Marcus Plautius Silvanus (consul 2 BC)
Marcus Plautius Silvanus was a
Biography
Marcus Plautius Silvanus the son of another Marcus Plautius Silvanus and
Although Silvanus served under
Suppression of the Isaurians
In the year AD 6, Silvanus was assigned as Proconsul to the province of Galatia, which by that date included the coastal region of Pamphylia. Cassius Dio writes that the Isaurians began a series of 'marauding expeditions', and did not desist until they were faced with 'grim war.'[7] The modern historian, Noel Lenski, following Syme and Mitchell, writes that the client king, Archelaus I, was unable to handle the uprising himself, 'and thereby forced the Romans to commit at least two legions under Marcus Plautius Silvanus to regain control.'[11] [12] Mitchell also suggests that one of these legions was Legio VII Macedonica which was stationed at Antioch during the period.[13]
Participation in The Great Illyrian Revolt, or Bellum Batonianum
Late in AD 6, the
Regarding the year in which Silvanus arrived in Illyricum, the ancient writers all give the year AD 7,[14][15] which was followed by the twentieth century historian Syme who stated the 7 AD date was 'indisputable.'[19][20] However, some modern historians have suggested a contradictory, and probably erroneous, 'amphibious landing' during AD 6.[21]
Once the two generals, Silvanus and
Following this unpromising beginning, Silvanus with his two 'eastern legions', accompanied by Caecina's legion, marched to Siscia (modern Sisak) to join Tiberius and the two legions already assembled there. [27] Once the men had had time to recover, Tiberius immediately split the forces into four, sending Caecina back to Moesia, and marching with Silvanus and the 'eastern legions' back to Sirmium where they wintered, and where Silvanus continued to operate from for the remainder of the conflict.[27] Paterculus states that Tiberius took them on a 'long and extremely arduous march, the difficulties of which are hardly describable,'[28] though he does not mention Silvanus' role specifically.
During AD 8, Dio relates that Silvanus personally led a successful campaign to defeat the Breucians, and won the allegiance of some other Illyrian tribes without a fight.[29]
In the final year of the revolt, AD 9, Silvanus remained in Illyricum, acting out of Sirmium. Dio states that his forces were ravaging Pannonia, which caused the remaining tribes to make terms.[29] For his actions, he was granted triumphal honours along with the other commanders,[30] attested by the inscription which appears on Silvanus' tomb in Tivoli, Italy. [31]
Family
Marcus Plautius Silvanus was the son of another Marcus Plautius Silvanus (unattested) and Urgulania, a close friend of Livia.[2] It is possible that the family is descended from Marcus Plautius Hypsaeus, consul in 125 BC, however this is doubted by Syme.[32]
Silvanus married Lartia.[33] Their known children include:
- Marcus Plautius Silvanus. First married Fabia Numantina, but their marriage was over prior to AD 24, as by then he was married to Apronia, daughter of Lucius Apronius. He was accused of murdering Apronia by throwing her out of a window.[34] [35] The murder was investigated by emperor Tiberius himself. Urgulania then sent her grandson a dagger, encouraging him to commit suicide, which he duly did. Shortly after the murder of Apronia, Fabia Numantina was "charged with having caused her husband's insanity by magical incantations and potions", but was acquitted.[34]
- Aulus Plautius Urgulanius. Died at the age of nine.[36]
- Sicilia.[37]
- Plautia Urgulanilla, first wife of the emperor Claudius.
He is also the first cousin of
Mausoleum of the Plautii
The mausoleum in which Marcus Plautius Silvanus was interred still stands in modern Tivoli, Italy. A large inscription outlining Silvanus' achievements is still in place, and includes his wife, Lartia and one of his sons, Aulus Plautius Urgulanius, alongside the separate, very detailed stone of his adopted grandson Tiberius Plautius Silvanus Aelianus.
The Latin inscription reads: "M Plautius M F A N/ Silvanus/ Cos VIIvir Epulon/ huic senatus triumphalia/ ornamenta decrevit/ ob res in Ilyrico/ bene gestas/ Lartia CN F Uxor/ A Plautius M F/ Urgulanius/ vixit ann IX."[38]
The mausoleum was famously painted as 'The Lucano Bridge and Mausoleum Plauti', and engraved from two different places by Giovanni Battista Piranesi,[39] and amongst others, by Franz Knebel and Onorato Carlandi. It also featured on Spode ceramics, the design called 'Bridge of Lucano' during the early 19th century. [40]
See also
- Tiberius Plautius Silvanus Aelianus
- Urgulania
- Great Illyrian Revolt
- Plautia gens
- For details of mausoleum: http://www.tibursuperbum.it/eng/monumenti/TombaPlauzi.htm
Sources
- Cassius Dio, (2007) Roman History.
- Velleius Paterculus, (2011) Roman History.
