The Rise of Nemausus from Augustus to Antoninus Pius: a Prosopographical Study of Nemausian Senators and Equestrians
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THE RISE OF NEMAUSUS FROM AUGUSTUS TO ANTONINUS PIUS: A PROSOPOGRAPHICAL STUDY OF NEMAUSIAN SENATORS AND EQUESTRIANS by Hugo Thomas Dupuis Whitfield A thesis submitted to the Department of Classics In conformity with the requirements for the Degree of Masters of Arts Queen’s University Kingston, Ontario, Canada (April, 2012) Copyright © Hugo Thomas Dupuis Whitfield, 2012 Abstract Prosopography seeks to learn about social patterns and establish relationships within a well- defined group of individuals, which is accomplished by studying their biographies and analyzing the data within defined parametres. The adlection of provincials into the equestrian and senatorial orders started during the late Republic and continued into the early Principate. It integrated provincials into Rome’s social and political systems and provides the opportunity to closely examine how their roles evolved as time passed during the early Roman Empire. This thesis will show that Nemausus, a provincial tribal settlement in Gallia Narbonensis, was one of the most important towns of the Roman Empire during the early Principate and achieved its prominence through sustained production of senators from Augustus to Marcus Aurelius and, in particular, through its prominent role during the dynasty of the Five Good Emperors. The role of its equestrians and their inability to attain the highest offices of their order will be discussed. Chapter Three will focus on Nemausus’ physical transformation as it was converted from a Celtic settlement into a Roman colony, and will lay the groundwork for its rise in the established social structures. Chapter Four will provide a detailed examination of Nemausian equestrians, evaluate their careers individually and illustrate how indispensable they were to Nemausus’ growth even if they did not attain the highest offices within their order. Chapter Five will focus on Nemausian senators much in the same manner as the previous chapter. Unlike their equestrian counterparts, Nemausian senators attained great heights in Rome, becoming generals, consuls, and advisors to the emperor. Eventually they became the Imperial family itself, placing the provincial town at the forefront of the Western Roman Empire. Chapter Five will also propose to narrow the scope of Syme’s Hispano-Narbonensian nexus to include only the towns of Italica and Nemausus due to their influence during the dynasty of the Five Good Emperors. A variety of evidence will be used ii throughout the discussion, in particular epigraphical and literary sources. By examining the careers of Nemausian elites, their impact on the Roman Empire and their native town’s increased status, will be discovered. iii Acknowledgements This work would not have been completed without the support of many people to whom I am greatly indebted. First and foremost I would like to thank and acknowledge my supervisor, Dr. Bernard J. Kavanagh, for his continued advice and assistance throughout my academic career at Queen’s. He fostered my interest in Roman history as an undergraduate and then introduced me to the world of Latin epigraphy and prosopography as a graduate student. I would also like to thank the Department of Classics, its professors, including Drs. Falkner, Foley, Reeves, Colivicchi and Lehoux and, in particular, Terry Smith, the backbone of the department. I am grateful and indebted to Dr. Falkner for her guidance through trying times during my graduate years and for her recommendations to the ideas that await you. I must acknowledge Drs. Foley, Kavanagh and Reeves as they introduced me to the worlds of Roman History, Latin and Roman art and architecture (respectively) during my undergraduate degree. I would also like to thank the Committee that examined my thesis, whose members were Dr. Kavanagh, Dr. Foley, Dr. Falkner and Dr. Colivicchi. This list of acknowledgements would not be complete without thanking those with whom I spent all the hours not researching this thesis: my family and friends. Mother, father and sister: your encouragement and continued support has allowed me to complete this opus magnum for which words alone cannot describe my gratitude. Jeffrey Rogers and Kimberly Gagnon: your camaraderie and continued advice have been indispensable. iv Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................................ ii Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... iv Chapter 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2 Literature Review ............................................................................................................ 9 Chapter 3 Nemausus’ Physical Transformations ........................................................................... 12 3.1 Romanization: ...................................................................................................................... 16 Chapter 4 Nemausian Equestrians ................................................................................................. 19 4.1 Lucius Attius Lucanus: ........................................................................................................ 22 4.2 Sextus Iulius Maximus: ........................................................................................................ 26 4.3 Sextus Adgennius Macrinus: ............................................................................................... 30 4.4 Gaius Aemilius Postumus: ................................................................................................... 33 4.5 Marcus Attius Paternus: ....................................................................................................... 34 4.6 Conclusions: ......................................................................................................................... 37 Chapter 5 Nemausian Senators ...................................................................................................... 40 5.1 Gnaeus Domitius Afer: ........................................................................................................ 40 5.1.1 Sextus Curvius: ............................................................................................................. 41 5.1.2 Domitius Afer’s Cursus: ............................................................................................... 42 5.1.3 Gnaeus Domitius Lucanus and Gnaeus Domitius Tullus: ............................................ 45 5.2 Titus Aurelius Fulvus:.......................................................................................................... 49 5.2.1 Titus Aurelius Fulvus: ................................................................................................... 56 5.2.2 The Domitii Afri and the Aurelii Fulvii: ........................................................................ 57 5.3 Aulus Marius Celsus: ........................................................................................................... 60 5.4 Gaius Fulvius Lupus Servilianus: ........................................................................................ 61 5.5 Lucius Aemilius Honoratus: ................................................................................................ 65 5.6 Titus Iulius Maximus Manlianus: ........................................................................................ 70 5.7 Lucius Pompeius and Pompeia Plotina: ............................................................................... 77 5.8 Antoninus Pius ..................................................................................................................... 80 5.9 Incertus: ............................................................................................................................... 85 5.10 Conclusions: ....................................................................................................................... 86 Chapter 6 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 89 v Bibliography (or References) ......................................................................................................... 94 6.1 Primary Sources: .................................................................................................................. 94 6.2 Secondary Literature: ........................................................................................................... 95 vi Chapter 1 Introduction The Roman Empire during the time of Antoninus Pius (A.D. 138-161) stretched from as far west as the Straits of Gibraltar to as far east as the Euphrates River, from as far north as the Antonine wall in southern Scotland to as far south as the Sahara and the Red Sea. Rome, having grown from its humble beginning as a small Iron Age settlement to the Mediterranean’s foremost metropolis, achieved the peak of its geographical expansion during the reign of Trajan.1 By Antoninus Pius’ era, the Roman Empire was comprised of forty-two provinces governed by officials appointed either by the emperor himself, legati pro praetore, or by the senate, proconsuls.2 These provincial governors formed Rome’s most influential social group and through Romanization provincials began acquiring these sought-after appointments during the early Principate.