Suetonius\' Nero!

[Spedius]

Ave!

In Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus' book "The Twelve Caesars" published by Penguin Classics in 1987, ISBN 0-14-04.4072-0, translated by Robert Graves, on page 220, is the following passage:-

"14. The first of Nero's four consulships lasted for two months, the third for four, the second and the last for six. He let a year elapse between the first and second, and between the third and fourth; but not between the second and third."

Is that confusing or what?

So the question is, if Nero's first consulship was in 55 AD, when were the other three?

Vale

M. Spedius Corbulo

[Jona Lendering]

Consul I: 55
Consul II: 57
Consul II: 58
Consul IV: 60
Consul V: 68

See [url:1at1aujf]http://www.livius.org/ne-nn/nero/nero.html[/url]

[Spedius]

Ave Jona,

Thank you for your swift response and I must congratulate you on a truly inspirational website. Is your avatar the tree of knowledge?

If I may recap.

"14. The first of Nero's four consulships lasted for two months, the third for four, the second and the last for six. He let a year elapse between the first and second, and between the third and fourth; but not between the second and third."

Nero's reign was from 13/10/54 to 9/6/68; these were the pairs of consuls elected for each year during that period.

k.Ian.54 Manius Acilius Aviola, Marcus Asinius Marcellus
k.Ian.55 Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus I, Lucius Antistius Vetus
k.Ian.56 Quintus Volusius Saturninus, Publius Cornelius Scipio
k.Ian.57 Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus II, Lucius Calpurnius Piso
k.Ian.58 Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus III, Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus
k.Ian.59 Gaius Vipstanus Apronianus, Gaius Fonteius Capito
k.Ian.60 Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus IV, Cossus Cornelius Lentulus
k.Ian.61 Publius Petronius Turpilianus, Lucius Caesennius Paetus
k.Ian.62 Publius Marius Celsus, Lucius Afinius Gallus
k.Ian.63 Gaius Memmius Regulus, Lucius Verginius Rufus I
k.Ian.64 Gaius Laecanius Bassus, Marcus Licinius Crassus Frugi
k.Ian.65 Aulus Licinius Nerva Silianus, Marcus Julius Vestinus Atticus
k.Ian.66 Gaius Luccius Telesinus, C. Suetonius Paullinus II
k.Ian.67 Fonteius Capito, Lucius Julius Rufus
k.Ian.68 Publius Galerius Trachalus, Tiberius Catius Asconius Silius Italicus

This is an extract from one of many such lists of ordinary consuls easily found on the internet, however, suffect consuls are a lot harder to find. If anyone can provide the suffects, with sources, I would be extremely grateful?

Just a point of interest, if in 66 AD C. Suetonius Paullinus was elected consul for the second time, when was his first consulship and who was his co-consul? Please quote the sources in your answer.

Vale

M. Spedius Corbulo

[Spedius]

Ave!

In order to bring this topic to "life", I thought that an image of Nero would be appropriate.

Vale

M. Spedius Corbulo

[Jona Lendering]

Just a point of interest, if in 66 AD C. Suetonius Paullinus was elected consul for the second time, when was his first consulship and who was his co-consul? Please quote the sources in your answer.

He is called vetustissimus consularium by Tacitus (Histories 2.37.1) in a context that suggests a consulship before Claudius' British campaign. That is all there is, according to the Neue Pauly.

[Spedius]

Just a point of interest, if in 66 AD C. Suetonius Paullinus was elected consul for the second time, when was his first consulship and who was his co-consul? Please quote the sources in your answer.

He is called vetustissimus consularium by Tacitus (Histories 2.37.1) in a context that suggests a consulship before Claudius' British campaign. That is all there is, according to the Neue Pauly.

Ave Jona,

Thank you very much for the information.

My Latin translator says that vetustissimus consularium is roughly, "of long-standing consular rank". Is that how you read it?

I wonder how old C. Seutonius Paullinus was when appointed to Britannia as the Imperial Governor, in his early to mid-50s perhaps? I see that he fought in the civil war after Nero's death in 68/69?

Vale

M. Spedius Corbulo

[Jona Lendering]

"of long-standing consular rank": I would, rather freely, interpret it as the highest ranking (i.e. senior) available officer.

