Titus Furius Victorinus
Titus Furius Victorinus (died 168 AD) was a Roman eques who held a number of appointments during the reigns of the Emperors Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. The most prominent of these offices were praefectus vigilum, praefectus or governor of Roman Egypt, and praetorian prefect.
Early career
The career of Furius Victorinus is known from an inscription found at Rome, which also informs us that the
From this point Victorinus held a series of civil appointments. The first was a procurator of the XL Gallica; next was procurator or overseer of imperial properties in the Hispanic and Gaullic provinces; then he was appointed procurator ludimagni or overseer of the imperial
Later career
Victorinus then returned to Rome, where he was appointed procurator a rationibus, or head of the Imperial secretariat. It may be surprising that a man who had held so many military postings would advance to the head of that department; however, Fergus Millar notes that typically "men with full military and civilian equestrian careers" were appointed to this post.[2] This was followed by his appointment to praefectus vigilum, or overseer of the nightwatch of Rome. Victorinus then advanced to prefect of Egypt, which was a sensitive position for Egypt contributed a large share of Rome's grain needs; he held this post from 159 to 160.[3]
Upon the death of the praetorian prefect
The war against the Marcomanni nevertheless continued. Marcus Bassaeus Rufus, who had recently been promoted to prefect of Egypt, was called back to Rome and put in place of the deceased Furius Victorinus, where he proved he was equal to the challenge.
References
- ^ CIL VI, 41143 = ILS 9002. Two other inscriptions (CIL XIV, 440, CIL V, 648) are fragmentary copies of the first.
- ^ Millar, The Emperor in the Roman World (Cornell:University Press, 1992), p. 105
- ^ Guido Bastianini, "Lista dei prefetti d'Egitto dal 30a al 299p", Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik, 17 (1975), p. 294
- ^ Historia Augusta, "Vita Pii", 8.8
- ^ Anthony Birley, Marcus Aurelius: A Biography, revised edition (London: Routledge, 1987), p. 114
- ^ Birley, Marcus Aurelius, p. 125
- ^ Birley, Marcus Aurelius, p. 147
- ^ Birley, Marcus Aurelius, p. 155
- ^ Historia Augusta, "Marcus Antoninus", 14.5
- ^ Birley, Marcus Aurelius, p. 156
Further reading
- Hans-Georg Pflaum, Les carrières procuratoriennes équestres sous le Haut-Empire romain (Paris, 1960), No. 139