Gaius Aeterius Fronto

Last updated

Gaius Aeterius Fronto was a Roman eques who held a number of appointments during the reigns of the emperor Vespasian, the most important of which was praefectus or governor of Roman Egypt.

There is some controversy over the reading of his gentilicium . Louis Robert had read his name in the inscription on a bronze vase from Alexandria as "Literius", [1] in accordance with the text of Josephus' Bellum Judaicum in some manuscripts; however, other manuscripts read "Aeterius", which is a possible reading of the bronze vase, and clearly attested in an unpublished specimen from the Oxyrhynchus Papyri according to John Rea. The current consensus is that "Aeterius" is the correct reading. [2]

Fronto's first mention in history was following the capture of Jerusalem in AD 70. Josephus mentions that Fronto was present with troops drawn from the legions stationed in Egypt, namely Legio XXII Deiotariana and Legio III Cyrenaica, [3] and afterwards Titus delegated to him the responsibility to pass judgment over the Jewish survivors. [4]

He is next appears as governor of Egypt, where he is attested from 78 to 79. [5] He have no further information about Aeterius Fronto's life after he stepped down from the prefectureship.

Related Research Articles

Petronia gens Ancient Roman family

The gens Petronia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome. This gens claimed an ancient lineage, as a Petronius Sabinus is mentioned in the time of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the last of the Roman kings, but few Petronii are mentioned in the time of the Republic. They are frequently encountered under the Empire, holding numerous consulships, and eventually obtaining the Empire itself during the brief reign of Petronius Maximus in AD 455.

Flavia gens Roman families

The gens Flavia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome. Its members are first mentioned during the last three centuries of the Republic. The first of the Flavii to achieve prominence was Marcus Flavius, tribune of the plebs in 327 and 323 BC; however, no Flavius attained the consulship until Gaius Flavius Fimbria in 104 BC. The gens became illustrious during the first century AD, when the family of the Flavii Sabini claimed the imperial dignity.

Gaius Ummidius Durmius Quadratus was a Roman senator of the Principate. He was the first member of the Ummidii to reach the office of consul in his family, or a homo novus. Quadratus is also known for his tenure as governor of Syria from c. 50 until his death.

Eleazar ben Simon was a Zealot leader during the First Jewish-Roman War who fought against the armies of Cestius Gallus, Vespasian, and Titus Flavius. From the onset of the war in 66 CE until the destruction of the temple in 70 CE, he fought vehemently against the Roman garrisons in Judea and against his fellow Jewish political opponents in order to establish an independent Jewish state at Jerusalem. Although the Jewish defeat at Jerusalem cannot be entirely attributed to Eleazar ben Simon, his inability to establish unity with John of Gischala and Simon bar Giora resulted in a bitter civil war that weakened the Jewish resistance against Rome. Eleazar ben Simon and his Zealots' radical anti-Roman policies and eradication of the moderate temple aristocracy from Jerusalem in 67 CE also prevented any peaceful agreement with Rome to avoid the death and destruction which ensued in 70 CE.

Simon bar Ezron was a leader in the First Jewish–Roman War against the Roman Empire in the year 66 CE. He was a compatriot of the Zealot leader Eleazar ben Simon styled Ben Ari who led the Biryonim faction. He was of noble descent, and may be identical with Simeon ben Arinos, who also is mentioned in connection with Eleazar, and thus with Simeon ben Ari, to whose bravery Josephus alludes.

Quintus Pomponius Secundus was a Roman aristocrat of the first century, and consul suffectus in AD 41 as the colleague of Gnaeus Sentius Saturninus. His brother was the poet and statesman Publius Pomponius Secundus, and their half-sister, Milonia Caesonia, was the second wife of the emperor Caligula.

Titus Flavius T. f. T. n. Sabinus was a Roman politician and soldier. A native of Reate, he was the elder son of Titus Flavius Sabinus and Vespasia Polla, and brother of the Emperor Vespasian.

