing one source of danger to the fledgling Republic.

[13][14][15][16] In 486 BC, Cassius was consul for the third time, with Proculus Verginius Tricostus Rutilus.

[17][18][19] After concluding the treaty with the Hernici, Cassius proposed the first agrarian law at Rome, arguing for the land to be distributed amongst the plebs and the Latin allies.

Debate and discord ensued, and the plebs turned against Cassius, suspecting him of aiming at regal power.

Livy's preferred version is that a public trial on the charge of high treason was held on the orders of the quaestores parricidii Caeso Fabius and Lucius Valerius, at which Cassius was condemned by the people, and subsequently by public decree his house was demolished (being near the temple of Tellus).

The alternative version is that Cassius' own father conducted a private trial (presumably exercising authority as pater familias) and put his son to death, and subsequently dedicated his son's assets to the goddess Ceres, including by dedicating a statue to her with the inscription "given from the Cassian family".

Bickerman has suggested that Cassius' third consulship occurred in 480 BC, the same year as the Battle of Salamis.

However, this assertion rests on the accuracy of Diodorus Siculus, who stated that his consulship coincided with the archonship of Calliades in Athens.

Herodotus confirms the possibility that the battles of Thermopylae and Salamis were fought shortly after the Olympic Games of that year, and only a few months after these events: "On approach of spring, the sun suddenly quit his seat in the heavens, and disappeared" when Xerxes left Sardis, a few weeks or months before crossing over to Greece.