Publius Petronius (Augur)

Publius Petronius (* probably before 24 BC; † probably 46 AD) was a Roman senator of the early imperial era and consul of the year 19 AD.

family

Publius Petronius belonged to the important family of the Petronii without cognomen . He was the son of the mint master (IIIvir) Publius Petronius Turpilianus and probably the grandson of Praefectus Aegypti Publius Petronius (not “Gaius”). The possessions in Egypt suggest that Gaius Petronius , the suffect consul of the year 25, was his (younger) brother.

Publius Petronius was married to Plautia, daughter of Aulus Plautius (suffect consul of the year 1 BC). Children of this couple were probably:

• Publius Petronius Turpilianus (* before 18; † 68), consul 61
• Titus Petronius (* around 14; † 66), known as "Arbiter", suffect consul probably 60
• Petronia , wife of the emperor Aulus Vitellius

Ascent

Coin, minted in Pergamon in the 6th year of Publius Petronius' office as governor of Asia . Depicted are Livia and Tiberius, the inscription reads: "The Augusti, when Petronius (was proconsul) for the 6th time".

In 7 n. Chr., So at the age of about 31 years, Petronius was co-opted into the college of augurs was added, in place of the by suicidal deceased Lucius Sempronius Atratinus . The office, which was conferred for life, was not only associated with high social prestige, but, according to Roman tradition, its holders were also involved in many processes of importance to the state such as elections, wars, etc. The college of augurs was the second most important college of priests in Rome after the pontifical college (with high priests, flamines and vestals ) and ranked higher than the fifteen-man committee that was entrusted with questioning the sibylline books.

From July 1, 19 Publius Petronius was together with Marcus Iunius Silanus Torquatus suffect consul . A law enacted during their term of office is named after the two consuls, the lex Iunia Petronia , which stipulated that a tied vote was sufficient for freedom when deciding whether or not to be a slave. Important events in Petronius' tenure as consul were the death of Germanicus in Antioch and the expulsion of the Jews and Isis followers from Rome by Tiberius.

Because of a poem recited by Clutorius Priscus in the house of Petronius on the death of a living emperor's son, Petronius's entire family was interrogated in the year 21 and the slaves were tortured to testify. Only Vitellia, Publius' mother-in-law, denied having heard anything at all. Priscus was executed.

From 29 to 35 Publius Petronius was proconsul of the province of Asia , as evidenced by various coins from Pergamon and Smyrna as well as several inscriptions found in Ephesus . Publius Petronius "was one of the senators who Tiberius left in office far beyond the usual level". Presumably under his proconsulate, the later so important general Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo served as quaestor .

36 Petronius was a member of the high-ranking college for estimating fire damage after a city ​​fire in Rome. Also the home of Claudius was burned and had prized.

Governor of Syria

From 39 to 42 Petronius succeeded Lucius Vitellius as governor of the province of Syria.

The order to desecrate the temple

Caligula ordered the new governor to convert the Temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem into a temple of the "new Zeus Epiphanes Gaius". For this purpose, a statue of Caligula was to be placed in the temple of Jerusalem. The emperor was aware of the tremendously explosive nature of this assignment, because he ordered Petronius to carry half of the Euphrates army (two legions and as many auxiliary troops as possible from allies) with him.

Petronius, who saw the eastern flank of the empire endangered by the implementation of this order, tried to gain time. In particular, he let the artists appointed in Sidon to produce the statue work on the image for as long as possible. At the same time he made contact with the Jews.

When these talks were unsuccessful, Petronius set out from Antioch in the spring of 1940 and went south through Phenicia towards Jerusalem. On this procession, a Jewish delegation made up of high dignitaries met him and asked to be spared. Petronius then sent a letter to Caligula, in which he apologized for the length of time it took to make the statue and pointed to the upcoming harvest. The emperor agreed to Petronius and asked for his picture to be displayed after the harvest.

Petronius moved on to Ptolemais , where many thousands of Jews came up to him and asked for protection, but also made it clear that if necessary they would give their lives to prevent the installation in the temple.

Negotiations in Tiberias

Out of consideration, Petronius left his army and statue in Ptolemais and in late autumn 1940 went to Tiberias , where he negotiated for a long time with the leaders of the Jews. Even Aristobulus, the brother of King Agrippa, and Helkias the Great pleaded with the new legates of Syria for approval.

