Titus Avidius Quietus
Titus Avidius Quietus | |
---|---|
Consul of the Roman Republic | |
In office May 93? – September 93? Serving with Sextus Lusianus Proculus | |
Preceded by | Sextus Pompeius Collega with Quintus Peducaeus Priscinus |
Succeeded by | Gaius Cornelius Rarus Sextius Naso with Tuccius Cerialis |
Personal details | |
Born | Unknown Possibly Faenza, Italy |
Died | Unknown (by 107 AD) |
Spouse | Unknown |
Children | Titus Avidius Quietus |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Roman Empire |
Commands | legate of Legio VIII Augusta Governor of Britannia |
Titus Avidius Quietus (died by 107 AD) was a
Background
The
Political career
Only two posts from his career before he was appointed to the consulship are known. In 82 the veterans of
Birley notes that "at first sight it is a little surprising" that Quietus, with clear connections to the Stoics, was appointed to a consulship under Domitian, especially in 93, "the very year when Domitian carried out a major purge of the Stoics." Birley explains that Domitian may have hoped to reconcile with the group until the last moment.[3] Following Domitian's assassination in 96, Quietus spoke in defense of Pliny the Younger before the Senate when the latter attempted to obtain revenge for the Stoic leader Helvidius Priscus.[3] Soon after this speech, he was appointed governor of Roman Britain, despite Quietus lacking recent military experience. Birley believes his appointment fits the pattern of Nerva's rule, who appointed a number of elder statesmen to positions of power.[4]
His career after Britain, if any, is unknown. Birley concludes that he was dead by the time Pliny wrote his second letter mentioning him, which experts date to c. 107.[5]
Family
Literary references to other members of his family, the Avidii, indicates they had their origins in Faventia (modern
References
- ^ Pliny, Letters, 6.29
- ^ Birley, The Fasti of Roman Britain, (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1981), p. 85
- ^ a b c d Birley, Fasti, p. 86
- ^ Birley, Fasti, p. 86. In a note on that page, Birley quotes Ronald Syme's observation on that period of the Roman Empire, "there was some danger of gerontocracy."
- ^ a b Birley, Fasti, p. 87
Further reading
- C. Konrad, Plutarch's Sertorius: A Historical Commentary. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1994
- Alan K. Bowman, Peter Garnsey, Dominic Rathbone, Cambridge ancient history, Volume 11 second edition. 2000
- Anthony R. Birley, The Roman Government of Britain, 2005
- http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/2310.html