Marcus Plancius Varus
Encyclopedia
Marcus Plancius Varus was an Anatolia
n Roman noble who lived in the 1st century in the Roman Empire
. His paternal ancestors were originally from Latium
in Central Italy
. They had immigrated to Anatolia in the time of the late Roman Republic
. Varus came from a local, wealthy family who were prominent and they came from an unknown town in Galatia
. His family owned large estates in Galatia. Apart from this, not much is known on the family and early life of Varus.
Between the years of 56-69, Varus served as a Praetor
during the reign of the Roman Emperor
Nero
. He entered the Roman Senate
as a praetor and through this entry, became a Roman Senator. After his service as a praetor, Varus implied treasonable behavior by a Roman called Dolabella. A Roman woman called Triaria
(second wife of Lucius Vitellius the younger
and sister-in-law to the brief future Roman Emperor Aulus Vitellius
) terrified the City Prefect Titus Flavius Sabinus
(brother to future Roman Emperor Vespasian
) warning Sabinus not to seek a reputation for clemency by endangering Nero.
During the reign of Roman Emperor Vespasian
69-79, Varus served as a Proconsul
of Bithynia
and later in Pontus
. During his time in Nicaea
, the capital of the Roman province
of Bithynia, Varus had struck coinage honoring the Roman State and of himself. At unknown date Varus married the Herodian Princess
Julia
, the daughter of King Tigranes VI of Armenia
and sister of prince Gaius Julius Alexander
.
After his time as serving as a proconsul had ended, Varus and Julia finally settled and lived in Perga
, the capital of the Roman Province of Pamphylia
. Julia bore Varus two children who were:
Julia became a priestess and served in the temple of the Ancient Greek
Goddess Artemis
in Perga. Artemis was the most important Goddess in Perga. In Perga, the city’s most magnificent structure was the Hellenistic Gate that was the entrance to the city. Inside in the courtyard of the Hellenistic Gate, there are inscribed bases of statues that bear the names of Marcus Plancius Varus and his son.
From these inscriptions it is understood that Varus along with his son were wealthy, influential and generous citizens in Perga. Varus and his son were made benefactors whom they contributed to the prosperity of Perga. Due to the goodness and generosity of Varus and his son, they were both accepted as the second founders of the city. For who they were both honored with the title ‘’Ktistes’’ or ’’Founder’‘.
Varus also had contributed to the construction of the North Gate of Nicaea/İznik, now called Istanbul
Gate, that was built between 70-71. He had appeared to have died before 81. There is a possibility that Varus could be buried west of this Gate. His epitaph was written and dedicated in common Emperorship by Vespasian and his son Titus
. Varus’ epitaph is preserved inside the Istanbul Gate. His epitaph was written in metal letters:
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
n Roman noble who lived in the 1st century in the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. His paternal ancestors were originally from Latium
Latium
Lazio is one of the 20 administrative regions of Italy, situated in the central peninsular section of the country. With about 5.7 million residents and a GDP of more than 170 billion euros, Lazio is the third most populated and the second richest region of Italy...
in Central Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. They had immigrated to Anatolia in the time of the late Roman Republic
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
. Varus came from a local, wealthy family who were prominent and they came from an unknown town in Galatia
Galatia
Ancient Galatia was an area in the highlands of central Anatolia in modern Turkey. Galatia was named for the immigrant Gauls from Thrace , who settled here and became its ruling caste in the 3rd century BC, following the Gallic invasion of the Balkans in 279 BC. It has been called the "Gallia" of...
. His family owned large estates in Galatia. Apart from this, not much is known on the family and early life of Varus.
Between the years of 56-69, Varus served as a Praetor
Praetor
Praetor was a title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to men acting in one of two official capacities: the commander of an army, usually in the field, or the named commander before mustering the army; and an elected magistratus assigned varied duties...
during the reign of the Roman Emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
Nero
Nero
Nero , was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68, and the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Nero was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius to become his heir and successor, and succeeded to the throne in 54 following Claudius' death....
. He entered the Roman Senate
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
as a praetor and through this entry, became a Roman Senator. After his service as a praetor, Varus implied treasonable behavior by a Roman called Dolabella. A Roman woman called Triaria
Triaria
Triaria , was the wife of Lucius Vitellius the younger , in the 1st century CE.-Life:...
