Rufrius Crispinus

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Rufrius Crispinus († 66 AD) was a Roman knight who lived during the early Imperial Era and was a Praetorian prefect from 47 to 51 AD . He was the first husband of Poppaea Sabina , who later married Emperor Nero .

Life

There is no tradition of the activity of Rufrius Crispinus before AD 47. In the mentioned year 47 he was promoted by Emperor Claudius together with Lucius Lusius Geta to Praetorian prefect, whereby the influence of Claudius' wife Valeria Messalina may have played a part in his elevation to this high office. At that time he was probably already married to the much younger Poppaea Sabina, who would hardly have wedded to him after his political fall in 51 (see below).

On the orders of Claudius, Crispinus traveled to Baiae in his capacity as Praetorian prefect in AD 47 to arrest the two-time consul Decimus Valerius Asiaticus , whom Messalina was trying to eliminate, and to bring him to Rome in shackles. Asiaticus was accused of having a relationship with the mother of the same name of Crispinus' wife Poppaea Sabina. For successfully completing the arrest of Asiaticus, Crispinus received a reward of 15,000 sesterces and the praetor's badge .

The dismissal of Crispin and Lusius Geta as praetorian took place 51 n. Chr. At the instigation of Claudius' last wife Agrippina , as this was afraid that ascended through the favor Messalina men in a change of government to her son Nero and Messalina son Britannicus enter would. Sextus Afranius Burrus took the place of Crispinus and his colleague . On October 13, 54, Nero became Claudius' successor.

In 58 Poppaea broke off her relationship with Crispinus and became first the wife of Othos , then of the emperor Nero. She had given birth to a son of the same name to Crispinus, who died in childhood; probably Nero had him killed.

65 AD Crispinus was suspected of having participated in the failed Pisonian conspiracy against Nero, who was perceived as a tyrant. The Roman historian Tacitus sees this accusation only as a suitable pretext for the emperor to send Crispinus into exile in Sardinia ; in reality, Nero would have hated the former Praetorian prefect because of his former marriage to Poppaea and would therefore have exiled him. The next year, AD 66, Crispinus learned of his death sentence and committed suicide.

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ a b Tacitus , Annalen 15, 71, 3.
  2. ^ Rudolf Hanslik : Poppaeus 4th In: Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswwissenschaft (RE). Volume XXII, 1, Stuttgart 1953, Sp. 84-91 (here: 85).
  3. ^ Tacitus, Annals 11, 1, 3.
  4. ↑ Tacitus, Annals 11, 4, 3.
  5. ↑ Tacitus, Annalen 12, 42, 1.
  6. ^ Cassius Dio LXI 32.6
  7. ↑ Tacitus, Annalen 13, 45, 4 and Historiae 1, 13; Plutarch , Galba 19; Suetonius , Otho 3; Cassius Dio , Roman History 61, 11, 2.
  8. ^ Suetonius, Nero 35, 5.
  9. ↑ Tacitus, Annalen 16, 17, 1.
personal data
SURNAME Rufrius Crispinus
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Roman Praetorian prefect
DATE OF BIRTH 1st century BC BC or 1st century
DATE OF DEATH 66