Titus Pullo

This article is about the historical person. For the character in the HBO series Rome, see Titus Pullo (Rome character).

Titus Pullo
A page 118 of Julius Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico with description of actions of T. Pulfio & L. Varenus
Allegiance	Julius Caesar, later Pompey
Rank	Centurion
Unit	Legio XXIV Vixtrix Rapax
Battles/wars	Battle of Pharsalus

Titus Pullo was one of the two Roman centurions of the 11th Legion (Legio XI Claudia) mentioned in the writings of Julius Caesar. The other soldier mentioned was Lucius Vorenus; they appear in Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico, Book 5, Chapter 44. Pullo was in the 13th legion in Gaul. Pullo and Vorenus were fierce rivals for promotion to primus pilus, the most senior centurion in a legion. Both distinguished themselves in 54 BC when the Nervii attacked the legion under Quintus Cicero in their winter quarters in Nervian territory. In an effort to outdo Vorenus, Pullo charged out of the fortified camp and attacked the enemy, but was soon wounded and surrounded. Vorenus followed and engaged his attackers in hand-to-hand combat, killing one and driving the rest back, but lost his footing and was himself soon surrounded. Pullo in turn rescued Vorenus, and after killing several of the enemy, the pair returned to camp amid applause from their comrades.

In the Civil War of 49 BC, Pullo was assigned to the XXIV Victrix Rapax, a new Italian legion commanded by the legate Gaius Antonius. In 48 BC, Antonius was blockaded on an island and forced to surrender; Pullo was apparently responsible for most of his soldiers switching sides to fight for Pompey. Later that year, he is recorded bravely defending Pompey's camp in Greece from Caesar's attack shortly before the Battle of Pharsalus.

Fictional depictions

Rome

Main article: Titus Pullo (Rome character)

Titus Pullo is one of the principal characters in the HBO/BBC/RAI original television series Rome, played by actor Ray Stevenson. The character is loosely based on the historical Pullo, although he is depicted as a legionary - not a centurion - under the command of Lucius Vorenus, and as belonging to Legio XIII Gemina and not to Legio XI\XXIV Victrix Rapax. In this depiction, Pullo plays a major role in several significant historical events, including fathering Cleopatra's son Caesarion, and assassinating Marcus Tullius Cicero.

Caesar

Titus Pullo and Lucius Vorenus are also minor characters in Caesar, a book in Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series. They are shown as centurions, serving under Quintus Cicero, commander of the Ninth Legion (Legio IX Hispana).

Legion

Pullo also appears, again with Lucius Vorenus, in the Legion tetralogy of the Videssos Cycle by Harry Turtledove. The novels are about a few maniples of Caesar's legions in Gaul being whisked away by druid magic to a land of magic loosely based on the Byzantine empire. The two companions are fairly faithful to Caesar's portrayal, starting as rival legionaries before becoming fast friends and rising to centurion rank.