During his work in Syria, Petronius came into contact with many high-ranking Jewish personalities. He was even close friends with King Agrippa (only mentioned in the New Testament as the murderer of James and persecutor of Christians). His wisdom and gentleness are praised. Philo of Alexandria calls Petronius “just as kind as cultivated”.

Petronius' religious tolerance was particularly evident in the fact that he knew how to appreciate the thoughts and feelings of his opponents. He even described the Mosaic commandments as "excellent". His humane, almost “Christian” attitude made him even consciously take the risk of being executed for delaying the imperial orders, as the Jewish historian Josephus reports:

"Petronius was seized with amazement and pity at the same time when he saw the unshakable piety of the Judeans and their readiness to die". [...] "When he [Caligula] gets angry, I will gladly give my life for so many!"

Hunger in the Sabbath year

The conflict was particularly exacerbated by the fact that the year 40/41 was a sabbatical year in which a messianically heated mood prevailed and in which, according to the Torah, sowing was not allowed, which regularly led to famine. Although it was high time for sowing, the Jews did not cultivate the land. In these times

“Prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. But one of them, by the name of Agabus, got up and indicated by the spirit a great famine that was to come over the whole world; she also entered under Claudius. But they decided that, depending on how well one of the disciples was, each one of them should send [something] to help the brothers who lived in Judea; they did so by sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul. "

Josephus also speaks of apparently the same famine:

“Nothing could be more desirable to the residents of Jerusalem than Helena's arrival. Because famine oppressed her city, and since many citizens perished for lack of food, the Queen sent some of her entourage to Alexandria to buy large quantities of grain there, and others to Cyprus to bring whole shiploads of figs [...]. Even their son Izates, when he heard of the famine, did not fail to send large sums of money to the noblest in Jerusalem, which were distributed among the needy and saved many from starvation. "

The rain wonder

Petron's understanding of the plight of the Jews was rewarded with a rain miracle:

“But God showed Petronius his presence and power when he had encouraged the crowd in this way. No sooner had he finished his speech to the Jews than God, contrary to all expectations, let down a heavy downpour, although the day was bright and no harbingers of rain had appeared in the sky. The Jews were all the more astonished that the drought had prevailed all year round, so that everyone did not hope for rain even when the sky was covered with clouds. When the heavy downpour came down against all expectations, the Jews gave themselves up in the hope that Petronius' intercession would not be in vain for them. Petronius himself was also deeply shocked when he saw how God cared for the Jews and revealed his presence so clearly that no one, even if he had wanted to, could fail to recognize it. He also reported that to Gajus ... "

A rain miracle confirms the behavior of Petronius. In the eyes of the Jew Josephus, the Roman governor moves closer to the prophet Elijah .

Caligula's order to commit suicide

Finally, Petronius, aware of the danger to his own life, gave in and sent Caligula a second letter in which he reported the resolute resistance of the Jews and the divine signs.

The Jewish King Agrippa I , who was still in Rome at that time, had meanwhile also advocated the withdrawal of the insane provocation and was finally able to change the mind of the emperor. Caligula's order to stop the operation overlapped with Petronius' letter. Caligula was so angry that he wrote to his governor that he was taking bribes and ordered him to commit suicide:

"Because you respected the gifts with which the Jews gave you more than my orders and you were subject to acting differently for the sake of the Jews than you were instructed by me, you should now be your own judge and determine yourself, what should happen to you so that you feel the force of my anger. Because I want to set up an example with you that should warn the world around you and posterity against violating Caesar's orders. "

However, due to a delay due to the weather, Petronius only received this suicide order after the news of the emperor's death (January 24, 41) had already arrived.

The Edict of Dora

Claudius left his fellow augur Petronius as a legate in Syria for two more years. a. is confirmed by coin finds from Antioch. On the front you can see a picture of Claudius with a laurel wreath and inscription ( IMP TI CLAVD CAE AV GER ), on the back, also in a laurel wreath, the following inscription:

ΕΠΙ

ΠΕΤΡΩ

ΝΙΟΥΑΝ

ΤΙΟΧΕΩΝ

ϙ

In addition to these coins from the 1st or 2nd year of Claudius, there were also normal mintings distributed at the same time or shortly thereafter, which makes it clear that the Petronius coins were a special honor by the emperor, especially since it was a right one extensive emission acted, "which underlines the special position of the legate again."

