Marcus Lollius

Roman consul 21 BC, grandfather of empress Lollia Paulina
the Roman military officer

Marcus Lollius (c. 55 BC after 2 BC) was a Roman politician, military officer and supporter of the first Roman emperor Augustus. His father was Marcus Lollius. Little is known of his family and early life. It is likely that he was a homo novus or a new man of politics in the late Roman Republic and early Imperial era.

Between 2005 and 2006, professors and archaeologists from the University of Cologne, Germany, and the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, participated in archaeological studies and restorations of Roman antiquities in Sagalassos, Turkey. Among their various finds was an inscribed cylindrical base for a colossal statue representing Lollius. On the statue base there is an honorific Greek inscription stating, "Marcus Lollius is honored by the demos [people of Sagalassos] as their patronus [patron]." This means Lollius must have brought privileges to the city, perhaps such as intervention in the extension of its territory, solving territorial disputes with neighboring cities or estates, or special contacts with the emperor. Another pair of finds connected with the statue base found at Sagalassos are two foot fragments that may have belonged to a colossal statue of Lollius from the reign of Augustus. The ancient boots, which are identified as "lion boots" or mulleus, were embroidered, buckled on the outside and strapped in the inside. These boots were made from leather, in particular from cat skin. These boots symbolized power and were considered royal footwear. These items found are possibly dated to about 1 BC, when Lollius and Gaius Caesar visited the Roman East. As Gaius Caesar at this time was honored in many cities, it seems that Lollius was also an honored personality in this region. The original monument of Lollius was ca. 5 meters tall, and his statue was placed in one of the most important locations in Sagalassos. The remains of Lollius' statue are now on display at Burdur Museum in Turkey.