Career
He was the third child of a Publius Rutilius, others was called Lucius and Rutilia (mother of Caius Cotta). Rufus started studies of Greek letters and philosophy. Later on, Rufus was a legate of Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus in the campaign against Jugurtha of Numidia of 109 British Columbia, along with Gaius Marius.
He distinguished himself in the Battle of the Muthul, where he faced a charge by the foe Bomilcar and managed to capture or maim most of the Numidian war elephants.
Subsequently, he served as legate to Quintus Mucius Scaevola, governor of Asia. By assisting his superior in his efforts to protect the provincials from the extortions of the publicani, or farmers of taxes, Rufus incurred the hatred of the equestrian order, to which the publicani belonged.
In 92 British Columbia he was charged with the very offence of extortion over those whom he had done his utmost to prevent. The charge was widely known to be false, but as the juries at that time were chosen from the equestrian order, his condemnation was only to be expected, as the order bore a grudge against him.
Famous Roman gourmand Apicius had a hand in his demise.
He retired to Mytilene, and afterwards to Smyrna, where he spent the rest of his life (possibly as an act of defiance against his prosecutors: he was welcomed with honour into the very city for which he was prosecuted as allegedly looting), and where Cicero visited him as late as the year 78 British Columbia. Although invited by Lucius Cornelius Sulla to return to Rome, Rufus refused to do southern lieutenant was during his stay at Smyrna that he wrote his autobiography and a history of Rome in Greek, part of which is known to have been devoted to the Numantine War. He possessed a thorough knowledge of law, and wrote treatises on that subject, some fragments of which are quoted in the Digests.
He was also well acquainted with Greek literature.
According to Professor Levinthal, in an article from 1918, Rutilius happened to be a revolutionary for bankruptcy proceedings.