Munatia Plancina

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Munatia Plancina († 33 AD) was a Roman noblewoman of the early imperial period and wife of the Syrian governor Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso . The couple were accused of poisoning Germanicus , the nephew and adopted son of Emperor Tiberius . First acquitted, Munatia Plancina committed suicide after the prosecution was reopened.

Life

Munatia Plancina, usually referred to as Plancina without its gentile name, was probably the daughter of a Munatius who acted as Comes des Tiberius on his diplomatic mission in the East. In this case, she was the granddaughter of the consul from 42 BC. BC, Lucius Munatius Plancus , who had switched sides several times during the civil wars to his advantage.

Because of her noble ancestry, the rich Munatia Plancina appeared very self-confident. She was probably the second wife of Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso. From this marriage arose two sons named Gnaeus, who later changed his first name to Lucius , and Marcus Calpurnius Piso . Munatia Plancina was good friends with Livia (wife of the emperor Augustus and mother of his successor Tiberius). When her husband became governor of Syria in 17 AD , she accompanied him to his province. There violent disputes broke out between Piso, who was actively supported by his wife, and Germanicus, who had traveled to the east of the empire with an extraordinary command after his successes in Germania, and his wife Agrippina . Like them, Munatia Plancina often took part in troop parades; she also gave insulting speeches against Germanicus and his wife. The Roman historian Tacitus claims that Munatia Plancina took action against Germanicus and Agrippina on Livia's secret instructions. However, this report is unlikely to be true. Munatia Plancina is said to have been closely acquainted with a Syrian poisoner named Martina. She and her husband Piso were therefore suspected of having caused the early death of Germanicus (October 10, 19 AD) through poisoning. The dying Germanicus is said to have made this accusation. Munatia Plancina was very happy about his passing. Piso then wanted to bring Syria back into his possession by military means and was supported in this project by his wife.

In the autumn of 20 AD Munatia Plancina returned to Rome with her husband . The couple had to answer before the Senate because of their possible involvement in the death of Germanicus. Allegedly Munatia Plancina could be proven to have “most serious crimes”. But because her powerful friend Livia stood up for her at Tiberius and her acquittal was therefore foreseeable, she distanced herself from her husband during the trial, which is why Piso killed himself. A Senate consultation that has been received also confirms that Munatia Plancina owed her impunity to Tiberius' intercession because of Livia's commitment. But after Livia died, Munatia Plancina no longer had such an influential protector and had to look forward to a resumption of the prosecution ordered by Tiberius in AD 33. She committed suicide before the verdict. That her family was little respected at the time of the reign of Tiberius can be deduced from the extremely negative characterization of her grandfather by her contemporary, the historian Velleius Paterculus .

literature

Remarks

  1. ^ So DNP, vol. 7, col. 468 in contrast to R. Hanslik (RE, vol. XVI 1, col. 556), the Munatia Plancina for the daughter of the consul from 42 BC. Holds.
  2. ^ Tacitus , Annalen 2, 43, 3.
  3. ↑ Tacitus, Annals 3, 16, 3.
  4. ^ Tacitus, Annalen 2, 55.
  5. ↑ Tacitus, Annals 2, 43, 4 and 2, 82, 1.
  6. ^ Tacitus, Annalen 2, 74, 2.
  7. ↑ Tacitus, Annalen 2, 71, 1; Cassius Dio 57, 18, 9.
  8. ↑ Tacitus, Annalen 2, 75, 2; 3, 13, 2.
  9. ↑ Tacitus, Annalen 2, 80.
  10. ↑ Tacitus, Annals 3, 9, 2.
  11. ↑ Tacitus, Annals 3, 15, 1-3; see. 3, 17, 1.
  12. ↑ Senatus Consultum de Cn. Pisone patre, lines 109-120.
  13. ↑ Tacitus, Annals 6, 26, 3; Cassius Dio 58, 22.
  14. ↑ Velleius Paterculus 2, 83; on this DNP, Vol. 7, Col. 468.
personal data
SURNAME Munatia Plancina
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Wife of Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso
DATE OF BIRTH 1st century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 33