A member of the Optimates, who worked to protect the rights of the Roman aristocracy.
Philippus was a tribune of the plebs in 104 BCE. While he lost his campaign for consul in 94 BCE to Marcus Herennius, he did become consul in 91 BCE with
Sextus Julius Caesar. A member of the Optimates, he often opposed Marcus Livius Drusus, who attempted to pass laws that would be beneficial to the Italian (but not Roman) people and thus possibly reconcile the Senate to them. At one point, he even moved so far as to say that there was a need for an entirely new Senate. At another time, he outright interrupted Drusus, and Philippus was physically dragged from the Senate house. He was dragged away by the throat to the prison. Eventually, as augur, he was able to convince the Senate that the laws Drusus passed had been passed under poor auspices. After this, Drusus was assassinated, and the Social War broke out.
During the Sullan Civil War, he mostly kept his head down. Despite being a supporter of Sulla, he was left untouched during Cinna’s rule. After Sulla’s death, he initially resisted the attempts to change the constitution before supporting Gnaeus Pompeius.