(second wife of Lucius Vitellius the younger
Lucius Vitellius the younger
Lucius Vitellius was a Roman who lived in the 1st century. He was the second son of Lucius Vitellius the elder and Sextilia and younger brother of emperor Aulus Vitellius....
and sister-in-law to the brief future Roman Emperor Aulus Vitellius
Vitellius
Vitellius , was Roman Emperor for eight months, from 16 April to 22 December 69. Vitellius was acclaimed Emperor following the quick succession of the previous emperors Galba and Otho, in a year of civil war known as the Year of the Four Emperors...
) terrified the City Prefect Titus Flavius Sabinus
Titus Flavius Sabinus (consul 47)
Titus Flavius Sabinus was a Roman politician and soldier. He was the elder son of Titus Flavius Sabinus and Vespasia Polla and brother of the Emperor Vespasian.-Career:...
(brother to future Roman Emperor Vespasian
Vespasian
Vespasian , was Roman Emperor from 69 AD to 79 AD. Vespasian was the founder of the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for a quarter century. Vespasian was descended from a family of equestrians, who rose into the senatorial rank under the Emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty...
) warning Sabinus not to seek a reputation for clemency by endangering Nero.
During the reign of Roman Emperor Vespasian
Vespasian
Vespasian , was Roman Emperor from 69 AD to 79 AD. Vespasian was the founder of the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for a quarter century. Vespasian was descended from a family of equestrians, who rose into the senatorial rank under the Emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty...
69-79, Varus served as a Proconsul
Proconsul
A proconsul was a governor of a province in the Roman Republic appointed for one year by the senate. In modern usage, the title has been used for a person from one country ruling another country or bluntly interfering in another country's internal affairs.-Ancient Rome:In the Roman Republic, a...
of Bithynia
Bithynia
Bithynia was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor, adjoining the Propontis, the Thracian Bosporus and the Euxine .-Description:...
and later in Pontus
Pontus
Pontus or Pontos is a historical Greek designation for a region on the southern coast of the Black Sea, located in modern-day northeastern Turkey. The name was applied to the coastal region in antiquity by the Greeks who colonized the area, and derived from the Greek name of the Black Sea: Πόντος...
. During his time in Nicaea
Iznik
İznik is a city in Turkey which is primarily known as the site of the First and Second Councils of Nicaea, the first and seventh Ecumenical councils in the early history of the Church, the Nicene Creed, and as the capital city of the Empire of Nicaea...
, the capital of the Roman province
Roman province
In Ancient Rome, a province was the basic, and, until the Tetrarchy , largest territorial and administrative unit of the empire's territorial possessions outside of Italy...
of Bithynia, Varus had struck coinage honoring the Roman State and of himself. At unknown date Varus married the Herodian Princess
Herodian Dynasty
The Herodian Dynasty was a Jewish dynasty of Idumean descent, client Kings of Roman Judaea Province between 37 BCE and 92 CE.- Origin :During the time of the Hasmonean ruler John Hyrcanus 134-104 BCE, Israel conquered Edom and forced the Edomites to convert to Judaism.The Edomites were integrated...
Julia
Julia (daughter of Tigranes VI of Armenia)
Julia was a Herodian Princess who lived in the 1st century and possibly in the 2nd century in the Roman Empire.She was of Jewish, Nabataean, Edomite, Greek, Armenian and Persian ancestry. She was the daughter of the Herodian Prince, later King Tigranes VI of Armenia and his wife Opgalli...
, the daughter of King Tigranes VI of Armenia
Tigranes VI of Armenia
Tigranes VI, also known as Tigran VI or by his Roman name Gaius Julius Tigranes was a Herodian Prince and served as a Roman Client King of Armenia in the 1st century....
and sister of prince Gaius Julius Alexander
Gaius Julius Alexander
Gaius Julius Alexander was a Herodian Prince that lived in the 1st century and 2nd century in the Roman Empire.Alexander was of Jewish, Nabataean, Edomite, Greek, Armenian and Persian ancestry. He was the son of the Herodian Prince, later King Tigranes VI of Armenia and his wife Opgalli...
.
After his time as serving as a proconsul had ended, Varus and Julia finally settled and lived in Perga
Perga
Perga was an ancient Greek city in Anatolia and the capital of Pamphylia, now in Antalya province on the southwestern Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Today it is a large site of ancient ruins east of Antalya on the coastal plain. Located there is an acropolis dating back to the Bronze Age...