About the age of Paullinus, I don't know. If he obtained his first consul in, say, 40, he was born in 8, because one reached one's consulship typically at the age of 32. ([url:dsljnnz9]http://www.livius.org/ct-cz/cursus/cursus_honorum.html[/url])

[Spedius]

Ave Jona,

Thank you for correcting me, I admit to being less than familiar with any Latin not associated with Roman Military Diplomas.

In an earlier post you mentioned the "Neue Pauly", would it by any chance contain the cursus honorum of C. Seutonius Paullinus?

As you may know I'm trying to put together as much information as possible in support of the topic "Imperial Governor"?

Any assistance that you are able to give on that project would be gratefully appreciated.

Vale

M. Spedius Corbulo

[Spedius]

Ave!

So that this topic can be used as a source of information about Nero, I'm expanding it.

I've used the excellent book by Chris Scarre "Chronicle of the Roman Emperors" published by Thames and Hudson in 1995, ISBN 0-500-05077-5 to fill in some of the basics.

I've rearranged that basic data into a pair of easy-to-use charts.

Vale

M. Spedius Corbulo

[Jona Lendering]

In an earlier post you mentioned the "Neue Pauly", would it by any chance contain the cursus honorum of C. Seutonius Paullinus?

It mentions:

• before 42 praetor
  42: as legate in the Atlas
  before 45: consul I (I do not understand this; Tacitus suggests an earlier consulate)
  43: perhaps in Britain
  58: governor of Britain (succeeds Q. Veranius); conquest of Mona
  60: revolt of Boudicca
  conflict with procurator Classicianus; Polyclitus sent to negotiate; Suetonius pensioned off; no disfavor
  66: a Suetonius Paullinus is consul ordinarius (his son?)
  69: "our" Suetonius Paullinus supports Otho; spared by Vitellius

[Jona Lendering]

BTW, perhaps you must consult Birley's Fasti.

[Spedius]

Ave Jona,

Thank you for taking the time, out of what I can only imagine is a busy schedule, to look up details of C. Suetonius Paulinus.

Could I ask of you yet another favour?

I searched for Paulinus in Prosopographia Imperii Romani at

http://www.bbaw.de/forschung/pir/suche.html

This is what I found - C. Suetonius Paulinus - PIR 1 S 0694 , there was only one entry under that name not two, so no son?

If you or anyone else has access to the printed version of PIR 1 could you possibly look this reference up and post the details here?

Thank you.

Vale

M. Spedius Corbulo

[Spedius]

Ave Jona,

So that I could prove or disprove C. Suetonius Paulinus consulships I went back to basics.

I had previously found three inscriptions mentioning him and they are:-

Belegstelle: AE 1946, 00124
Provinz: Roma Ort: Roma

]i[u]s Cesa[3] / [C(aius) Laecani]us Bassus p(ater) / [3]us Silanus / [3] anno LI / [[M(arco) Iulio Vestino Attico]] / [A(ulo) Licinio Nerva Sili]ano / Firmo Pasidieno c(on)s(ulibus) / [M(arcus) Po]mpeius Silvanus / [P(ublius) Co]rnelius Scipio / [C(aius) Me]mmius Regulus II / anno LII / [C(aio) Luc]cio [Telesino] / [C(aio) Suetonio Paullino c(on)s(ulibus)]

Belegstelle: Finke 00111
Provinz: Germania superior Ort: Windisch / Vindonissa

C[aio] Luccio Telesino C(aio) Suetonio[o Paullino]/Rufo Capitone co(n)s(ulibus) su[ccussoribus]

Belegstelle: CIL 06, 08639 (p 3461) = CIL 10, 06637 = AE 1997, 00102 = AE 2002, 00309
Provinz: Roma Ort: Roma

