Titus Flavius Norbanus
Titus Flavius Norbanus was a
Norbanus' identity has posed a problem. Until recently he was mentioned only three times in the primary sources: as "Norbanus Lappius" in the
Governor of Raetia
At least as early as 13 May AD 86, Norbanus was
The reasons for Saturninus' revolt defy investigation.
Praetorian prefect
When Norbanus entered into the office of praetorian prefect is not precisely known. Some experts suggest that he was first prefect of Egypt for a brief time.[10] No positive confirmation of this post has been found, and there is little room to insert him into the list of governors of this province: based on the work of Guido Bastianini, there is a possible gap around the year 90 when there are no precisely dated documents attesting to either Marcus Mettius Rufus or Titus Petronius Secundus in office, and a more substantial gap of precisely dated documents in 93 between Secundus and Marcus Junius Rufus.[11] However, in his poem, which dates to either 94 or 95, Martial mentions that Norbanus has returned to Rome after an absence of 6 years,[2] making it unlikely that Norbanus proceeded directly from Raetia to command of the Praetorian Guard.
What is definite is that Norbanus held this office with Petronius Secundus as his colleague at the moment when the emperor Domitian was assassinated, 18 September 96. According to
Notes
- ^ Epitome de Caesaribus, xi.10
- ^ Epigrams, ix.84
- ^ a b Dio Cassius, 67.15
- ^ Pliny, Epistulae, X.58.6
- ^ a b Eck and Pangerl, "T. Flavius Norbanus, praefectus praetorio Domitians, als Statthalter Rätiens in einem neuen Militärdiplom", Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik, 163 (2007), pp. 239–251
- ^ Eck and Pangerl, "T. Flavius Norbanus", p. 250
- Journal of Roman Studies, 68 (1978), pp. 12-21
- ^ As attested at Eck and Pangerl, "T. Flavius Norbanus", pp. 245-248
- ^ So argued by Brian W. Jones, The Emperor Domitian (London: Routledge, 1992), pp. 61, 149
- ^ Jones, The Emperor Domitian, p. 229 n. 5
- ^ Bastianini, "Lista dei prefetti d'Egitto dal 30a al 299p", Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik, 17 (1975), pp. 263-321, 323-328
- ^ Syme, Tacitus (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1958), p. 10