Pisonian conspiracy
Encyclopedia
The conspiracy of Gaius Calpurnius Piso
in AD 65
represented one of the major turning points in the reign of the Roman emperor
Nero
(54–68). The plot signified the growing discontent among the upper social strata of the Roman state with regards to Nero's increasingly despotic leadership, and as a result is a significant event in the road towards his eventual suicide, and the chaos that followed.
, known as the Praetorian Guard
. He enlisted the aid of several prominent senator
s, equestrians
, and soldiers with a loosely conceived plan in which Faenius Rufus
—joint prefect of the Praetorian Guard with Ofonius Tigellinus
—would conduct Piso to the Praetorian Camp
for a formal declaration by the Guard. The conspirators were said to have varying motives; some were imperialists and others were pro-republic. According to the ancient historian Tacitus
, the ringleaders included Subrius Flavus, a tribune of the Praetorian court, and the centurion Sulpicius Asper, who helped Piso spawn the scheme (Pagán 73).
The conspiracy was almost betrayed by a woman named Epicharis
, who divulged parts of the plan to Volusius Proculus, a fleet captain in Campania
. When Proculus complained to Epicharis that Nero did not favor him, she revealed the plot without giving him names. Instead of joining the conspiracy as Epicharis thought he would, Proculus instead turned her in. Under torture, she revealed details and names, but she remained loyal to the conspiracy and did not betray it.
Tacitus, the main source concerning the events of the conspiracy, admits to lacking knowledge about how Epicharis originally gained knowledge of the conspiracy. He says in his work Annales
: "Meanwhile, as they were delaying and deferring hope and fear, a certain Epicharis provoked and blamed the conspirators; it is uncertain how she became actively informed".
The freedman Milichus later discovered the conspiracy and reported it to Nero's secretary, Epaphroditos
, after his wife convinced him to do so (Pagán 85). After the conspiracy was revealed, Nero ordered Piso and its leaders to commit suicide
. The philosopher Seneca
, the poet Marcus Annaeus Lucanus
, and the satirist Petronius
were also implicated in the plot and dealt with in a similar fashion. Gaius Stern has identified a relevant, little known passage, Plutarch Moralia 505C, which adds a story not told in Tacitus. A conspirator, in passing a condemned prisoner, urged him to have hope, dropping a comment that indicated all would change soon (because Nero would be dead). Instead of silently taking heart, the prisoner revealed the conversation to Nero, the conspirator was tortured, and the plot was betrayed.
Piso's brother, Lucius Calpurnius Piso Licinianus
, was adopted by Galba
in January AD 69, a move that cost both Galba and Piso their lives and pushed Rome into the upheaval known as the Year of Four Emperors. Earlier members of the family enjoyed close ties to Julius Caesar
, Augustus
, and Tiberius
. The family fell out of favor during the reigns of Caligula
and Claudius
. The Piso brothers' parents were implicated in a charge of treason and forced to commit suicide.
, Plautius Lateranus, Lucan
, Afranius Quintianus, Flavius Scaevinus
, Claudius Senecio, Vulcatius Araricus, Julius Augurinus, Munatius Gratus, Marcius Festus, Faenius Rufus
, Subrius Flavus, Sulpicius Asper, Maximus Scaurus, Venetus Paulus, Epicharis
, Seneca the Younger
, Antonia, Marcus Vestinus Atticus
, Verginius Flavus, Musonius Rufus, Cluvidienus Quietus, Julius Agrippa, Blitius Catulinus, Petronius Pricus, Julius Altinus, Caesennius Maximus, Caedicia, Pompeius, Cornelius Martialis, Flavius Nepos, Statius Domitius
, Cervarius Proculus, Statius Proximus, Gavius Silvanus, Acilia
Gaius Calpurnius Piso
Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso was a Roman senator in the 1st century. He was the focal figure in the Pisonian Conspiracy of 65 AD, the most famous and wide-ranging plot against the throne of Emperor Nero.-Character and early life:...
in AD 65
65
Year 65 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Nerva and Vestinus...
represented one of the major turning points in 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....
(54–68). The plot signified the growing discontent among the upper social strata of the Roman state with regards to Nero's increasingly despotic leadership, and as a result is a significant event in the road towards his eventual suicide, and the chaos that followed.
