Munatia Plancina
Encyclopedia
Munatia Plancina was a Roman noblewoman who lived in the early times of the Empire founded by Augustus
. She was the wife of the governor of Syria
, Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso
. The couple was accused to have poisoned Germanicus
, the nephew and adopted son of the Emperor Tiberius
. At first Munatia Plancina was acquitted but when the trial was renewed she committed suicide.
of Tiberius at his diplomatic mission in the East. In this case she was the granddaughter of Lucius Munatius Plancus
, who had been consul
in 42 BC.
Munatia Plancina was a rich woman and very self-confident because of her noble descent. She was probably the second wife of Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso. They had two sons, Gnaeus and Marcus Calpurnius Piso. Munatia Plancina was also a close friend of Livia, the wife of the Emperor Augustus and mother of his successor Tiberius. When her husband was elected governor of Syria she accompanied him in his province (18 AD). At this time Germanicus traveled with an extraordinary command in the east of the Roman Empire, and he was accompanied by his wife Agrippina the Elder
. They arrived at Syria and got involved in a serious quarrel with the governor Piso and his wife. Like Agrippina also Munatia Plancina was sometimes present at military parades. She often said insulting words against Germanicus and his wife. The Roman historian Tacitus
states that Livia secretly ordered Munatia Plancina to take this action against Germanicus and Agrippina, but Tacitus’ account is not reliable. Munatia Plancina was supposed to have been in contact with a Syrian preparer of poison called Martina. When Germanicus soon died (10 October 19 AD) he allegedly suspected Piso and his wife of having him poisoned. The death of Germanicus supposedly gave Munatia Plancina a lot of pleasure. Then she supported her husband Piso to take again possession of Syria by military actions.
In autumn of 20 AD Munatia Plancina and her husband returned to Rome
. The couple had to answer to the senate for their supposed murder of Germanicus. Allegedly Munatia Plancina was convicted of very serious crimes. But her powerful friend Livia fought for her and exerted pressure on Tiberius. Therefore her acquittal was foreseeable and she dissociated herself from her husband Piso who committed suicide. A recently discovered senate resolution also confirms that Munatia Plancina owed her impunity to the recommendation of Tiberius, who had been pressed by Livia to act in this way. But after the death of Livia she had no longer such a powerful protectress. So in 33 AD Tiberius renewed the charge. She committed suicide before the judgement.
The fact that the family of Munatia Plancina probably enjoyed only a low reputation during the reign of Tiberius can be concluded from the very negative characterization of her grandfather Lucius Munatius Plancus by the historian Marcus Velleius Paterculus
.
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
. She was the wife of the 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....
, Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso
Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso
Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso , Roman statesman, was consul in 7 BC; subsequently, he was governor of Hispania and proconsul of Africa.In AD 17 Tiberius appointed him governor of Syria...
. The couple was accused to have poisoned 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...
, the nephew and adopted son 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...
. At first Munatia Plancina was acquitted but when the trial was renewed she committed suicide.
Biography
Often Munatia Plancina is simply called Plancina. She was probably the daughter of a certain Munatius, who was the ComesComes
Comes , plural comites , is the Latin word for companion, either individually or as a member of a collective known as comitatus, especially the suite of a magnate, in some cases large and/or formal enough to have a specific name, such as a cohors amicorum. The word comes derives from com- "with" +...
of Tiberius at his diplomatic mission in the East. In this case she was the granddaughter of Lucius Munatius Plancus
Lucius Munatius Plancus
Lucius Munatius Plancus was a Roman senator, consul in 42 BC, and censor in 22 BC with Aemilius Lepidus Paullus...
, who had been 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...
in 42 BC.
Munatia Plancina was a rich woman and very self-confident because of her noble descent. She was probably the second wife of Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso. They had two sons, Gnaeus and Marcus Calpurnius Piso. Munatia Plancina was also a close friend of Livia, the wife of the Emperor Augustus and mother of his successor Tiberius. When her husband was elected governor of Syria she accompanied him in his province (18 AD). At this time Germanicus traveled with an extraordinary command in the east of the Roman Empire, and he was accompanied by his wife Agrippina the Elder
Agrippina the elder
Vipsania Agrippina or most commonly known as Agrippina Major or Agrippina the Elder was a distinguished and prominent granddaughter of the Emperor Augustus. Agrippina was the wife of the general, statesman Germanicus and a relative to the first Roman Emperors...
. They arrived at Syria and got involved in a serious quarrel with the governor Piso and his wife. Like Agrippina also Munatia Plancina was sometimes present at military parades. She often said insulting words against Germanicus and his wife. The Roman historian Tacitus
Tacitus
Publius 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...
states that Livia secretly ordered Munatia Plancina to take this action against Germanicus and Agrippina, but Tacitus’ account is not reliable. Munatia Plancina was supposed to have been in contact with a Syrian preparer of poison called Martina. When Germanicus soon died (10 October 19 AD) he allegedly suspected Piso and his wife of having him poisoned. The death of Germanicus supposedly gave Munatia Plancina a lot of pleasure. Then she supported her husband Piso to take again possession of Syria by military actions.
In autumn of 20 AD Munatia Plancina and her husband returned to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. The couple had to answer to the senate for their supposed murder of Germanicus. Allegedly Munatia Plancina was convicted of very serious crimes. But her powerful friend Livia fought for her and exerted pressure on Tiberius. Therefore her acquittal was foreseeable and she dissociated herself from her husband Piso who committed suicide. A recently discovered senate resolution also confirms that Munatia Plancina owed her impunity to the recommendation of Tiberius, who had been pressed by Livia to act in this way. But after the death of Livia she had no longer such a powerful protectress. So in 33 AD Tiberius renewed the charge. She committed suicide before the judgement.
The fact that the family of Munatia Plancina probably enjoyed only a low reputation during the reign of Tiberius can be concluded from the very negative characterization of her grandfather Lucius Munatius Plancus by the historian Marcus Velleius Paterculus
Marcus Velleius Paterculus
Marcus Velleius Paterculus was a Roman historian, also known simply as Velleius. Although his praenomen is given as Marcus by Priscian, some modern scholars identify him with Gaius Velleius Paterculus, whose name occurs in an inscription on a north African milestone .-Biography:Paterculus belonged...
.
Sources
- Rudolf Hanslik: Munatius 44). In: Realencyclopädie der Classischen Altertumswissenschaft, vol. XVI 1 (1933), col. 556-557.
- Munatia Plancina. In: Der Neue Pauly (English: Brill’s New Pauly), vol. 7 (1999), col. 468.