, the capital of the Roman Province of Pamphylia
Pamphylia
In ancient geography, Pamphylia was the region in the south of Asia Minor, between Lycia and Cilicia, extending from the Mediterranean to Mount Taurus . It was bounded on the north by Pisidia and was therefore a country of small extent, having a coast-line of only about 75 miles with a breadth of...
. Julia bore Varus two children who were:
- Son, Gaius Plancius VarusGaius Plancius VarusGaius Plancius Varus was a Roman who lived between the 1st century and 2nd century in the Roman Empire. Varus was the son of Roman Senator, Proconsul Marcus Plancius Varus and the Herodian Princess Julia. His sister was Plancia Magna and was the maternal uncle to Gaius Julius Plancius Varus Cornutus...
, who became a Roman Senator and served as a consul during the reign of Roman Emperor HadrianHadrianHadrian , was Roman Emperor from 117 to 138. He is best known for building Hadrian's Wall, which marked the northern limit of Roman Britain. In Rome, he re-built the Pantheon and constructed the Temple of Venus and Roma. In addition to being emperor, Hadrian was a humanist and was philhellene in...
, who reigned 117-138. - Daughter, Plancia MagnaPlancia MagnaPlancia Magna was a prominent woman from Anatolia who lived between the 1st century and 2nd century in the Roman Empire.-Ancestry, family, and early life:...
. Plancia Magna married a man of Roman Senatorial rankRoman SenateThe Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
from Perga, a local citizen called Gaius Julius Cornutus TertullusGaius Julius Cornutus TertullusThere were two Romans of Senatorial rank with the name Gaius Julius Cornutus Tertullus who lived in the 1st and 2nd centuries in the Roman Empire...
. Cornutus Tertullus and Plancia Magna had a son called Gaius Julius Plancius Varus CornutusGaius Julius Plancius Varus CornutusGaius Julius Plancius Varus Cornutus was a man of Roman Senatorial rank who lived in the Roman Empire in the 2nd century.Cornutus was the son and only child of Gaius Julius Cornutus Tertullus and Plancia Magna. His paternal grandparents were the Proconsul and Suffect Consul Gaius Julius Cornutus...
, who was Varus and Julia’s only grandchild. Plancia Magna became a prominent patron and prominent citizen in Perga.
Julia became a priestess and served in the temple of the Ancient Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
Goddess Artemis
Artemis
Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...
in Perga. Artemis was the most important Goddess in Perga. In Perga, the city’s most magnificent structure was the Hellenistic Gate that was the entrance to the city. Inside in the courtyard of the Hellenistic Gate, there are inscribed bases of statues that bear the names of Marcus Plancius Varus and his son.
From these inscriptions it is understood that Varus along with his son were wealthy, influential and generous citizens in Perga. Varus and his son were made benefactors whom they contributed to the prosperity of Perga. Due to the goodness and generosity of Varus and his son, they were both accepted as the second founders of the city. For who they were both honored with the title ‘’Ktistes’’ or ’’Founder’‘.
Varus also had contributed to the construction of the North Gate of Nicaea/İznik, now called Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
Gate, that was built between 70-71. He had appeared to have died before 81. There is a possibility that Varus could be buried west of this Gate. His epitaph was written and dedicated in common Emperorship by Vespasian and his son Titus
Titus
Titus , was Roman Emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death, thus becoming the first Roman Emperor to come to the throne after his own father....
. Varus’ epitaph is preserved inside the Istanbul Gate. His epitaph was written in metal letters:
- Proconsul M. Plancius Varus devoted this monument to Nicaea capital of state and exalted home of emperors, which the monument is completed by effort of Gaius Cassius Chrestus.
Sources
- http://www.iznik.bel.tr/bld-gov/eng/eistkapi.htm
- http://www.serifyenen.com/heritage_Summer2005.asp
- Crime and Punishment in Ancient Rome, Richard A Bauman, Routledge, 2005, ISBN 0-415-11375-X, p86
- The Histories, Gaius Cornelius TacitusTacitusPublius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
, Oxford University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-19-283958-6, p94. - Plancia Magna, Aurelia Paulina, and Regilla: Civic Donors, Vroma.org, Barbara F. McManus