CARBO, the name of a Roman plebeian family of the gens Papiria. The following are the most important members:— I. GAIUS PAPIRIUS CARBO, tribune of the people (131 B.C.), carried a law extending voting by ballot to the enactment and repeal of laws ; another proposal, that the tribunes should be allowed to become candidates for the same office in the year immediately following, was defeated by Scipio Aemilianus. In 13o he became a member of the Gracchan land-commission (see GRACCHUS). Carbo was suspected of having been concerned in the sudden death of Scipio (12g). He subsequently went over to the optimates, and (when consul in I20) successfully defended Lucius Opimius, the murderer of Gaius Gracchus. But the opti mates did not trust Carbo. He was impeached by Licinius Crassus on a charge of murdering citizens without a trial, and committed suicide.
See Livy, Epit. 59; Appian, Bell. Civ. i. 18; Vell. Pat. ii. 4; Val. Max. iii. 7, 6; A. H. J. Greenidge, History of Rome (19o4)• 2. His son, GAIUS PAPIRIUS CARBO, surnamed Arvina, was a supporter of the aristocracy, and was put to death by the Marian party in 82. He is known chiefly for the law (Plautia Papiria) carried by him and M. Plautius Silvanus when tribunes of the people in go (or 8g), whereby the Roman franchise was offered to every Italian ally domiciled in Italy at the time when the law was enacted, provided he made application personally within 6o days to the praetor at Rome.
See Cicero, Pro Archia, 4 ; Vell. Pat. ii. 26; Appian, Bell. Civ. i. 88.
He was a strong supporter of the Marian party, and took part in the blockade of Rome (87). In 85 he was chosen by Cinna as his colleague in the consulship, and the two prepared to carry on war against Sulla, who had announced his intention of returning to Italy. Cinna and Carbo declared themselves consuls for the fol lowing year, but Cinna was murdered by his own soldiers, leaving Carbo sole consul. In 82 Carbo, then consul for the third time, fought a drawn battle with Sulla near Clusium, but he was utterly defeated by Sulla's general, Metellus Pius [see under METELLUS (6)] near Faventia. Carbo fled from Italy, but was captured at Cossyra (Pentellaria), and put to death by Pompey.
See Appian, Bell. Civ. 1. 67-98 ; Livy, Epit. 79, 84, 88, 89 ; Plutarch, Pompey, 5, 6, and Sulla, 28 ; Cicero, ad Fam. ix. 21 ; Eutropius, V. 8, 9; Orosius, V. 20 ; Valerius V. 3, 5, ix. 13, 2 ; art. SULLA, L. CORNELIUS.