Josephus also confirms Petronius' longer presence by handing down an edict from the year 42. This also reflects the governor's religious tolerance. In the synagogue of Dora, "some high-spirited young people to whom nothing was sacred" had put up a statue of the emperor, presumably to cause a riot. Upon the intervention of King Agrippa, Petronius held the guilty parties responsible and wrote to the Doritians:

"For the future, I therefore expressly determine that you have to avoid any cause for unrest and disputes and allow everyone the freedom to worship God according to their own convictions."

It is therefore perhaps no coincidence that the first Gentile Christian community was able to develop in the Syrian Antioch during the religiously tolerant tenure of Petronius.

death

After his replacement as legate of Syria in May 42 by the equally highly educated Gaius Vibius Marsus , nothing more guaranteed about Publius Petronius has come down to us.

Perhaps Claudius wanted to give his friend Petronius the special honor of consulate once again when Rome celebrated its 800th anniversary in 47. But Publius Petronius probably died of natural causes in his late 46s, around the age of 70.

That Publius Petronius was one of Claudius 'closest friends is confirmed by Seneca , who in 54 mocked the dead Petronius as Claudius' old drinking companion. The connection with the emperor may indeed have been close and cordial, especially since Claudius had not only been a member of the college of augurs himself since the year 9, but had also been a playmate of Petronius' friend Agrippa when he was raised in Rome. Also common literary interests of Petronius and Claudius are attested by Seneca's satire.

literature

• Peter Robert Franke : Publius Petronius and L. Aelius Seianus . In: Archäologischer Anzeiger . No. 3, 1968 (with 10 illustrations).
• Rudolf Hanslik : 24) P. Petronius P. f. In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume XIX, 1, Stuttgart 1937, Sp. 1199-1201.
• Adolf Lippold : Petronius I, 2. In: The Little Pauly (KlP). Volume 4, Stuttgart 1972, Col. 672.
• Prosopographia Imperii Romani (PIR²). P 269 (1998).
• Gerd R. Stumpf: Numismatic studies on the chronology of the Roman governors in Asia Minor (122 BC - 163 AD). Saarbrücker Druck und Verlag, Saarbrücken 1991, pp. 120–122.
• Bengt E. Thomasson : Laterculi Praesidium , Vol. I, (Göteborg, 1984) Sp. 211, (26. Asia, No. 35)

