Marcus Vinicius
Encyclopedia
Marcus Vinicius was a Roman
consul
and, as husband of Julia Livilla
, grandson-in-law (progener) of the emperor Tiberius
. He was the son and grandson of two consuls, Publius Vinicius (consul 2 AD) and Marcus Vinicius
(consul 19 BC).
in Campania, Vinicius started his senatorial career as quaestor
in 20 AD. In the Senatus Consultum de Cn. Pisone patre, the quaestor Vinicius is listed among the senators that were present when this decree was written.
In 30
AD, Vinicius reached the consulship, which he held with L. Cassius Longinus
. In the same year, Velleius Paterculus published his Histories, which he dedicated to M. Vinicius.
In 33
AD, Tiberius selected him as the husband for Julia Livilla
, the youngest daughter of Germanicus
. On that occasion, Tacitus describes Vinicius as "mild in character and an elaborate orator."
From 38
-39
AD, Vinicius governed the Roman province of Asia as proconsul
; two years earlier, he had been appointed to a committee that was supposed to estimate the damages caused by a fire on the Aventine hill.
Vinicius was involved in the assassination of the emperor Caligula
and, for a short time, even tried to succeed to the throne.
After Claudius
became emperor, Vinicius accompanied him during the conquest of Britain in 43
AD and was awarded the ornamenta triumphalia. In 45
AD, he was honored with the rare distinction of a second consulship. He held the office, however, only from January 1 until March 1. His colleague that year was T. Statilius Taurus Corvinus.
At Messalina's
instigation, Vinicius was killed in 46
AD. He nevertheless received a state funeral.
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
consul
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
and, as husband of Julia Livilla
Julia Livilla
Julia Livilla was the youngest child of Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder and the youngest sister of the Emperor Caligula.-Life:Livilla was the youngest great granddaughter of Emperor Augustus, great-niece and adoptive granddaughter...
, grandson-in-law (progener) of the emperor Tiberius
Tiberius
Tiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
. He was the son and grandson of two consuls, Publius Vinicius (consul 2 AD) and Marcus Vinicius
Marcus Vinicius (consul 19 BC)
Marcus Vinicius was a Roman consul and a prominent general at the service of the first Roman emperor, Augustus ....
(consul 19 BC).
Life
Born at CalesCales
Cales was an ancient city of Campania, in today's comune of Calvi Risorta in southern Italy, belonging originally to the Aurunci/Ausoni, on the Via Latina.The Romans captured it in 335 BC and established a colony with Latin rights of 2,500 citizens...
in Campania, Vinicius started his senatorial career as quaestor
Quaestor
A Quaestor was a type of public official in the "Cursus honorum" system who supervised financial affairs. In the Roman Republic a quaestor was an elected official whereas, with the autocratic government of the Roman Empire, quaestors were simply appointed....
in 20 AD. In the Senatus Consultum de Cn. Pisone patre, the quaestor Vinicius is listed among the senators that were present when this decree was written.
In 30
30
Year 30 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Vinicius and Longinus...
AD, Vinicius reached the consulship, which he held with L. Cassius Longinus
Lucius Cassius Longinus
Lucius Cassius Longinus was the name of several ancient Romans of the gens Cassia.*Lucius Cassius Longinus Ravilla was a consul of the Roman Republic in 127 BC.* Lucius Cassius Longinus was consul in 107 BC....
. In the same year, Velleius Paterculus published his Histories, which he dedicated to M. Vinicius.
In 33
33
Year 33 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Ocella and Sulla...
AD, Tiberius selected him as the husband for Julia Livilla
Julia Livilla
Julia Livilla was the youngest child of Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder and the youngest sister of the Emperor Caligula.-Life:Livilla was the youngest great granddaughter of Emperor Augustus, great-niece and adoptive granddaughter...
, the youngest daughter of Germanicus
Germanicus
Germanicus Julius Caesar , commonly known as Germanicus, was a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and a prominent general of the early Roman Empire. He was born in Rome, Italia, and was named either Nero Claudius Drusus after his father or Tiberius Claudius Nero after his uncle...
. On that occasion, Tacitus describes Vinicius as "mild in character and an elaborate orator."
From 38
38
Year 38 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Iulianus and Asprenas...
-39
39
Year 39 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Augustus and Corbulo...
AD, Vinicius governed the Roman province of Asia as 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...
; two years earlier, he had been appointed to a committee that was supposed to estimate the damages caused by a fire on the Aventine hill.
Vinicius was involved in the assassination of the emperor Caligula
Caligula
Caligula , also known as Gaius, was Roman Emperor from 37 AD to 41 AD. Caligula was a member of the house of rulers conventionally known as the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Caligula's father Germanicus, the nephew and adopted son of Emperor Tiberius, was a very successful general and one of Rome's most...
and, for a short time, even tried to succeed to the throne.
After Claudius
Claudius
Claudius , was Roman Emperor from 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, he was the son of Drusus and Antonia Minor. He was born at Lugdunum in Gaul and was the first Roman Emperor to be born outside Italy...
became emperor, Vinicius accompanied him during the conquest of Britain in 43
43
Year 43 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Caesar and Vitellius...
AD and was awarded the ornamenta triumphalia. In 45
45
Year 45 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Vinicius and Sabinus...
AD, he was honored with the rare distinction of a second consulship. He held the office, however, only from January 1 until March 1. His colleague that year was T. Statilius Taurus Corvinus.
At Messalina's
Messalina
Valeria Messalina, sometimes spelled Messallina, was a Roman empress as the third wife of the Emperor Claudius. She was also a paternal cousin of the Emperor Nero, second cousin of the Emperor Caligula, and great-grandniece of the Emperor Augustus...
instigation, Vinicius was killed in 46
46
Year 46 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Asiaticus and Silanus...
AD. He nevertheless received a state funeral.
Secondary sources
- Syme, Ronald (1939). The Roman Revolution. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
- Vogel-Weidemann, Ursula (1982). Die Statthalter von Africa und Asia in den Jahren 14-68 n. Chr.: Eine Untersuchung zum Verhältnis Princeps und Senat. Bonn: Habelt.
Appearance in Fiction
- The lead character in the novel Quo VadisQuo Vadis (novel)Quo Vadis: A Narrative of the Time of Nero, commonly known as Quo Vadis, is a historical novel written by Henryk Sienkiewicz in Polish. Quo vadis is Latin for "Where are you going?" and alludes to the apocryphal Acts of Peter, in which Peter flees Rome but on his way meets Jesus and asks him why he...
by Henryk SienkiewiczHenryk SienkiewiczHenryk Adam Aleksander Pius Sienkiewicz was a Polish journalist and Nobel Prize-winning novelist. A Polish szlachcic of the Oszyk coat of arms, he was one of the most popular Polish writers at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, and received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1905 for his...
, also named Marcus Vinicius, is the son of the historical Marcus Vinicius.