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{{Infobox
 | name = Marcus Junius Pera
 | above = Marcus Junius Pera
  |headerstyle = background:#ccf;
 | labelstyle =
 | datastyle  = 
 |header1 = [[Roman dictator|Dictator]] of the [[Roman Republic]]
 | label1 =  
 | data1 = 
 |header2 = 
 | label2 = '''In office'''
 | data2 = 216 BC
 |header3 = 
 | label3 = '''Magister equitum'''
 | data3 = [[Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus (consul 215 BC)|Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus]]
 |header4 = [[Roman censor|Censor]] of the [[Roman Republic]]
 | label4 =
 | data4 = 
 | label5 = '''In office'''
 | data5 = 225 BC
 |header6 = 
 | label6 = '''Colleague'''
 | data6 = [[Gaius Claudius Centho]]
 |header7 = [[Consul]] of the [[Roman Republic]]
 | label7 = 
 | data7 =
 |header8 = 
 | label8 = '''In office'''
 | data8 = 230 BC
 |header9 = 
 | label9 = '''Colleague'''
 | data9 = [[Marcus Aemilius Barbula]]
}}

'''Marcus Junius Pera''' ([[Floruit|fl.]] 230 - 216 BC) was a [[Rome|Roman]] politician during the [[Second Punic War]].

==Career== 
Pera is first recorded as holding office when he was elected as one of the [[Consul|consuls]] for the year 230 BC. During his time in office he, along with his colleague [[Marcus Aemilius Barbula]], campaigned against local tribes in [[Liguria]].<ref>Zonaras. ''Epitome Historiarum.'' 8.16.</ref>

He then began a 5-year term as [[Roman censor|censor]] in 225 BC, during which he and his colleague, [[Gaius Claudius Centho]], conducted a census of the Roman population. Livy reports the number of citizens as being 270,212 in the census of the time.<ref>Livy. ''Periochae''. 20.</ref> Such a large number would prove essential in [[Second Punic War]].

==Dictatorship==
During [[Hannibal]]'s invasion of Italy during the [[Second Punic War]], the [[Carthage|Carthaginian]] general all but wiped out an 85,000-strong Roman army at the [[Battle of Cannae]] in 216 BC. In doing so, one consul, [[Lucius Aemilius Paullus (consul 219 BC)|Lucius Aemilius Paullus]], was killed and the other, [[Gaius Terentius Varro]], was stranded with the few survivors of the battle at Venusia.<ref>Livy. 22.57.1</ref>

Without the consuls as military commanders, a [[Roman dictator|dictator]] was required to fill the gap at the top of the command structure. Pera was appointed with [[Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus (consul 215 BC)|Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus]] as his ''[[magister equitum]]''.<ref>Livy. 22.57.8.</ref><ref name="Strickland1854">{{cite book|author=Jane Margaret Strickland|title=Rome, Regal and Republican: A Family History of Rome|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G0kNX5zU4fcC&pg=PA322|year=1854|publisher=A. Hall. Virtue, & Company|pages=322–}}</ref> He immediately instituted a levy to replace the men killed at Cannae. With up to a fifth of adult male citizens already lost to the war,<ref>Cottrell, Leonard. Enemy of Rome. Evans Bros, 1965, {{ISBN|0-237-44320-1}}. p102</ref> Pera was forced to enlist underage boys and even buy and arm 8000 slaves.<ref>Livy. 22.57.9-11.</ref> By doing so, he had created a citizen army of four legions, reinforced by the slave-force and contributions from remaining allies.<ref>Livy. 22.57.9.</ref>

He fought no pitched battle against Hannibal during his time in command, instead leaving Gracchus to relieve the Romans besieged at [[Casilinum]].<ref>Livy. 23.19.3.</ref> Though Zonaras reports Pera as being wrong-footed by the Carthaginian as he was shadowing his camp. After ordering his men to copy the schedules of the Carthaginians - and thus not be taken by surprise - Pera was attacked by a detachment of Hannibal's army. When his troops had repulsed the offensive and retired, assuming the Carthaginians would now rest, he was surprised by a second attack from the bulk of the Carthaginian force that Hannibal had kept in reserve. The Roman entrenchments were captured.<ref>Zonaras. 9.3.</ref>

His dictatorship is also notable for the concurrent appointment of [[Marcus Fabius Buteo]]. It marked the only occasion in Roman history where two dictators were in office at the same time. With Pera away on campaign, Buteo was selected to appoint new men to the [[Roman senate|Senate]] after its ranks had been diminished greatly at Cannae.<ref>[[Thomas Robert Shannon Broughton|T.R.S. Broughton]], The Magistrates of the Roman Republic, American Philological Association (1952). vol. I. p248.</ref> According to Livy, Buteo was uncomfortable with the unprecedented dual-dictatorship and resigned promptly on completing his task.<ref>Livy. 23.23.7.</ref>

==See also==
* [[Junia (gens)]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

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{{succession box|title=[[List of Roman Republican consuls|Consul]] of the [[Roman Republic]]|before=[[Marcus Pomponius Matho]] and [[Gaius Papirius Maso]]||after=[[Lucius Postumius Albinus (consul 234 and 229 BC)|Lucius Postumius Albinus]] and [[Gnaeus Fulvius Centumalus]]|years=''with [[Marcus Aemilius Barbula]]''<br /> 230 BC}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Junius Pera, Marcus}}
[[Category:Ancient Roman dictators]]
[[Category:Roman Republican consuls]]
[[Category:Roman censors]]
[[Category:Junii|Pera, Marcus]]
[[Category:3rd-century BC Romans]]
[[Category:3rd-century BC rulers]]