Titus Vestricius Spurinna ( Latin: Titus Vestricius Spurinna ) - Roman statesman of the second half of the 1st century - beginning of the 2nd century, consul-suffix 72/73 and 98. He came from Italy, made a worthy career, maintaining his position under several emperors. Celebrated by contemporaries for their personal qualities.
| Titus Vestricius Spurinna | |||||||
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| lat Titus Vestricius Spurinna | |||||||
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| Birth | 24 | ||||||
| Death | |||||||
| Spouse | Cottia | ||||||
| Children | Cottius | ||||||
Content
Biography
Origin, family, lifestyle
Titus Vestricius Spurinna came from Northern Italy [1] . From a letter by Pliny the Younger dated 101, where he writes that Spurinne was 78 years old at that time, we can conclude that he was born about 24 years old [2] .
Vestricius Spurinna was a friend of Pliny the Younger, with whom he corresponded [3] [4] [5] . In addition, he was not deprived of literary talent, wrote lyric poems in Latin and Greek (according to Pliny's definition, “sweetly pleasant, funny” [6] ), but his compositions did not reach our times [7] . Pliny the Younger also reports that scenes from various Roman comedies were often played out at Spurinna's dinners [8] . It is worth noting that Westritius supported the young poets [9] .
The wife of Spurinna was called Cottia and she, apparently, was much younger than himself [5] . It is known that in their marriage one son was born, who died before the age of 97 in the absence of his father, before he could begin a political career. Pliny the Younger writes that the son of Spurinna received the name Cottius by the name of his mother [5] . This fact clearly illustrates that in the imperial era, sons could adopt the family name of the mother along with the family name of the father [10] . Pliny reports that after the death of Cottius, a statue was placed because he “promised so much good that his short, shortened life should be prolonged by this semblance of immortality” [11] . Pliny devoted Cottius to one of his works [2] .
In one of his letters, Pliny admires the way of life of Spurinna, her measured and calm. He reports that Titus, despite his venerable age (at the time of writing the letter, he was seventy-seven years old), spends a lot of time every day on foot walks, reading, talking with friends, doing literary activities, sports exercises [6] . Pliny also notes that “neither his sight nor his hearing was weakened, he is alive and mobile; from old age he has only prudence ” [6] .
Career
Titus Vestricius Spurinna was consul at least twice. The first time, between 72 and 73, he served as consul-suffice [1] . Twenty-five years later, in '98 , Titus was in this post for the second time. Sometimes Spurinne is credited with a third consulate. So, according to this version, which is very rare in historical literature, he was a consul-suffect for about 100 years [12] [13] .
During the reign of the emperor Domitian, Spurinna did not hold any posts due to the fact that he was in disgrace [14] . Under Nerve , in 97 Titus was legate prophet of Lower Germany [15] . At the suggestion of the emperor, the Senate decided to set up a triumphal statue of Spurinne for the fact that he “by force of arms brought the king of Brookters to the kingdom and, hinting at a possible war, tamed this fierce people with fear” [11] [14] . This was a great privilege on the part of the sovereign [16] . It is known that Spurinna entered the inner circle of the Nerve [17] .
During the year of the four emperors , a certain Vestrios Spurinna was one of the military leaders of the emperor Oton and commanded troops in the Po river valley, preventing the approach of Vitellius reinforcements from Gaul [18] . Spurinna occupied Placentia with three Praetorian cohorts, a thousand legionnaires and a cavalry detachment. He managed to persuade the soldiers who wanted to camp outside the city walls and meet the enemy there, to stay inside Placentia [19] . Soon, the enemy commander Aul Tsetsin Alien approached. Spurinna repeatedly repelled his attacks on the city and forced him to leave with nothing [20] .
No source indicates that this Spurinna should be identified with his namesake consul, except for Prosopographia Imperii Romani [16] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Grainger, 2003 , p. 14.
- ↑ 1 2 Pliny the Younger . Letters. III. ten.
- ↑ Flobert, 2002 , p. 35.
- ↑ Flobert, 2002 , pp. 109-111.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Flobert, 2002 , pp. 129-130.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Pliny the Younger . Letters. III. one.
- ↑ Katharina Schickert. Der Schutz literarischer Urheberschaft im Rom der klassischen Antike. - Mohr Siebeck, 2005 .-- S. 16.
- ↑ Pliny the Younger . Letters. III. one.
- ↑ Armisen-Marchetti Mireille. Pline le Jeune et la poésie (French) // Vita Latina. - 1992. - N o 128 . - P. 29 .
- ↑ Shelton, 2013 , p. 132.
- ↑ 1 2 Pliny the Younger . Letters. II. 7.
- ↑ Flobert, 2002 , p. 493.
- ↑ Grainger, 2003 , p. 13.
- ↑ 1 2 Griffin, 2000 , p. 89.
- ↑ Parkin, 2003 , p. 122.
- ↑ 1 2 Flobert, 2002 , p. 79.
- ↑ Françoise Des Boscs-Plateaux. Un parti hispanique à Rome ?. - Madrid: Casa de Velázquez, 2006 .-- S. 277.
- ↑ Tacitus . Story. II. eleven.
- ↑ Tacitus . Story. II. 18-19.
- ↑ Tacitus . Story. II. 21-22.
Literature
Sources
Literature
- Miriam Griffin. Nerva to Hadrian. Cambridge Ancient History: The High Empire AD 70–192. - Cambridge University Press, 2000.
- Annette Flobert. Lettres de Pline. - Flammarion, 2002.
- John D. Grainger. Roman Succession Crisis of AD 96-99 and the Reign of Nerva. - Routledge, 2003.
- Tim G. Parkin. Old Age in the Roman World: A Cultural and Social History. - Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003.
- Jo-Ann Shelton. The Women of Pliny's Letters. - Routledge, 2013.