Gnaeus Iulius Verus

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Gnaeus Iulius Verus (* around 112 AD in Colonia Claudia Aequum, Dalmatia ; † around 180) was a Roman senator and general in the 2nd century AD.

Life

Since the literary sources for the 2nd century AD are extremely poor and Iulius Verus is not mentioned, one is primarily dependent on inscriptions for the presentation of his biography. The most important of them, which was erected in his honor by the inhabitants of his hometown, shows the stages of his career up to his legacy in Syria . Other inscriptions found in Britain and Syria provide additional information about Iulius Verus.

Iulius Verus was born in the Colonia Claudia Aequum in Dalmatia . Since he later became a mint master and quaestor , he must have belonged to the senatorial class (by birth or through family connections). The first office of his course honorum , which began under Emperor Hadrian , was that of Triumvir aere argentio auro flando feriundo . He then became a tribune of the Legio X Fretensis and perhaps served under the possibly related Gnaeus Minicius Faustinus Sextus Iulius Severus ( suffect consul 127 AD) in his war against the Jews ( Bar Kochba revolt 132-135 AD .). Either at the end of Hadrian's reign or at the beginning of that of Emperor Antoninus Pius he became Imperial Quaestor. As further offices he then held the tribunate , the praetur and around 142-145 AD a legacy at the Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix stationed in Vetera (near today's Xanten ) . Around 147–150 AD he was the administrator of the state treasury ( Praefectus aerari Saturni ) and around 151 AD as a suffect consul. At this time he should also have become an Augur .

Iulius Verus then became the governor of two Roman provinces , first of Germania inferior , where he probably succeeded the lawyer Publius Salvius Iulianus in office, then (around 157 AD) of Britain. There he brought reinforcement troops from the Roman army on the Rhine, apparently to suppress the revolt of the British brigands . He was able to finish this task victoriously and then had castles built on the territory of the rebellious brigands to secure Roman rule. Some inscriptions show that he carried out significant military construction work, particularly in the vicinity of Hadrian's Wall . Marcus Statius Priscus Licinius Italicus , the consul of 159 AD, succeeded him as governor of Britain around 160 or 161 AD.

Soon afterwards a war between Parthians and Romans broke out in Asia, and an experienced general was needed in this province since the governor of Syria, Attidius Cornelianus, suffered a crushing defeat in AD 162. The emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus entrusted this task to Julius Verus in 163 or 164 AD, although the latter emperor was in command of the war against the Parthians. The few surviving sources on the events of this war do not mention Iulius Verus, but according to their statement, Avidius Cassius achieved almost all victories (especially the conquest of Seleukia-Ctesiphon as the most outstanding success). Iulius Verus was involved in the new raising of the Legio II Italica and Legio III Italica . At least until the peace was sealed (166 AD) he was a military leader in Syria. According to some inscriptions from Abila am Chrysorrhoas, he secured the road to protect against rock falls by building tunnels and canals. 180 AD was again designated as consul, but could not take up this office because of his previous death.

literature

Web links

Remarks

  1. ↑ CIL 3, 2732 = Dessau I 1057; this inscription (discovered in 1770, but then lost) was first correctly associated in 1903 by Ritterling with a further piece of an inscription ( CIL 3, 8714 ) found near Rumin ( Dalmatia ) .
  2. ↑ Ephemeris Epigraphica IX 1108 (from Anavio); IX 1163 ( Pons Aelius fort ); IX 1230 (Blatobulgium, from AD 158); IX 1383 (Coriosopidum)
  3. ^ AE 1956, 123 .
  4. ↑ CIL 3, 199 (where he is called a friend ( amicus ) of the two ruling emperors); CIL 3, 200-201.
personal data
SURNAME Iulius Verus, Gnaeus
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Verus, Gnaeus Iulius
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Roman general, suffect consul 151 AD and governor of Britain
DATE OF BIRTH at 112
PLACE OF BIRTH Colonia Claudia Aequum, Dalmatia
DATE OF DEATH at 180