] Acratus / [3]rus tegularius numm(ularius) / [3]ros Structor numm(ularius) / [3]s Metrodas numm(ularius) / [A(ulo) Vitellio L(ucio)] Vipstano Poplicola co(n)s(ulibus) / [Ti(berius) Cla]udius Amarantus / [Ti(berius) Cla]udius Epaphroditus / [3]ctus vilicus / [Q(uinto) Veranio A(ulo)] Pompeio Gallo co(n)s(ulibus) / [3] topiar(ius) / [3] aedit(uus) / [3] Amarantus / [3] Lini praef(ecti) / [C(aio) Antistio Ve]nere M(arco) Suillio Nerulino co(n)s(ulibus) / [3]us disp(ensator) / [3]nus disp(ensator) / [3] Cosmus / [3]utus / [3] co(n)s(ulibus) / [ // ] / Ti(berius) Claudius Daphn[us] / [[6]] / Euphemus Atren[sis 3] / Claudia Fausti[na 3] / Artoria Phlogi[3] / Claudia Hellas numm(ularia) / C(aio) Luccio Telesino C(aio) Suetonio [Paulino co(n)s(ulibus)] / Pannychus / sita a valetudin[nario] / A(ulus) Caicilius a pisci[na] / Claudia Corin[3] / [[6]] / L(ucio) Iulio Rufo [co(n)s(ule)] / Claudia Tyche / Ti(berius) Claudius Q(uinti) (!) Ponti[3] / Antonius Faustu[s 3] / Albanus Vilic[us 3] / P(ublio) Galerio Trachalo [co(n)s(ule)] / Antonia Musa / Claudia Zosime / Iulia Secunda numm(ularia) / [S]ulpicio Galba II T(ito) Vinio [Rufino co(n)s(ulibus)] / [3]allus / [3]s / [3]us / [

None of them mention his second consulship?

So I looked for consul lists and I found this at:-

http://www.info-antike.de/consules2.htm

66 C. Luccius Telesinus, C. Suetonius Paullinus II

What do you think?

Vale

M. Spedius Corbulo

[Spedius]

BTW, perhaps you must consult Birley's Fasti.

Ave Jona,

By Birley's Fasti I assume you are refering to Eric Birley's "The Fasti of Roman Britain" published in 1981?

I read somewhere that he was considering updating it. Although there were few new names, more information had surfaced on those already known.

I looked this book up at http://used.addall.com/ recently and, IIRC, there were ten copies ranging from GBP 140 to GBP 70.

I don't have access to this book but perhaps you do?

Vale

M. Spedius Corbulo

[Spedius]

Ave!

Over the next few days and weeks I'm going to be filling in as many suffect consuls, who were elected during Nero's reign, as I can.

Keep looking in as the list of consuls gets longer and longer.

If those of you reading this possess more knowledge than I, please feel free to post it within this topic.

The first additions to the list are four Roman Military Diplomas; the only diplomas found for Nero, so far.

k.Ian.54 Manius Acilius Aviola, Marcus Asinius Marcellus
XIIII.k.Iul.54 Manius Acilius Aviola, Marcus Asinius Marcellus - CIL XVI, 03 - Diploma
k.Ian.55 Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus I, Lucius Antistius Vetus
k.Ian.56 Quintus Volusius Saturninus, Publius Cornelius Scipio
k.Ian.57 Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus II, Lucius Calpurnius Piso
k.Ian.58 Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus III, Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus
k.Ian.59 Gaius Vipstanus Apronianus, Gaius Fonteius Capito
k.Ian.60 Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus IV, Cossus Cornelius Lentulus
k.Ian.61 Publius Petronius Turpilianus, Lucius Caesennius Paetus
VI.Non.Iul.61 Cn(aeo) Pedanio Salinatore, L(ucio) Velleio Paterculo - CIL XVI, 04 & RMD-04, 202 - Diploma
k.Ian.62 Publius Marius Celsus, Lucius Afinius Gallus
k.Ian.63 Gaius Memmius Regulus, Lucius Verginius Rufus I
k.Ian.64 Gaius Laecanius Bassus, Marcus Licinius Crassus Frugi
XVII.k.Iul.64 Gaius Laecanius Bassus, Marcus Licinius Crassus Frugi - CIL XVI, 05 - Diploma
k.Ian.65 Aulus Licinius Nerva Silianus, Marcus Julius Vestinus Atticus
k.Ian.66 Gaius Luccius Telesinus, C. Suetonius Paullinus II
k.Ian.67 Fonteius Capito, Lucius Julius Rufus
k.Ian.68 Publius Galerius Trachalus, Tiberius Catius Asconius Silius Italicus

Vale

M. Spedius Corbulo