The gens Caecinia was a plebeian family of Etruscan origin at ancient Rome. Members of this gens are first mentioned in the time of Cicero, and they remained prominent through the first century of the Empire, before fading into obscurity in the time of the Flavian emperors. A family of this name rose to prominence once more at the beginning of the fifth century.

The gens Ummidia was a Roman family which flourished during the first and second centuries. The first member of the gens to achieve prominence was Gaius Ummidius Durmius Quadratus, governor of Syria during the reigns of Claudius and Nero. The Ummidii held several consulships in the second century, and through the marriage of Gaius Ummidius Quadratus Annianus Verus they were related to the emperor Marcus Aurelius.

Sextus Vettulenus Cerialis was a Roman senator and military commander. He was an early supporter of Vespasian, who appointed Cerialis suffect consul in either 72 or 73.

The gens Cestia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome during the later Republic, and in imperial times. The first member of the gens to obtain the consulship was Gaius Cestius Gallus in AD 35. The family's name is commemorated on two monuments, the Pons Cestius and the Pyramid of Cestius which survive into modern times.

Gadara

Gadara, in some texts Gedaris, was an ancient Hellenistic city, for a long time member of the Decapolis city league, a former bishopric and present Latin Catholic titular see.

Gaius Caristanius Fronto 1st century Roman soldier, senator and consul

Gaius Caristanius Fronto was a Roman soldier and equites whom Vespasian promoted to the Roman Senate for his loyalty to the latter in the Year of Four Emperors. He was appointed suffect consul in AD 90 as the colleague of Quintus Accaeus Rufus.

The gens Laberia was a minor plebeian family at ancient Rome. Members of this gens are first mentioned in the second century BC, at which time they held senatorial rank. Most of the members mentioned later were equites, but toward end of the first century AD they attained the consulship, which several of them held throughout the second century.

The gens Pedania was a minor plebeian family at Rome. Members of this gens are first mentioned at the time of the Second Punic War, but they achieved little prominence until imperial times, when the ill-starred Lucius Pedanius Secundus attained the consulship under Nero.

Tiberius Claudius Julianus was a Roman senator and literary figure who held several offices in the imperial service during the later second century AD. He was suffect consul during the nundinium of September-October 154 with Sextus Calpurnius Agricola as his colleague.

The gens Rubria was a plebeian family at ancient Rome. Members of this gens are first mentioned in the time of the Gracchi, but they did not rise to prominence until imperial times. The first of the Rubrii to obtain the consulship was Rubrius Gallus, some time before AD 68.

The gens Sallustia, occasionally written Salustia, was a plebeian family at ancient Rome. Members of this gens are first mentioned in the time of Cicero, and from that time they attained particular distinction as statesmen and writers. The most illustrious of the family was the historian Gaius Sallustius Crispus, who wrote valuable works on the Jugurthine War and the Conspiracy of Catiline, which still exist.

Sentia gens Ancient Roman family

The gens Sentia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome. Members of this gens are first mentioned in history toward the end of the Republic. The first of the Sentii to obtain the consulship was Gaius Sentius Saturninus, in 19 BC.

Tiberius Julius Lupus was a member of the equestrian class who was praefectus or governor of Roman Egypt from 71 to 73. He was the older brother of Lucius Julius Ursus; their father was Julius Lupus, the brother-in-law of the praetorian prefect Marcus Arrecinus Clemens and uncle of Arrecina Tertulla, the wife of the emperor Titus. It was this connection that likely enabled Lupus to be appointed to the governorship.

References

  1. Alf. Merlin and Jean Gagé, "Publications relatives a l'antiquité Romaine", L'Année épigraphique, Année 1937 (1938), p. 85
  2. O. W. Reinmuth, "A Working List of the Prefects of Egypt 30 B.C. to 299 A.D.", Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists, 4 (1967), pp. 85f
  3. Josephus, Bellum Judaicum, VI.238, 242
  4. Josephus, Bellum Judaicum, VI.416, 419
  5. Guido Bastianini, "Lista dei prefetti d'Egitto dal 30a al 299p", Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik , 17 (1975), p. 276
Political offices
Preceded by
Prefectus of Aegyptus
78-79
Succeeded by