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Consulates in Absence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 September 2012

Ronald Syme
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Extract

Whatever the devices that operated or the forms and pageantry on public show, access to the consulate was carefully regulated by the Caesars from the beginning. History discloses no sign of any senator reaching the fasces against the will and wish of Caesar Augustus. If later writers speak of the ruler as having ‘given the consulate’, it is an abbreviation rather than a misconception.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Roman Studies , Volume 48 , Issue 1-2 , November 1958 , pp. 1 - 9
Copyright
Copyright ©Ronald Syme 1958. Exclusive Licence to Publish: The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

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References

1 Seneca, De clem. I, 9, 12Google Scholar (Cinna Magnus); Tacitus, Ann. II, 43Google Scholar, 2 (Cn. Piso). Compare, in general terms, De ira III, 31, 2: ‘dedit mihi praeturam: sed consulatum sperabam. dedit duodecim fasces: sed non fecit ordinarium consulem.’

2 Ann. IV, 6, 2: ‘mandabatque honores nobilitatem maiorum, claritudinem militiae, inlustres domi artes spectando.’

3 XXXIX, 40, 5: ‘ad summos honores alios scientia iuris, alios eloquentia, alios gloria militaris provexit.’

4 LIII, 14, 2: καὶ πολλοὶ καὶ στρατηγοῦντες καὶ ὑπατεύοντες ἡγεμονίας ἐθνῶν ἔσχον, ὃ καὶ νῦν ἔστιν ὅτε γίγνεται.

5 Dacia by 120, cf. CIL XVI, 68; Judaea under Q. Tineius Rufus, the governor when the rebellion broke out in 132 (E. Groag, P-W VI A, 1376 ff.), Tineius' consulship is now certified in 127 (FO XXVI).

6 For the details, see Hüttl, W., Antoninus Pius II (1933)Google Scholar. Several items have since accrued.

7 HA, Pius 5, 3. The notion has been uncritically supported by W. Hüttl, o.c. I (1936), 329.

8 Ann. III, 19, 1.

9 AE 1953, 88.

10 Suetonius, Galba 6.

11 ILS 945.

12 Denied in P-W XVIII (2), 983. That article exhibits other peculiarities.

13 cf. the new inscription (AE 1953, 251), published and discussed by Gordon, A. E., Univ. of Cal. Pub. in Class. Arch. II, 5 (1952), 231Google Scholar ff. On his career cf. also E. Birley, Roman Britain and the Roman Army (1953), 1 ff.; Proc. Brit. Ac. XXXIX (1953), 203. It is possible that Veranius left Rome for the East when still praetor.

14 Ann. XIII, 33, 3.

15 AE 1956, 186 (Paphos).

16 ILS 992 (Capua).

17 ILS 945; AE 1956, 186.

18 cf. JRS XLIII (1953). 152 f.; XLVII (1957), 133 f. Also E. Birley, XL (1950), 67.

19 cf. JRS XLVII (1957), 134.

20 Agr. 9, 1: ‘provinciae Aquitaniae praeposuit, splendidae imprimis dignitatis administratione ac spe consulates cui destinarat.’

21 IGR III, 840 (Seleuceia).

22 ILS 1055 (Thamugadi).

23 For the names and testimonia see the latest list, in D. Magie, R. Rule in Asia Minor (1950), 1598, unfortunately without the consular dates. That scholar missed M. Petronius Q. f. Umbrinus, who is revealed by an inscription of Attaleia (Türk Tarih Beleten XI (1947), 95, no. 12).

24 IGR III, 739 = TAM II, 905.

25 IGR III, 704. Kalinka, Thus E., in TAM II, 3 (1944), 349 f.Google Scholar; D. Magie, o.c., 1599.

26 AE 1942–3, 84 = CIL XVI, 169.

27 AE 1940, 70 = IRT 854.

28 CIL III, 1414810.

29 For the names, Magie o.c., 1598. Add M. Calpurnius M. f. Rufus under Claudius (Türk Tarih Beleten XI (1947), 94, no. 10), and M. Petronius Q. f. Umbrinus c. 80 (ib. 95, no. 12).