Plot
Gaius Calpurnius Piso, a renowned Roman statesman, literary benefactor, and orator, intended to have Nero assassinated with the goal of having himself declared Emperor of Rome by the imperial bodyguardBodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
, known as the Praetorian Guard
Praetorian Guard
The Praetorian Guard was a force of bodyguards used by Roman Emperors. The title was already used during the Roman Republic for the guards of Roman generals, at least since the rise to prominence of the Scipio family around 275 BC...
. He enlisted the aid of several prominent senator
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...
s, equestrians
Equestrian (Roman)
The Roman equestrian order constituted the lower of the two aristocratic classes of ancient Rome, ranking below the patricians , a hereditary caste that monopolised political power during the regal era and during the early Republic . A member of the equestrian order was known as an eques...
, and soldiers with a loosely conceived plan in which Faenius Rufus
Faenius Rufus
Faenius Rufus, Roman senator, praefectus annonae, 55-62AD. Tacitus reports that he did not profit from it. With Tigellinus, he succeeded Sextus Afranius Burrus as praetorian prefect in 62. In 65, however, he was executed for his part as a member of the Pisonian conspiracy against the Emperor...
—joint prefect of the Praetorian Guard with Ofonius Tigellinus
Tigellinus
Gaius Ofonius Tigellinus, also known as Ophonius Tigellinus and Sophonius Tigellinus , was a prefect of the Roman imperial bodyguard, known as the Praetorian Guard, from 62 until 68, during the reign of emperor Nero...
—would conduct Piso to the Praetorian Camp
Castra Praetoria
Castra Praetoria were the ancient barracks of the Praetorian Guard of Imperial Rome.-History:According to the Roman historian Suetonius, the barracks were built in 23 AD by Lucius Aelius Sejanus, the praetorian prefect serving under the emperor Tiberius, in an effort to consolidate the several...
for a formal declaration by the Guard. The conspirators were said to have varying motives; some were imperialists and others were pro-republic. According to the ancient 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...
, the ringleaders included Subrius Flavus, a tribune of the Praetorian court, and the centurion Sulpicius Asper, who helped Piso spawn the scheme (Pagán 73).
The conspiracy was almost betrayed by a woman named Epicharis
Epicharis (Pisonian conspirator)
Epicharis was an Ancient Roman freedwoman of bad repute and a member of the Pisonian conspiracy against the emperor Nero.According to Polyaenus she was the mistress of a brother of Seneca, and it may be that through this connection she became acquainted with the plot of the conspirators, though...
, who divulged parts of the plan to Volusius Proculus, a fleet captain in Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
. When Proculus complained to Epicharis that Nero did not favor him, she revealed the plot without giving him names. Instead of joining the conspiracy as Epicharis thought he would, Proculus instead turned her in. Under torture, she revealed details and names, but she remained loyal to the conspiracy and did not betray it.
Tacitus, the main source concerning the events of the conspiracy, admits to lacking knowledge about how Epicharis originally gained knowledge of the conspiracy. He says in his work Annales
Annals (Tacitus)
The Annals by Tacitus is a history of the reigns of the four Roman Emperors succeeding Caesar Augustus. The surviving parts of the Annals extensively cover most of the reigns of Tiberius and Nero. The title Annals was probably not given by Tacitus, but derives from the fact that he treated this...
: "Meanwhile, as they were delaying and deferring hope and fear, a certain Epicharis provoked and blamed the conspirators; it is uncertain how she became actively informed".
The freedman Milichus later discovered the conspiracy and reported it to Nero's secretary, Epaphroditos
Epaphroditos
Epaphroditos or Epaphroditus was a freedman and secretary of the Roman Emperor Nero. He was later executed by Domitian for failing to prevent Nero's suicide.-Name:...
, after his wife convinced him to do so (Pagán 85). After the conspiracy was revealed, Nero ordered Piso and its leaders to commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. The philosopher Seneca
Seneca the Younger
Lucius Annaeus Seneca was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and in one work humorist, of the Silver Age of Latin literature. He was tutor and later advisor to emperor Nero...
, the poet Marcus Annaeus Lucanus
Marcus Annaeus Lucanus
Marcus Annaeus Lucanus , better known in English as Lucan, was a Roman poet, born in Corduba , in the Hispania Baetica. Despite his short life, he is regarded as one of the outstanding figures of the Imperial Latin period...
