Publius Vedius Pollio
Publius Vedius Pollio († 15 BC ) was the son of a freedman and friend of the Roman emperor Augustus .
Pollio, who may have come from Benevento , was knighted and took on a function in the province of Asia that cannot be precisely determined . He was known for his wealth and luxury. He called his villa near Naples Pausilypon ("End of Suffering"). He bequeathed it to Augustus, who had the Porticus Liviae built on the property of Pollio's house in Rome .
Pollio is reported to have wanted to punish a slave with death who dropped a valuable drinking vessel. The punishment should consist of throwing it to the moray eels kept in a water basin . The slave escaped punishment only by pleading with the present emperor Augustus for mercy. Thereupon he stood up for him. This report is often cited as an example of the unconditional punishment of the Roman slave owners.
swell
The narrative sources for Pollio are the historical works of Cassius Dio and Tacitus . There is also an inscription. The Pollios moray basin is also mentioned several times by Seneca .
literature
- François Kirbihler: Pollio (Publius Vedius) . In: Richard Goulet (ed.): Dictionnaire des philosophes antiques , Vol. 5, Part 2, CNRS Éditions, Paris 2012, ISBN 978-2-271-07399-0 , pp. 1206-1210
Remarks
- ^ Cassius Dio, Roman History 54, 23, 1-2.
- ↑ Tacitus, Annals 12,60,4 and 1,10,5.
- ↑ CIL 9, 1556 .
- ↑ Seneca, De Ira 3.40,2-4 ( III XL ) and De Clementia 1.18,2 ( I XVIII ).
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Vedius Pollio, Publius |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Pollio, Publius Vedius |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Roman knight, friend of Augustus |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1st century BC Chr. |
| DATE OF DEATH | 15 BC Chr. |