Marcus Claudius Marcellus Marcus Claudius Marcellus ( ca . 268 – 208 BC ) , five times elected as consul of the Roman Republic , was an important Roman military leader during the Gallic War of 225 BC and the Second Punic War . Marcellus gained the most prestigious award a Roman general could earn , the spolia opima , for killing the Gallic military leader and king Viridomarus in hand - to - hand combat in 222 BC at the battle of Clastidium . Furthermore , he is noted for having conquered the fortified city of Syracuse in a protracted siege during which Archimedes , the famous inventor , was killed . Marcus Claudius Marcellus died in battle in 208 BC , leaving behind a legacy of military conquests and a reinvigorated Roman legend of the spolia opima . Early life : distinguished soldier and politician . Little is known of Marcus Claudius Marcellus ’ early years since the majority of biographical information pertains to his military expeditions . The fullest account of Marcellus ’ life was written by Plutarch , a Roman historian . Plutarch ’ s collection , titled " Life of Marcellus , " focuses on Marcellus ’ military campaigns and political life , rather than being a full - life biography , as one might surmise from the title . Plutarch supplies some general information about Marcellus ’ youth . Marcellus ’ exact birth date is unknown , yet scholars are certain he was born prior to 268 BC because he earned his fifth and final Roman consulship in 208 BC , after he was 60 . Marcellus was said to have been the first in his family to take on the cognomen of Marcellus ; yet there are genealogical records of his family line tracing the cognomen all the way back to 331 BC . According to Plutarch , Marcellus was a skilled fighter in his youth and was raised with the purpose of entering military service . Marcellus ’ general education may have been lacking . In his youth , Marcellus quickly distinguished himself as an ambitious warrior , known for his skill in hand - to - hand combat . He is noted to having saved the life of his brother , Otacilius , when the two were surrounded by enemy soldiers in Italy . As a young man in the Roman army , Marcellus was praised by his superiors for his skill and valor . As a result of his fine service , in 226 BC , he was appointed to the position of curule aedile in the Roman Republic . The position of curule aedile was quite prestigious for a man such as Marcellus . An aedile was an overseer of public buildings and festivals and an enforcer of public order . This is generally the first position one might take in seeking a high political career . The title of curule is quite peculiar because this distinction signifies that that person is a patrician , or upper classman , rather than a plebeian , or commoner . Marcellus was so highly regarded by his superiors that he was distinguished as a patrician , though technically his family was of the plebeian class . Around the same time that he became an aedile , Marcellus was also awarded the position of augur , which Plutarch describes as being an interpreter of omens . By about the age of 40 , Marcellus had already become an acclaimed soldier and public official . Marcellus ’ early career came to a close in 222 BC , at which time he achieved greater historical importance upon his election as consul of the Roman Republic — the highest political office and military position in ancient Rome . Middle life : the spolia opima . Following the end of the First Punic War in which Marcellus fought as a soldier , the Gauls of the North declared war upon Rome in 225 BC . In the fourth and final year of the war , Marcellus was appointed one of the two consul seats , his colleague being Cn . Cornelius Scipio Calvus . The previous consuls had defeated the Insubria ns , the primary Gallic tribe involved , all the way up to the Po River . Following such terrible defeats , the Insubrians surrendered , but Marcellus , not yet consul , persuaded the two acting consuls not to accept the terms of peace . As Marcellus and his colleague were ushered into office as the new consul , the Insurbrians mustered 30 , 000 of their Gallic allies , the Caesatae , to fight the Romans . Marcellus invaded the Insubrians up to the Po River , just as the previous consuls had done . From here , the Gauls sent 10 , 000 men across the Po and attacked Clastidium , a Roman stronghold , to divert the Roman attacks . This battlefield was stage of Marcellus ’ confrontation with the Gallic king , Viridomarus , which cemented his place in history . The confrontation , as told by Plutarch , is so heavy in detail that one might question the veracity of his narration . Plutarch recounts that prior to the battle , Viridomarus spotted Marcellus , who wore commander insignia upon his armor , and rode out to meet him . Across the battlefield , Marcellus viewed the beautiful armor upon the back of the enemy riding toward him . Marcellus concluded that this was the nicest armor , which he had previously prayed would be given by him to the gods . The two engaged in combat whereupon , Marcellus , “ by a thrust of his spear which pierced his adversary ' s breastplate , and by the impact of his horse in full career , threw him , still living , upon the ground , where , with a second and third blow , he promptly killed him . ” Marcellus extracted the armor from his fallen foe , upon which he pronounced it as the " spolia opima " . The " spolia opima " , meaning " ultimate spoil , " is known in Roman history as the most prestigious and honorable prize that a general can earn . Only a general who kills the leader of the opposing army prior to a battle may be honored with taking a " spolia opima " . After he had slain the formidable warrior , whom he later learned was the king , Marcellus dedicated the armor , or " spolia opima " , to Jupiter Feretrius , as he had promised before the battle . Herein lies a wrinkle in Plutarch ’ s retelling of the event . When Marcellus first saw the finely dressed warrior , he did not recognize him as a king , but merely a man with the nicest armor . But immediately following the battle , Marcellus prayed to Jupiter Feretrius , saying that he had killed a king or ruler . This inconsistency indicates that Plutarch ’ s story may have been exaggerated for dramatic effect , causing discrepancies . Furthermore , Plutarch had probably written the account to glorify Marcellus as a hero of Rome , instead of as a record of history . Following the battle between Marcellus and the king of the Gauls , the outnumbered Romans broke the siege of Clastidium , won the battle and proceeded to push the Gallic army all the way back to their primary headquarters of Mediolanum . Here , the Romans defeated the Gauls who surrendered themselves to the Romans . The terms between the Romans and Gauls were accepted and the Gallic war ended . Polybius , a historian of the 2nd century BC and client to the Scipiones , states that much of the overall success in the Gallic War belongs to Marcellus ’ colleague , Scipio , but because Marcellus had won the " spolia opima " , Marcellus was celebrated triumphantly . Following the Gallic wars , Marcellus seems to drift from the historical radar until the year 216 BC , ushering in the latter part of his life . Later life : Second Punic War . Marcus Claudius Marcellus re - emerged onto both the political and military scene during the Second Punic War , in which he took part in important battles . In 216 BC , the third year of the Second Punic War , Marcellus was elected praetor . A praetor served as either an elected magistrate or as the commander of an army , the latter of which duties Marcellus was selected to fulfill in Sicily . Unfortunately , as Marcellus and his men were preparing to ship to Sicily , his army was recalled to Rome owing to the devastating losses at Cannae , one of the worst disasters in the long history of Rome . By the orders of the Senate , Marcellus was forced to dispatch 1500 of his men to Rome to protect the city after the terrible defeat by Hannibal of Carthage . With his remaining army , along with remnants of the army from Cannae , ( who were considered to have been disgraced by the defeat and by surviving it ) , Marcellus camped near Suessula , a city in the region Campania of Southern Italy . At this point , part of the Carthaginian army began to make a move for the city of Nola . Marcellus repelled the attacks and managed to keep the city from the grasp of Hannibal . Although the battle at Nola was rather unimportant in regards to the Second Punic War as a whole , the victory was “ important from its moral effect , as the first check , however slight , that Hannibal had yet received . ” Then , in 215 BC , Marcellus was summoned to Rome by the Dictator M . Junius Pera , who wanted to consult with him about the future conduct of the war . After this meeting Marcellus earned the title of proconsul . In the same year , when the consul L . Postumius Albinus was killed in battle , Marcellus was unanimously chosen by the Roman people to be his successor . Unfortunately , because the other consul was also a plebeian , the senate would not allow Marcellus to hold the position . Apparently , the senate found bad omens in two plebeian consuls . Marcellus therefore returned to his job as proconsul , whereupon , he defended the city of Nola , once again , from the rear guard of Hannibal ’ s army . The following year , 214 BC , Marcellus was elected consul yet again , his colleague being Fabius Maximus . For a third time , Marcellus defended Nola from Hannibal and even captured the small but significant town of Casilinum . Sicily and Syracuse . Following his triumph at Casilinum , Marcellus was sent to Sicily , which Hannibal had set his sights upon . Upon arriving , Marcellus found the island in disarray . Hieronymus , the new ruler of the Rome - allied Kingdom of Syracuse , had recently come to the throne upon his grandfather ' s death and fallen under the influence of the Carthaginian agents Hippocrates and Epicydes . He then declared war against the Romans after the Carthaginian victory at the Battle of Cannae . However , Hieronymus was soon deposed ; the new Syracusean leaders attempted a reconciliation with Rome but could not quell their suspicions and then aligned themselves with the Carthaginians . In 214 BC , the same year that he was sent to Sicily , Marcellus attacked the city of Leontini , where the two Syracusean rulers were residing . After successfully storming the city , Marcellus had 2000 Roman deserters who were hiding in the city killed , and moved to lay siege to Syracuse itself . At this point , several cities in the province of Sicily rose in rebellion against Roman rule . The siege lasted for two long years , with the Roman effort being thwarted in part by the military machines created by the famous inventor Archimedes . Meanwhile , leaving the bulk of the Roman legion in the command of Appius Claudius at Syracuse , Marcellus and a small army roamed Sicily , conquering opponents and taking such rebellious cities as Helorus , Megara , and Herbessus . After Marcellus returned and continued the siege , the Carthaginians attempted to relieve the city , but were driven back . Overcoming formidable resistance and the ingenious devices of Archimedes , the Romans finally took the city in the summer of 212 BC . Plutarch wrote