Remarks

1. ^ Prosopographia Imperii Romani (PIR²) (1998) 269.
2. ↑ The papyrus Rylands II 127, 4–5 from the year 29 mentions Ποπλίου καί Γαίου Πετρωνίων in the Arsinoitischen Gau , which is mostly taken as evidence for the possessions of the two brothers. Under Claudius (BGU II 650) and Nero (unpublished Pap.) The Πετρωνίανή ούσία was apparently imperial property: Roger S. Bagnall: Publius Petronius, Augustan Prefect of Egypt . In: Naphtali Lewis (Ed.): Papyrology. 1985, pp. 91-92 (Yale Classical Studies, 28).
3. ↑ PIR²P 269, p. 102, Bagnall, pp. 90-91.
4. ^ Son or grandson: PIR² 269, p. 102, PIR² P 315, p. 124, cf. the family tree p. 103.
5. ↑ Philip B. Corbett: Petronius , New York 1970, p. 142; same: The “Satyricon” of Petronius: A Literary Study by JP Sullivan etc. Review in: Classical Philology 65.1 (Jan. 1970), p. 53.
6. ↑ daughter or granddaughter: PIR² P 323, p. 128, cf. the family tree p. 103.
7. ↑ CIL 6, 1976 .
8. ↑ Fasti Ostienses C 19.
9. ↑ Flavius ​​Josephus , Jüdische Antiquities 18,3,4; Tacitus , Annals 2.85; Suetonius , Tiberius 36 ; Cassius Dio 57.
10. ↑ Helmut Engelmann et al. (Ed.): The inscriptions of Ephesus . Part 3, Habelt, Bonn 1980, No. 705 (= inscriptions of Greek cities from Asia Minor, Vol. 13). In the years 29/30, 30/31 and 31/32 Petronius addressed a letter to the Gerusie of Ephesus, Supplementum epigraphicum Graecum , 43, 765-767. In the letters from the later years Petronius is expressly referred to as "Proconsul for the 2nd (or 3rd) time".
11. ↑ Werner Eck , in: Der Neue Pauly , Vol. 9, Col. 671 with reference to Thomas Corsten, Die Amtzeit des proconsul Asiae P. Petronius , in: Epigraphica Anatolica 31 (1998) p. 94 ff.
12. ^ Ronald Syme : Domitius Corbulo. In: Journal of Roman Studies . Volume 60, 1970, pp. 27-39, here in particular p. 38.
13. ^ Tacitus, Annals 6, 51.
14. ^ Suetonius, Claudius 6.
15. ^ Philo of Alexandria , legatio ad Gaium 578 M.
16. ↑ Acts 12.2  EU .
17. ^ Philo of Alexandria, legatio ad Gaium 582.
18. ↑ Flavius ​​Josephus, Jüdische Antiquities 18,8,5.
19. ↑ Flavius ​​Josephus, Jüdischer Krieg 2,10,4f., Cf. Flavius ​​Josephus, Jewish antiquities 18,8,4f.
20. ↑ 2. Mos 23.10f., 3. Mos 25.1–7
21. ↑ Flavius ​​Josephus, Jüdische Altertämer 18,8,3.
22. ↑ Acts 11.27  EU -30. The chronology of this famine is controversial. Claudius was Roman Emperor from January 24th, 41st, some believe that the famine did not occur until 46th, because it is believed that it would otherwise not be possible to explain Paul's visit to Jerusalem so early . However, 2 Cor 2.12  EU (written 54/55) in connection with Acts. 22, 17 the presence of Paul in Jerusalem in the year 40/41. The reference to Claudius only really makes sense if the prophecy was made before he took office.
23. ↑ Flavius ​​Josephus, Jüdische Antiquities 20,2,5; in Moses von Choren , History of Armenia 10.2 (written after 439), Helena is the "wife of Abgar ".
24. ^ Flavius ​​Josephus, Jüdische Antiquities 18,8,6.
25. ↑ Philo of Alexandria, legatio ad Gaium 576 M ff .; Flavius ​​Josephus, Jewish antiquities 18.8; Jewish War 2.186ff.
26. ^ Franke (1968) passim. ϙ marks the 90th year of the Caesarian era, which took place in Antioch in the autumn of 49 BC. Began, so that the minting took place between autumn 41 and autumn 42. Since the change of governor under Claudius took place in May, Petronius is likely to have remained in his office until at least May 42.
27. ^ Franke (1968) 477
28. ↑ The events in the Jewish antiquities of Josephus show the following chronology: May 19, 3: Edicts of Claudius ( cos. II) = 42 AD; 19.6.1: Dispatch of Agrippa to Judaea (42 AD, early March at the earliest due to navigability of the sea); 19.5.2: Agrippa appoints Simon Kantheras as high priest (Passover ?; transfer of office regularly at the "beginning of the religious year"; March / April 42); 19.6.3: then Silas army leader, Dora, Petronius edict, (probably still 42); May 19, 4: Agrippa appoints Jonathas high priest (Passover ?; March / April 43). Not long afterwards, Marsus' successor to Petronius (May 43).
29. ↑ Flavius ​​Josephus, Jüdische Antiquities 19,6,3.
30. ↑ Acts 11 : 19ff. EU
31. ^ Replacement: Flavius ​​Josephus, Jüdische Altertümer 19,6,4; see. Tacitus, Annals 11,10,1; on the learning of Marsus: Tacitus, Annals 6, 47, 2.
32. ↑ Suetonius expressly mentions that Claudius took over the consulate of a consul-designate who had died the previous year in 47, "which had never happened to any emperor": Suetonius, Claudius 14.
33. ↑ The annals of Tacitus do not start again until the beginning of 47 and do not mention his death. Cassius Dio reports for the year 46 that the honor of a public funeral including a public eulogy was bestowed on “many” at that time. One can therefore perhaps assume that the emperor will also have organized an honorable funeral for Publius Petronius this year. That Petronius died a natural death emerges from Seneca's Apocolocyntosis , where he is one of the few senators who were not executed by Claudius.
34. ↑ vetus convictor Claudii : Seneca, Apocolocyntosis 14,1f.