- Publius Cornelius Tacitus, Annales.
- Inscription of the Tomb of the Plautii, CIL XIV, 3606
- Abdale, J.R, (2019) The Great Illyrian Revolt: Rome's Forgotten War in the Balkans, AD6-9. Pen and Sword.
- Dzino, D. (2010) The Failure of Greater Illyricum., published online Cambridge.org.
- Lenski, N. (1999) "From Assimilation and Revolt in the Territory of Isauria, from the Sixth Century BC to the Sixth Century AD," Journal of Economics and Social History of the Orient, Vol 42, no. 4, pp. 413-465. (Jstor)
- Mitchell, S, (1976) "Legio VII and the Garrison of Augustan Galatia", Classical Quarterly no. 26, pp. 298-308.
- Syme, Ronald, (1933) "Some Notes on the Legions under Augustus," Journal of Roman Studies, Vol 23, pp. 14-33. (Jstor)
- Syme, Ronald, (1934) Galatia and Pamphylia under Augustus: The Governorship of Piso, Quirinus and Silvanus. Klio no. 27, p122-148.
- Syme, Ronald, (1939) The Roman Revolution., Clarendon Press, Oxford.
- Syme, Ronald, (1986) The Augustan Aristocracy., Clarendon Press, Oxford.
- Lily Ross Taylor, (1956) "Trebula Suffenas and the Plautii Silvani", in Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome, vol. 24.(Jstor)
- Wilkes, J.J, (1969) Dalmatia., Routledge, 1969.
References
- ^ Attilio Degrassi, I fasti consolari dell'Impero Romano dal 30 avanti Cristo al 613 dopo Cristo (Rome, 1952), p. 5
- ^ a b c Lily Ross Taylor, "Trebula Suffenas and the Plautii Silvani", Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome, 24 (1956), p. 24
- ^ Syme, The Augustan Aristocracy (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1986), p. 88; The Roman Revolution (Oxford: University Press, 1939), pp. 385, 399
- ^ Tacitus, The Annals of Imperial Rome, Penguin, 1956, p. 93
- ^ Syme, Roman Revolution, p. 435; Augustan Aristocracy, p. 340
- ^ Syme, Augustan Aristocracy, p. 333; also "Galatia and Pamphylia under Augustus: The Governorship of Piso, Quirinus and Silvanus", Klio, 27 (1934), pp. 122-148.
- ^ a b Cassius Dio, The Roman History, LV, 28
- ^ Attested in the inscription on his Mausoleum in Tivoli (ILS 986), and CIL XIV, 3606
- ^ Syme, Augustan Aristocracy, 1986, p. 88
- ^ Tacitus, Annales, II, 34.
- ^ Lenski, N. (1999) "From Assimilation and Revolt in the Territory of Isauria, from the Sixth Century BC to the Sixth Century AD"
- ^ Syme, "Galatia and Pamphylia under Augustus: The Governorship of Piso, Quirinus and Silvanus", Klio 27 (1934), pp. 122-148.
- Classical Quarterly, 26 (1976), pp. 298-308.
- ^ a b Cassius Dio, Roman History, Bk 55, ch 29
- ^ a b Velleius Paterculus, The Roman History, II, 111.2
- Journal of Roman Studies(1933), p. 29.
- ^ Daniel Dzino, The Failure of Greater Illyricum (2010), pp. 152-3
- ^ J.J. Wilkes, Dalmatia (1969), pp. 92-93
- ^ Syme, "Some Notes on the Legions Under Augustus", p. 28.
- ^ Syme, Augustan Aristocracy, p. 289
- ^ For example, Jason R. Abdale, The Great Illyrian Revolt (2019), p. 144
- ^ Velleius Paterculus, The Roman History, II, 112.4
- ^ Cassius Dio, Roman History, LV, 31
- ^ Daniel Dzino, The Failure of Greater Illyricum, p. 151
- ^ Syme, "Some Notes on the Legions Under Augustus"
- ^ a b Velleius Paterculus, The Roman History, Bk 2, ch 112.5
- ^ a b Dzino, Failure of Greater Illyricum, p. 153
- ^ Velleius Paterculus, The Roman History II, 113.3
- ^ a b Cassius Dio, Roman History LV, 34
- ^ Cassius Dio, Roman History, LVI, 17
- ^ CIL XIV, 3606
- ^ Syme, Augustan Aristocracy, p. 87
- ^ CIL XIV, 3606
- ^ a b Tacitus, Annales IV.22.3
- ^ Syme, Augustan Aristocracy, p. 418
- ^ CIL XIV, 3606
- ^ CIL XIV, 3607
- ^ CIL XIV, 3606
- ^ "The Ponte Lucano with the Tomb of the Plautii".
- ^ See for example https://www.blueandwhite.com/products.asp?p=19CN34962