Marcus Ambibulus

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Coin minted under Marcus Ambibulus (12 AD)

Marcus Ambibulus was the second prefect of Rome in Judea . He was responsible for this area from 9 to 12 AD. The only source for his tenure is a short passage from Flavius ​​Josephus . Nothing is recorded about his life before and after the time in Judea.

Marcus Ambibulus was the successor to Coponius , who was removed from office by Emperor Augustus in 8 AD . As a praefectus civitatis , that is, as the governor of a region that had not yet been included in the actual provincial administration, Ambibulus was probably a member of the equestrian order ( equester ordo ) to which one of his successors, Pontius Pilate, belonged. This corresponds to the second highest level of the Roman social order after the senators .

Since the Roman historiography does not mention Marcus Ambibulus any further and Josephus does not report any rebellions against him during his tenure, it can be assumed that he carried out his office according to Roman ideas.

In the time of Marcus Ambibulus the death of Salome , the sister of Herod I fell . She bequeathed the areas of Jamnia , Phasaelis and the plantations around Archelais to Livia Drusilla , the third wife of Emperor Augustus. Marcus Ambibulus was expected to take over the protection of these areas, which were later added to the Judean, as well, which increased his area of ​​responsibility.

Like his predecessor, Coponius, Marcus Ambibulus had coins minted, although - as with this one - there was no self-portrait of the prefect. Presumably this was done out of respect for the Jewish ban on images , which is set out in the Ten Commandments . Instead, the coins of the ambibulus usually bear fruit-bearing date palms or ears of corn, which corresponds to the motifs on the coins of Coponius.

Marcus Ambubulus was succeeded by Annius Rufus .

literature

  • Ségolène Demougin (Ed.): L'ordre équestre. Histoire d'une aristocratie (II e siècle av. J.-C.-III e siècle ap. J.-C.) . École Française de Rome, Rome 1999, ISBN 2-7283-0445-9 .

See also

Web links

Remarks

  1. ↑ Flavius ​​Josephus, Jüdische Antiquities 18, 31.
personal data
SURNAME Ambibulus, Marcus
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ambivulus, Marcus
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Roman prefect of Judea (9-12)
DATE OF BIRTH 1st century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 1st century