Sextus Afranius Burrus

Sextus Afranius Burrus
Born	1 Gallia Narbonensis, Vasio
Died	62(62-00-00) (aged 60–61) Rome
Allegiance	Roman Empire
Service years	50 AD – 62
Rank	Praetorian prefect
Commands	Praetorian Guard

Sextus Afranius Burrus (born AD 1 in Vasio, Gallia Narbonensis; ^[1] died AD 62) was a prefect of the Praetorian Guard and was, together with Seneca the Younger, an advisor to the Roman emperor Nero, making him a very powerful man in the early years of Nero's reign. ^[2] The cognomen "Burrus" is Latin for "red" or "reddish-brown", likely referring to his hair color ^[3] .

Imperial Court

Emperor Claudius

Agrippina the Younger chose him as Prefect in 51 to secure her son Nero's place as emperor after the death of Claudius. ^[4]

Emperor Nero

For the first eight years of Nero's rule, Burrus and Nero's former tutor Seneca helped maintain a stable government. Burrus acquiesced to Nero's murder of Agrippina the Younger but lost his influence over Nero anyway.

Death

In 62 AD, Burrus apparently suffered from a tumor in his throat or larynx ^[5] , which was likely the cause of his death. However, contemporary rumors claimed that Nero had poisoned him because he was annoyed by Burrus's outspoken opposition to his criminal activities. ^[6] Suetonius reports that Nero sent him a poisonous medicine to treat the tumor in his throat ^[7] . Tacitus, on the other hand, leaves it open whether these rumors were actually true. ^{[8] [9] [10]}

Sources

• Tacitus Annales 12.42; 14.51
• Suetonius Nero 35.5
• CIL XII, 5842 = ILS 1321
• Dio 62.13

References

1. CIL XII, 5842 = ILS 1321. English translation Robert K. Sherk (1988). The Roman Empire: Augustus to Hadrian. Cambridge University Press. p. 99. ISBN   978-0-521-33887-5.
2. Albino Garzetti (1974). From Tiberius to the Antonines: A History of the Roman Empire AD 14-192. Routledge. pp. 611f. ISBN   978-1-317-69844-9.
3. "burrus", Wiktionary, the free dictionary, 2025-12-26, retrieved 2026-01-25
4. Anthony A. Barrett (1996). Agrippina: Sex, Power, and Politics in the Early Empire. Yale University Press. pp. 122f. ISBN   978-0-300-07856-5.
5. Tacitus, Annals XIV. 51.1
6. Cassius Dio 62.13.2–3
7. Sueton, Nero 35.5.
8. Tacitus, Annals XIV.51.1.
9. Boris Rankov (1994). The Praetorian Guard. Osprey Publishing. p. 11. ISBN   978-1-85532-361-2. Archived from the original on 14 February 2016.
10. Tom Holland. Dynasty. p. 400.

Government offices
Preceded by Lusius Geta and Rufrius Crispinus	Praetorian prefect 50–62	Succeeded by Faenius Rufus and Gaius Ophonius Tigellinus