Mucianus
Encyclopedia
Gaius Licinius Mucianus (fl. 1st century AD) was a general
, statesman
and writer
of ancient Rome
.
His name shows that he had passed by adoption from the gens
Mucia
to the gens Licinia. He was sent by Claudius
to Armenia
with Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo
. Under Nero
he is recorded as suffect consul
ca. 65.
At the time of the outbreak of the Jewish revolt in 66 AD, Mucianus was serving as governor of Syria
, a post he still held during the Year of Four Emperors (69). He failed to put down the Jewish revolt and Vespasian
was sent to replace him. After the death of Galba
(69), Mucianus and Vespasian (who was at the time in Iudaea) both swore allegiance to Otho
, but when the civil war
broke out Mucianus persuaded Vespasian to take up arms against Vitellius
, who had seized the imperial throne.
It was agreed that Vespasian should stay behind to settle affairs in the East, while Mucianus made his way through Asia Minor
and Thrace
to attack Vitellius. He reached Rome the day after the death of Vitellius, and found Domitian
, Vespasian's son, at the head of affairs, but until the arrival of Vespasian the real master of Rome was Mucianus who never wavered in his allegiance to Vespasian, whose favour he retained in spite of his arrogance. He is mentioned as suffect consul in 70 and 72. As no mention is made of Mucianus during the reigns of Titus
or Domitian, he probably died during the reign of Vespasian.
He was a clever writer and historian. He made a collection of the speeches and letters of the Romans of the older republican
period, probably including a corpus
of proceedings of the senate (res gesta senatus), and was the author of a memoir, chiefly dealing with the natural history and geography of the East, which is often quoted by Pliny
as source of miraculous occurrences.
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
, statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
of ancient Rome
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....
.
His name shows that he had passed by adoption from the gens
Gens
In ancient Rome, a gens , plural gentes, referred to a family, consisting of all those individuals who shared the same nomen and claimed descent from a common ancestor. A branch of a gens was called a stirps . The gens was an important social structure at Rome and throughout Italy during the...
Mucia
Mucia (gens)
The gens Mucia was an ancient and noble patrician house at Rome. The gens is first mentioned at the earliest period of the Republic, but in later times the family was known primarily by its plebeian branches.-Origin of the gens:...
to the gens Licinia. He was sent by 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...
to Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
with Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo
Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo
Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo was a Roman general and a brother-in-law of the emperor Caligula.-Descent:Corbulo was born in Italy into a senatorial family...
. Under 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 is recorded as suffect 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...
ca. 65.
At the time of the outbreak of the Jewish revolt in 66 AD, Mucianus was serving as governor of Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, a post he still held during the Year of Four Emperors (69). He failed to put down the Jewish revolt and 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...
was sent to replace him. After the death of Galba
Galba
Galba , was Roman Emperor for seven months from 68 to 69. Galba was the governor of Hispania Tarraconensis, and made a bid for the throne during the rebellion of Julius Vindex...
(69), Mucianus and Vespasian (who was at the time in Iudaea) both swore allegiance to Otho
Otho
Otho , was Roman Emperor for three months, from 15 January to 16 April 69. He was the second emperor of the Year of the four emperors.- Birth and lineage :...
, but when the civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
broke out Mucianus persuaded Vespasian to take up arms against 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...
, who had seized the imperial throne.
It was agreed that Vespasian should stay behind to settle affairs in the East, while Mucianus made his way through Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
and Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
to attack Vitellius. He reached Rome the day after the death of Vitellius, and found Domitian
Domitian
Domitian was Roman Emperor from 81 to 96. Domitian was the third and last emperor of the Flavian dynasty.Domitian's youth and early career were largely spent in the shadow of his brother Titus, who gained military renown during the First Jewish-Roman War...
, Vespasian's son, at the head of affairs, but until the arrival of Vespasian the real master of Rome was Mucianus who never wavered in his allegiance to Vespasian, whose favour he retained in spite of his arrogance. He is mentioned as suffect consul in 70 and 72. As no mention is made of Mucianus during the reigns of 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....
or Domitian, he probably died during the reign of Vespasian.
He was a clever writer and historian. He made a collection of the speeches and letters of the Romans of the older republican
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...
period, probably including a corpus
Text corpus
In linguistics, a corpus or text corpus is a large and structured set of texts...
of proceedings of the senate (res gesta senatus), and was the author of a memoir, chiefly dealing with the natural history and geography of the East, which is often quoted by Pliny
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
as source of miraculous occurrences.