that Marcellus , when he had previously entered the city for a diplomatic meeting with the Syracusans , had noticed a weak point in its fortifications . He made his attack at this fragile spot , using a night attack by a small group of hand - picked soldiers to storm the walls and open the gates . During the attack , Archimedes was killed , an act Marcellus regretted . Plutarch writes that the Romans rampaged through the city , taking much of the plunder and artwork they could find . This has significance because Syracuse was a Greek city filled with Greek culture , art and architecture . Much of this Greek art was taken to Rome , where it was one of the first major impacts of Greek influence on Roman culture . Following his victory at Syracuse , Marcellus remained in Sicily , where he defeated more Carthaginian and rebel foes . The important city of Agrigentum was still under Carthaginian control , though there was now little the Carthaginian leadership could do to support it as the campaigns against the Romans in Spain and Italy now took precedence . At the end of 211 BC , Marcellus resigned from command of the Sicilian province , thereby putting the praetor of the region , M . Cornelius , in charge . Upon his return to Rome , Marcellus did not receive the triumphal honours that would be expected for such a feat , as his political enemies objected that he had not fully eradicated the threats in Sicily . Death in battle . The final period of Marcus Claudius Marcellus ’ life began with his fourth election to Roman consul in 210 BC . Marcellus ’ election to office sparked much controversy and resentment towards Marcellus because of accusations by political opponents that his actions in Sicily were excessively brutal . Representatives of Sicilian cities presented themselves before the senate to complain about Marcellus past actions . The complaints prevailed and Marcellus was forced to switch control of provinces with his colleague so that Marcellus was not the consul in control of Sicily . Upon switching provinces , Marcellus took command of the Roman army in the region of Apulia . In control of the Apulian army , Marcellus led many decisive victories against the Carthaginians . First , Marcellus took the city of Salapia and then continued along his way by conquering two cities in the region of Samnium . Next , when the army of Cn . Fulvius , another Roman general , was completely dismantled by Hannibal , Marcellus and his army stepped in to check the progress of the Carthaginian leader . Then Marcellus and Hannibal fought a battle at Numistro , where a clear victory could not be decided , although Rome claimed victory . Following this battle , Marcellus continued to keep Hannibal in check , yet the two armies never met in a decisive battle . In 209 BC , Marcellus was named proconsul and retained control of his army . During that year the Roman Army under Marcellus faced Hannibal ' s forces in a series of skirmishes and raids , without being drawn into open battle . Marcellus defended his actions and tactics in front of the senate and he was named consul for the fifth time for the year 208 BC . After entering his fifth consulship Marcellus re - entered the field and took command of the army at Venusia . While on a reconnaissance mission with his colleague , T . Quinctius Crispinus and a small band of 220 horsemen , the group was ambushed and nearly completely slaughtered by a much larger Carthaginian force of Numidian horsemen . Marcellus was impaled by a spear and died on the field . In the following days , Crispinus died of his wounds . In the year 23 BC , Emperor Augustus recounted that Hannibal had allowed Marcellus a proper funeral and even sent the ashes back to Marcellus ’ son . The loss of both consuls was a major blow to Roman morale , as the Republic had lost its two senior military commanders in a single battle , while the formidable Carthaginian army was still at large in Italy . Historical significance . Marcus Claudius Marcellus winning of the " spolia opima " earned him great fame in his lifetime . The " spolia opima " was one of the highest honors that could be bestowed upon a Roman general . Plutarch informs how the " spolia opima " was acquired . He stated that , “ only those spoils are ‘ " opima ’ " which are taken first , in a pitched battle , where general slays general . ” Only two others in Roman history , Romulus , the founder of Rome , and Aulus Cornelius Cossus , were allegedly honored with this prize . Marcellus is the only one of the three whose achievement has been historically confirmed . In terms of the history of the " spolia opima " , Marcellus holds great significance because he reinvigorated the meaning of the honored prize . Prior to Marcellus , the " spolia opima " was not of special importance in the minds of Romans because it had happened only twice before , if at all . Furthermore , the actual ritual of the " spolia opima " was not confirmed until Marcellus made it customary to dedicate the armor to Jupiter Feretrius . No one else accomplished the same feat to continue the tradition . In this way , Marcellus publicized the winning of the " spolia opima " and turned it into a legend . Marcellus was an important general during the Second Punic War and his five time election as consul has its place in Roman history . His decisive victories in Sicily were of history altering proportions , while his campaigns in Italy itself gave Hannibal himself pause and reinvigorated the Roman Senate . But it is Marcellus ’ triumph as a warrior and winner of a spolia opima that confirmed his place in ancient Roman history . Due to all of this , he is known as the " Sword of Rome " .