30 ILS 1067: ‘legato eiusdem in Cilicia/consuli, legato in Cilicia imp. Antonini Aug.’

31 CIL XVI, 84.

32 ILS 1035 (Tarracina); 1036 (Hierapolis Castabala).

33 That governor (IGR III, 523 = TAM 11, 134) was consul in 103, cf. the new Ostian fragment, AE 1954, 223.

34 Not noted in P-W XXI, 2270. That article is otherwise defective: for example, it fails to register CIL XVI, 69, the diploma that shows Platorius Nepos succeeding Pompeius Falco in Britain in 122.

35 CIL III, 254 (Ancyra): ‘leg. Augustorum pr. pr. prov. Galat. item prov. Ciliciae.’ In this instance, however, the two provinces might have been temporarily joined in a season of crisis.

36 cf. the inscription from Pergamum as interpreted by A. v. Premerstein, Bayerische S-B 1934, Heft 3.

37 ILS 1036: ‘leg. Aug. leg. X Fret, et leg. pr. pr./[p]rovinciae Judaeae consularis.’

38 cf. E. Groag in P-W XIII, 1883 (when discussing Lusius Quietus). A possible consular governor of Judaea under Trajan is the Atticus of Hegesippus quoted by Eusebius, , Hist. eccl. III, 32Google Scholar, cf. Groag, in PIR 2, A 1338Google Scholar.

39 cf. Dessau ad loc.

40 ILS 1035. Nor does AE 1957, 336 (Tomi).

41 Epp. IX, 15.

42 Possibly VI Ferrata, which was there later. For a detailed study of the occupation, Préaux, C., Phoibos v (1950–1951), 123 ff.Google Scholar

43 e.g. ILS 5834. They are listed in PIR 2, C 1023.

44 AE 1927, 147 = SEG VII, 844 = Gerasa (1938), 401, nos. 56 f.

45 FO XXII, cf. Groag in PIR 2, C 1023; Degrassi, I fasti consolari (1952), 33.

46 Published by Youtie, H. C. and Winter, J. G. in Michigan Papyri VIII (1951)Google Scholar.

47 Thus the editors.

48 Thus C. Préaux, o.c. 126.

49 1. 47: ἔτους ῖ Τραιανοῦ τοῦ κυρίον Φαμενὼθ λ.

50 As Professor H. C. Youtie courteously informs me.

51 i.e., the consular Annidius Severus (ILS 7378), who might be identical with the Adsidius (?) Severus to whom Trajan sent a rescript (Dig. XLVIII, 19, 5), cf. Groag in PIR 2, A 107 and 625.

52 OGIS 544.

53 I. l. de l'Algérie 2829 (correcting ILS 5958b); 2939b (with the erroneous ‘imp. XIIII’ for ‘imp. XIII’); 2989. Cf. PIR 2, A 83.

54 For the vexed chronology of the salutations in 116, see F. A. Lepper, Trajan's Parthian War (1948), 44 f.

55 CIL III, 429, cf. Groag in PIR 2, A 83; C 1175.

56 AE 1949, 23.

57 For an indication about this unpublished document (a Thracian diploma) I am deeply grateful to H. Nesselhauf and K. Schubring.

58 As assumed without argument in Tacitus (1958), 649.

59 I. l. d'Algérie 2939b.

60 ILS 9380f.

61 CIL VI, 2078.

62 ILS 5835. For his cursus, ILS 1053.

63 CIL VI, 32374.

64 cf. Groag in P-W xv, 1404.

65 Hist. IV, 68, I; 71, 1. Josephus (BJ VII, 82) is confused, but supports an absent consulate.

66 Agr. 8, 2.

67 CIL XVI, 10 f.

68 cf. the lengthy discussion of Fabia, Ph., Rev. phil. XXXIV (1910), 5 ffGoogle Scholar. He thinks that Cerialis could have been ‘adlectus inter consulares’ (o.c. 41).

69 AE 1915, 100 (Rome), cf. Gordon, A. E., Class. Phil. L (1950), 194 fGoogle Scholar.

70 AE 1955, 198.

71 Hist. IV, 53, 2.

72 FO XI, as interpreted by Morris, J., JRS XLIII (1953), 79Google Scholar.

73 cf. Hist. IV, 68.

74 For the evidence, which is nowhere in dispute, see E. Ritterling in P-W XII, under the different legions.

75 Josephus names the three legionary legates at the fall of Jerusalem (BJ VI, 237). For Larcius Lepidus cf. also ILS 987.

78 cf. Morris, J., JRS XLIII (1953), 79Google Scholar.

