Fülöp Gyula (szerk.): Festschrift für Jenő Fitz - Szent István Király Múzeum közleményei. B. sorozat 47. (Székesfehérvár, 1996)

A. R. Birley: Some Governors of Moesia Inferior

JENŐ FITZ SEPTUAGENARIO

A.R. Birley

SOME GOVERNORS OF MOESIA INFERIOR

Under the new dispensation of Augustus, military command was concentrated in the hands of the princeps. It gradually became less frequent for scions of the nobility to emulate the deeds of their forefathers ‘domi militaeque’. For all that, not a

Hispania Tarraconensis:

Germania Superior: Illyricum :

Dalmatia:

Pannonia : Moesia:

Syria:

Other names could be added, depending partly on the definition of nobilis. But in general, it might be said that the old nobility was not excluded from military command under the Julio-Claudians.

From Vespasian onwards the picture changed. There were still extant some families of the old nobility. One may instance, under the Flavians and Antonines, some consules ordinarii: Asinius Pollio (81); Ser. Cornelius Dolabella (86); M. Asinius Atratinus (89); M\ Acilius Glabrio (91); L. Nonius Calpurnius Asprenas Torquatus (94); M. Asinius Marcellus (104); Ser. Scipio Salvidienus Orfitus (110); C. Calpurnius Piso (111); M'. Acilius Aviola (122); M’. Acilius Glabrio (124); Ser. Cor- 1 2

(1) Thanks to B.E. Thomasson, Laterculi Praesidum I (1984), annotation is not required.

(2) G. AlföLDY, Konsulat und Senatorenstand unter den Antoninen (1977) 106.

few nobiles were able to command legions as legates of imperial provinces under Augustus and his four successors of the first dynasty. Some examples may be registered*11:

M. Licinius Crassus Frugi (cos. ord. 14 B.C.)

Paullus Fabius Maximus (cos. ord. 11 B.C.)

Cn. Calpurnius Piso (cos. ord. 7 B.C.)

M. Aemilius Lepidus (cos. ord. 6)

C. Junius Silanus (cos. ord. 28)

Ser. Sulpicius Galba (cos. ord. 33)

Cossus Cornelius Lentulus Gaetulicus (cos. ord. 26)

Ser. Sulpicius Galba (cos. ord. 33)

L. Domitius Ahenobarbus (cos. ord. 16 B.C.)

M. Valerius Messalla Messallinus (cos. ord. 3 B.C.)

Cn. Cornelius Lentulus (cos. ord. 14 B.C.)

P. Cornelius Dolabella (cos. ord. 10)

L. Arruntius Camillus Seribonianus (cos. ord. 32)

L. Calpurnius Piso (cos. ord. 27)

M. Aemilius Lepidus (cos. ord. 6)

L. Munatius Plancus Paulinus (cos. ord. 13)

M. Licinius Crassus(cos. ord. 30 B.C.)

Sex. Aelius Catus (cos. ord. 4)

Ti. Plautius Silvanus Aelianus (cos. suff. 45)

M. Valerius Messalla Corvinus (cos. ord. 31 B.C.)

M. Tullius Cicero (cos. suff. 30 B.C.)

Potitus Valerius Messalla (cos. suff. 29 B.C.)

L. Calpurnius Piso (cos. ord. 15 B.C.)

Q. Caecilius Metellus Creticus Silanus (cos. ord. 7)

Cn. Calpurnius Piso (cos. ord. 7 B.C.)

C. Cassius Longinus (cos. suff. 30)

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nelius Scipio Orfitus (149); M’. Acilius Glabrio (152); Ser. Scipio Orfitus (172); L. Calpurnius Piso (175); Ser. Scipio Orfitus (178). None of these is found commanding legions as legates of imperial provinces. Indeed, it became very rare for the son of any consular, never mind the members Of the Republican nobility, to be legate of a consular military province. As Géza Alföldy has observed, “Nur bei 18 Legaten aus dem Zeitraum zwischen 138 und 180 ist bezeugt, daß sie Nachkommen von Konsuln waren; sie hatten insgesamt 23 konsulare Statthalterschaften inne, aber auch von diesen entfielen 6 auf die militärisch unbedeutenden Provinzen Dalmatia, Hispania citerior und Pontus et Bithynia, ferner 3 weitere auf die in der Mitte des 2. Jahrhunderts ruhigste Militärprovinz mit größerer Armee, Syria Palaestina.”*21 Against this figure he can count 59 ’new men’ with a total of 88 governorships. Ronald Syme, after reviewing a set of governors, commented that “the Caesars for

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