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THE NATIVE COUNTRY of LUSIUS QUIETUS by W. DEN BOER We

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THE NATIVE COUNTRY of LUSIUS QUIETUS by W. DEN BOER We THE NATIVE COUNTRY OF LUSIUS QUIETUS BY W. DEN BOER We have but few sources at our dispos.al for the recon.struction of the biography of Lusius Quietus, that fascinating character of the first period in which the Roman government opened posts of high rank to persons of barbaric origin 1). The scanty material, however, has not yet been fully used to ,ascertain the native coun- try of this foreign general, whom Ammianu.s Marcellinus (XXIX, 5, 4) reckons, together with Theodosius the Elder and Domitius Corbulo, among the greatest generals of the Roman Empire. Modern scholars are of opinion that the sources disagree and they have applied a rather arbitrary sifting. The present article intends to show that the data can be connected very well and, if grouped and explained correctly, will reveal the origin of Lusius Quietus. A rough survey of his career must precede our investigation: He is described as an African coming from the remotest part of Libya, which was not subdued by the Romans, as a leader of Moorish cavalry. Even as far back as Domitian's reign he plays a r6le in the army, but for some reason unknown to us he falls into disgrace. Then he offers his services again in the war against the Dacians, and performs some clever tricks of war-stratagem 2) during the campaign.s north of the Danube. As a rew.ard for this military success he is elected a senator by means of the allectio inter prae- torios 3). He disappears completely between 106 and 113 A.D., but reappears at the outbreak of war against the Parthians, and is then one of the great generals 4). Next he becomes consui ,suffectus, 1 A good discussion of the data has been given by Groag, R. E. XIII (1927) s.v. Lusius Quictus. Cf. also Prosop. lnip. Rom., s.v.; J. Carcopino, Lusius Quictus, L'hornrne de Qwrnyn. Istros r ( 19114) 5, ff. 2) Sources: Cassius Dio LXVIII, specially 32, 4 ff; Themistius Or. XVI (p. 250 ()indorf). 3) Cassius Dio LXVIII, 32, 5. This promotion must he placed here, as has heen pointed out by Boisscvaifi. 4) Cassius Dio LXVIII, 22, 2; 3(l, 2. R. P. Longden says quite rightly ( j.R.S., XXI (1931 ), 29, n.l.) : "We can easily see, how in 1 16 he may have 328 occupies the confidential position of governor of Judaea, suppresses the Jewish rebellion in Mesopotamia 5) and, according to some authorities, also in Cyrenaica 6). But Hadrian considers his position menaced by the African chief,-according to a more recent source Trajan even designed Lusius as his successor 7)-, and so he dis- arms the Moorish troop.s s) . Finally Hadrian has him put to death together with three other prominent Romans: Palma and Celsus are condemned as conspirators, Nigrinus and Lusius on account of certain other accusations, but actually because of their great in- fluence, their wealth and their fame 9). Up to this point the sources do not .seem to offer any difficulty in reconstructing the career of this cavalry-leader, but from what follows it will be made clear that this agreement is only superficial. First, however, I shall consider another point which has often been discussed. Many schol.ars believe Lusius Quietus is mentioned in a contemporaneous source, the Physiognomonica of Polemon, of which only an Arabian translation has been preserved 10). In an effort to prove that people with small deepset eyes have a bad character, the author takes an influential person from the Emperor's surroundings as an example, he brings this repulsive type in con- nection with the conspiracy against Hadrian. If the person men- tioned is Lusius indeed, the author's intention becomes clear imme- appeared the only bulwark in a sea of incompetence". Cf. L. Homo, Le siècle d'or de l'empire romain" (1947), 239: "Le Murat de I'arm?e ro- maine". 5) Cassius Dio LXVIII, 32, 3; Jerom. Chron. a. 114-116 p. Chr.; Eus. H.E., IV, 2. 6) Carcopino, op. cit., 6-7. 7) Themistius, lococit.: ensvS? M(iL)bour.xu'tea'tQá't?Yl1ae, dvibelte neois- pov únu'tov, i;nswa 't'ij? (3uaLÂ.e(a?8td8OXOV xasgai?jaato. Orientals are said to have marked Lusius as the successor of Trajan by giving him the name Traianus Quintus (S. Kraus, Rev. et. juiv., LXXX (1925), 113, 118). 8) Hist. Aug., 1, 5, 7-8. 9) Cassius Dio LXVIII, 32, 5 and LXIX, 2, ,j. 10) Polemon, Physiognomonica, I, 98 (Foerster). The identification of the person mentioned by Polemon with Lusius Quietus has been defended by Von Premerstein, Das Attent.at der Konsulare auf Hadrian im Jahre 118 n. Chr., Klio, Beih. VIII (1908) and Carcopino in his paper mentioned in note 1. The identification has been disputed by W. B. Henderson, The Life and Principate of the Emperor Hadrian, 52-54 and L. Homo, Le Haut-Em- pire, 51 l. .
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