Marcus Aurelius Cleander

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Marcus Aurelius Cleander († 189 or 190) was a Roman politician and Praetorian prefect under Emperor Commodus .

Cleander, a Phrygian , was born into slavery and likely released under Marcus Aurelius . He played an important role since the beginning of the rule of Commodus. Cleander had already built up a personal relationship with Commodus in his childhood, as he had been entrusted with his supervision at times. According to Cassius Dio , he already had a hand in the overthrow of Saoterus , a chamberlain of Commodus, and the Praetorian prefect Publius Taruttienus Paternus , which is why he probably already held important offices in the administration of the palace under Marcus Aurelius. The title τροφέυς ("nurse"), which Commodus attached to him in a letter to the Athenians, might even suggest a role in the upbringing of the emperor.

As a cubiculo he was already an influential person during the dominance of the Praetorian prefect Tigidius Perennis . When dissatisfied Roman soldiers from Britain confronted the emperor in 185 to claim the head of Perennis, he is said to have advised Commodus to drop the prefect. With the fall of Perennis, Cleander became the most important person in the emperor's circle.However, he was initially smart enough not to make this role too obvious by holding a prestigious office, and therefore did not strive for the office of Praetorian prefect, but remained as gray eminence in the background, only provided with the title a cubiculo et a pugione ("Chamberlain and Dagger Bearer").

For the time being, others acted externally, but their importance and position was weak. The trial of Lucius Antistius Burrus , in which the prefect Atilius Aebutianus opposed Cleander, forced Cleander to openly show his position of power. According to some ancient sources, after the elimination of Aebutianus in 187, Cleander finally appeared as the third Praetorian prefect alongside the new incumbents Iulius Vehilius Gallus Iulianus and Regillus. This would have been a double break with tradition, for on the one hand there had never been more than two Praetorian prefects, and on the other hand no freedman had ever held this post. On the other hand, it has been doubted in some research that Cleander actually held this office. In any case, he had apparently overstepped the curve with his behavior, because shortly afterwards he was sacrificed to the mob by Commodus as part of a hunger revolt triggered by the then grain prefect ( praefectus annonae ) Marcus Aurelius Papirius Dionysius .

Under the influence of Cleander, Commodus had again moved closer to the Senate and restricted the emperor's beneficia to the people. However, Cleander is said to have been greedy and therefore sold both offices and senatorial positions.

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ Armin Eich : The Roman Empire; The legions and the empire, Munich 2014, CH Beck, ISBN 978-3-4066-6012-2 , Commodus.
  2. ↑ Cassius Dio, Roman History 73,12,2.
  3. ^ Cassius Dio, Roman History 73,9,3.
  4. ↑ CIL 6, 41118 .
  5. ↑ Michel Absil: Les préfets du prétoire d'Auguste à Commode. 2 avant Jésus-Christ, 192 après Jésus-Christ. De Boccard, Paris 1997, ISBN 2-7018-0111-7 , pp. 226-231.
  6. ↑ Cassius Dio, Roman History 73,13,1f.
  7. ↑ Cassius Dio, Roman History 73,12,3.
personal data
SURNAME Cleander, Marcus Aurelius
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Cleander; Aurelius Cleander, Marcus
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Praetorian Prefect
DATE OF BIRTH 2nd century
DATE OF DEATH around 190