, and the satirist Petronius
Petronius
Gaius Petronius Arbiter was a Roman courtier during the reign of Nero. He is generally believed to be the author of the Satyricon, a satirical novel believed to have been written during the Neronian age.-Life:...
were also implicated in the plot and dealt with in a similar fashion. Gaius Stern has identified a relevant, little known passage, Plutarch Moralia 505C, which adds a story not told in Tacitus. A conspirator, in passing a condemned prisoner, urged him to have hope, dropping a comment that indicated all would change soon (because Nero would be dead). Instead of silently taking heart, the prisoner revealed the conversation to Nero, the conspirator was tortured, and the plot was betrayed.
Piso's brother, Lucius Calpurnius Piso Licinianus
Lucius Calpurnius Piso Licinianus
Lucius Calpurnius Piso Frugi Licinianus was a Roman nobleman who lived in the 1st century. Licinianus was one among the sons of consul of 27 Marcus Licinius Crassus Frugi and Scribonia....
, was adopted by 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...
in January AD 69, a move that cost both Galba and Piso their lives and pushed Rome into the upheaval known as the Year of Four Emperors. Earlier members of the family enjoyed close ties to Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
, Augustus
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...
, and 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...
. The family fell out of favor during the reigns of 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 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...
. The Piso brothers' parents were implicated in a charge of treason and forced to commit suicide.
Members
At least 41 individuals were accused of being part of the conspiracy. Of the known 41, there were 19 Senators, 7 Equites, 11 soldiers and 4 women.Executed or forced to commit suicide
PisoGaius Calpurnius Piso
Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso was a Roman senator in the 1st century. He was the focal figure in the Pisonian Conspiracy of 65 AD, the most famous and wide-ranging plot against the throne of Emperor Nero.-Character and early life:...
, Plautius Lateranus, Lucan
Lucan
Lucan is the common English name of the Roman poet Marcus Annaeus Lucanus.Lucan may also refer to:-People:*Arthur Lucan , English actor*Sir Lucan the Butler, Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend...
, Afranius Quintianus, Flavius Scaevinus
Flavius Scaevinus
Flavius Scaevinus, a praetorian tribune and quaestor, was a member of the Pisonian conspiracy against Nero. It was through his freedman Milichus that Nero discovered the conspiracy. afterwards, history is silent on the fate of Flavius. Some say he was a consul under Otho, then exiled by...
, Claudius Senecio, Vulcatius Araricus, Julius Augurinus, Munatius Gratus, Marcius Festus, Faenius Rufus
Faenius Rufus
Faenius Rufus, Roman senator, praefectus annonae, 55-62AD. Tacitus reports that he did not profit from it. With Tigellinus, he succeeded Sextus Afranius Burrus as praetorian prefect in 62. In 65, however, he was executed for his part as a member of the Pisonian conspiracy against the Emperor...
, Subrius Flavus, Sulpicius Asper, Maximus Scaurus, Venetus Paulus, Epicharis
Epicharis (Pisonian conspirator)
Epicharis was an Ancient Roman freedwoman of bad repute and a member of the Pisonian conspiracy against the emperor Nero.According to Polyaenus she was the mistress of a brother of Seneca, and it may be that through this connection she became acquainted with the plot of the conspirators, though...
, Seneca the Younger
Seneca the Younger
Lucius Annaeus Seneca was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and in one work humorist, of the Silver Age of Latin literature. He was tutor and later advisor to emperor Nero...
, Antonia, Marcus Vestinus Atticus
Exiled or denigrated
Novius Priscus, Annius Pollio, Glitius Gallus, Rufrius CrispinusRufrius Crispinus
Rufrius Crispinus was a knight who lived during the later Julio-Claudian dynasty. The satirist Juvenal spitefully described him as one the "dregs" of the "Nile", indicating his Egyptian origin. It is believed he came to Rome as a fish merchant. Under the Roman Emperor Claudius he was the commander...
, Verginius Flavus, Musonius Rufus, Cluvidienus Quietus, Julius Agrippa, Blitius Catulinus, Petronius Pricus, Julius Altinus, Caesennius Maximus, Caedicia, Pompeius, Cornelius Martialis, Flavius Nepos, Statius Domitius
Pardoned or acquitted
Antonius NatalisAntonius Natalis
Antonius Natalis was a Roman equestrian and member of the Pisonian conspiracy against Nero. Threatened with torture, he disclosed his fellow-conspirators' names and avoided punishment.-Sources:*Tacitus, Annals xv.50,54–56,71...
, Cervarius Proculus, Statius Proximus, Gavius Silvanus, Acilia
Sources
- Pagán, Victoria Emma. Conspiracy Narratives in Roman History. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2004. Pp. ix + 197. ISBN 0-292-70561-1.