77 For this conjecture, cf. Tacitus (1958), 31.

78 Josephus, , BJ VII, 18Google Scholar.

79 Josephus, , BJ VI, 237Google Scholar.

80 ILS 1055 (in 97/8); 8826 (in 132).

81 Josephus, , BJ VII, 58 fGoogle Scholar.

82 ILS 8904.

83 ILS 232.

84 Hist. I, 79, 5.

85 Hist. II, 85, 1; 96, 1.

86 HA, Pius I, 4. For his second consulate, the eponymate of 85 has been urged by Syme, R., JRS XLIII (1953), 155Google Scholar; H. Nesselhauf, Gnomon 1954, 270. Against, Degrassi, A., Athenaeum XXXIII (1955), 112 ffGoogle Scholar.

87 Hist. III, 10 f.

88 Pliny, , NH v, 83Google Scholar; Tacitus, , Ann. XV, 28, 3Google Scholar.

89 cf. the journey of Tettius Julianus, the quaestorian legate of VII Claudia, (Hist. II, 85, 2Google Scholar; IV, 39. 1; 40. 2).

90 AE 1952, 132.

91 H. G. Pflaum, cited under AE 1952, 122, adduces as a parallel CIL II, 2477 = ILS 254 (Aquae Flaviae in Callaecia). In that instance the legatus named after the governor is the commander of VII Gemina. Now Spain was quickly stripped of its legions by Mucianus, (Hist. IV, 68, 4Google Scholar); and VII Gemina probably did not go there till 74 (ILS 2729, cf. 9052; CIL XIII, 11542). The legate Rufus might be a iuridicus: if so, perhaps the earliest discoverable.

92 Hist. IV, 39, 4.

93 Hist. IV, 53, 2.

94 AE 1939, 60 (the cursus of Sex. Attius Suburanus, his adiutor).

95 ILS 254.

96 cf. his cursus, ILS 1055; AE 1908, 237 (Thamugadi). To the same occasion may belong C. Julius Proculus, anomalously tr. mil. of IV Scythica after his quaestorship (ILS 1040): i.e., the deputy of Larcius Priscus; cf. a presumed parallel in 70 (ILS 1000).

97 Pliny, , Epp. IX, 13, 10Google Scholar f.

98 ILS 1021; 1021a.

99 cf. the new fragment of the Fasti Ostienses, AE 1954, 220.

100 Victor, , Epit. 13, 6Google Scholar.

101 Groag, adducing for Sura the acephalous elogium, ILS 1022, suggested that he might have been the successor of Glitius Agricola in Belgica—and consul in absence (P-W XIII, 475 f.).

102 cf. JRS XLVII (1957), 134.

103 LXVIII, 25, 1.

104 cf. F. A. Lepper, o.c. 87. It may be noted that that scholar is extremely reluctant to concede absentee consuls (o.c. 85 f.).

105 ILS 1046a (inscribed by his sister on a pyramid in Egypt); 1046 (Sarmizegetusa), his cursus.

106 Dio LXVIII, 30, 2.

107 Mommsen, , Chron. min. I, 255Google Scholar.

108 Dio LXVIII, 32, 5. Cf. Groag, P-W XIII, 1881 ff. Lusius may have been in Judaea before his elevation to the consulate. It hardly matters.

109 HA, Hadr. 5, 8.

110 HA, Hadr. 23, 5.

111 His cursus has been revealed by AE 1950, 66 (Mactar) and IRT 545 (Lepcis), the latter acephalous. For commentary, Picard, G. Ch., Revue africaine XCIV (1950), 25 ff.Google Scholar; Picard, G. Ch. and Pflaum, H. G., Karthago II (1951), 91 ffGoogle Scholar.

112 Precisely when, it is a question. However, since AE 1950, 66 has Cappadocia before Moesia Inferior and links it to Moesia Inferior by the word ‘item’, the sequence in time ought to be clear. The reverse order is postulated in Karthago II (1951), 97.

113 ILS 1052.

114 cf. Tacitus (1958), 243 ff. One purpose of the present paper is to explain and support the brief allusions to absent consulates in that book (o.c. 252, 641, 649). Reasons of space (and the author's perplexity about P. Michigan 466) forbade a discussion of Claudius Severus, the legate of Arabia (above, pp. 4 ff.).

For advice and help I am much indebted to Mr. E. W. Gray and Mr. F. A. Lepper.