Marcus Minucius Augurinus

Marcus Minucius Augurinus (Latin, Marcus Minucius Augurinus ) was a Roman Republican politician of the patrician gens Minucia during the beginning of the 5th century BC. He served as Consul of Rome in 497 BC and 491 BC, both times serving together with Aulus Sempronius Atratinus.

Family Origins
Although the Minucia gens has been traditionally known as a plebian family, the family's origins are indeed of the patrician class and it is from that branch of the family from which Minucius Augurinus is descended.

He was the brother of Publius Minucius Augurinus, who later served as consul in 492 BC.

Biography
Minucius Augurinus was the first of his gens to become a Roman consul, serving in the years 497 BC and 491 BC respectively. On both occasions, he served together with Aulus Sempronius Atratinus. During his first tenure as consul, he was charged with the consecration of the newly constructed Temple of Saturn in the Roman forum. It was during this consulship that the festivities surrounding Saturnalia first began.

He was again elected consul in 492 BC at a time when there was a famine in Rome.

Dionysius of Halicarnassus gives credit to Minucius as having been the speaker at the trial of Coriolanus (491 BC). Acting as Coriolanus' defender and as the mitigatory ambassador sent to the Volsci camp commanded by the same Coriolanus in 488 BC.