Spiculus

Spiculus or Ti Claudi Spiculi lived in the 1st century and was appointed by Nero as a high-ranking officer ( decurio Germanorum ) of the Germanic bodyguard ( Germani corporis custodes ) of the emperor. As camp commandant in the bodyguard's quarters, he was in command of the body and was violently killed in Rome in June 68 in connection with Nero's demise.

The origin and the original status of the spiculus are unknown. He is described in a graffito at the Casa del Fauno house in Pompeii as an inexperienced and yet victorious gladiator over the combat-experienced gladiator named Aptonetus . The released enemy lost his life in this armed conflict after 16 fights in Pompeii's amphitheater . It can also be seen from the reading of the graffito that Spiculus was a member of the Neronian gladiator school. Presumably this made him one of the emperor's favorites, who provided him with wealth and the post of decurio Germanorum . In modern research, analogous to the earlier decurio Germanorum Sabinus, it is assumed that Spiculus had the legal status of a peregrinus from birth or was at least emancipated by Nero at the latest before taking office ( emancipatio ).

In the course of the last of three known conspiracies against Nero, his protection troops were neutralized by inducing them to renounce the emperor at the instigation of the Praetorian prefect Gaius Nymphidius Sabinus with the support of the Senate . After the units of the Praetorian Guard on duty had already withdrawn from the camp, the Germanic bodyguard also turned away from Nero by leaving their position and their posts. Only Spiculus refused to conspire to remain loyal to his patron. He was arrested by his subordinates and handed over to the angry people on the orders of Nymphidius Sabinus. Spiculus was killed because he was killed by a statue of Nero that was knocked down especially for this purpose.

The unconditional loyalty of the Germani corporis custodes to their imperial employers, shown unconditionally since its existence for decades, became obsolete with the death of Nero. Because of this, the successor Galba drew the consequence to dissolve the imperial Germanic bodyguard and to abolish the institution entirely.

literature

• Heinz Bellen : The Germanic bodyguard of the Roman emperors of the Julisch-Claudian house (= Academy of Sciences and Literature Mainz. Humanities and social science class. Treatises of the humanities and social science class. Born 1981, No. 1). Steiner, Wiesbaden 1981, ISBN 3-515-03491-9 , here pp. 45, 46, 66-69, 92-99.
• Maria Carmen D'Onza: Nero's Germanic bodyguard , series of publications by the Rheinisches Landesmuseum Trier - No. 40, accompanying volume to the exhibition Nero - Kaiser, Künstler und Tyrann , Konrad Theiss, Trier 2016, ISBN 978-3-8062-3309-4 .

Web links

• Pompeii VI 12.2 2 - Casa del Fauno at amphi-theatrum.de - website of the State Archeology Department Mainz

Remarks

1. ↑ CIL 10, 6690
2. ↑ CIL 06, 8803
3. ↑ Plutarch Galba 8, 6 f. (engl.)
4. ↑ CIL 04, 1474
5. ^ Suetonius Nero 30, 2 (Eng.)
6. ↑ Plutarch Galba 2, 2 (Eng.)
7. ↑ Cassius Dio 63, 27, 2a, 2b (Eng.)