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Gaius Vettius Sabinianus Julius Hospes (
fl. ''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they flourished") denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indicatin ...
2nd century) was a
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...
military officer and
senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
. He was born into the equestrian order, possibly in North Africa. He held the traditional series of military, administrative and judicial positions of steadily increasing responsibility which aspiring upper class Romans were expected to progress through, known as the ''
cursus honorum The ''cursus honorum'' (; , or more colloquially 'ladder of offices') was the sequential order of public offices held by aspiring politicians in the Roman Republic and the early Roman Empire. It was designed for men of senatorial rank. The ''c ...
''. He had a long and distinguished military and political career under the reigns of the
emperors An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother (empr ...
Antoninus Pius Antoninus Pius ( Latin: ''Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Pius''; 19 September 86 – 7 March 161) was Roman emperor from 138 to 161. He was the fourth of the Five Good Emperors from the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. Born into a senatori ...
,
Marcus Aurelius Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Latin: áːɾkus̠ auɾέːli.us̠ antɔ́ːni.us̠ English: ; 26 April 121 – 17 March 180) was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD and a Stoic philosopher. He was the last of the rulers known as the Five Good E ...
and
Commodus Commodus (; 31 August 161 – 31 December 192) was a Roman emperor who ruled from 177 to 192. He served jointly with his father Marcus Aurelius from 176 until the latter's death in 180, and thereafter he reigned alone until his assassination. ...
. He was appointed a special representative of the Emperor on several occasions. He was governor successively of four turbulent Roman frontier provinces. He acquired a reputation as a capable, if brutal, military commander and suppressed a number of internal and external threats. He was used by the emperors he served under as something of a trouble shooter. He was appointed
consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throu ...
in AD 175 or 176 by Emperor Marcus Aurelius as a reward for his loyalty and ability during a revolt by General
Avidius Cassius Gaius Avidius Cassius ( 130 – July 175 AD) was a Syrian Roman general and usurper. He was born in Cyrrhus, and was the son of Gaius Avidius Heliodorus, who served as '' praefectus'' or governor of Roman Egypt, and Julia Cassia Alexandra, wh ...
. Hospes received numerous awards for personal gallantry.


Biography


Early career

Originally a member of the
equestrian order The ''equites'' (; literally "horse-" or "cavalrymen", though sometimes referred to as "knights" in English) constituted the second of the property-based classes of ancient Rome, ranking below the senatorial class. A member of the equestrian ...
, Gaius Vettius Sabinianus may have originated from
Roman North Africa Africa Proconsularis was a Roman province on the northern African coast that was established in 146 BC following the defeat of Carthage in the Third Punic War. It roughly comprised the territory of present-day Tunisia, the northeast of Algeri ...
.Mennen, pg. 129 At some point he was adopted by the aristocratic Vettii Sabini. He began his military career as the '' praefectus cohortis'', a junior officer position, of ''II Commagenorum'', a battalion sized army unit. He was promoted to the rank of
military tribune A military tribune (Latin ''tribunus militum'', "tribune of the soldiers") was an officer of the Roman army who ranked below the legate and above the centurion. Young men of Equestrian rank often served as military tribune as a stepping stone ...
, a senior officer position, in
Legio I Italica Legio I Italica ("First Italian Legion") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army founded by emperor Nero on September 22, 66 (the date is attested by an inscription). The epithet ''Italica'' is a reference to the Italian origin of its first r ...
. Sabinianus returned to Rome to participate in the magistracies of the ''
cursus honorum The ''cursus honorum'' (; , or more colloquially 'ladder of offices') was the sequential order of public offices held by aspiring politicians in the Roman Republic and the early Roman Empire. It was designed for men of senatorial rank. The ''c ...
'', the sequential mixture of military and political administrative positions held by aspiring politicians in the early Roman Empire. In succession he was appointed:
quaestor A ( , , ; "investigator") was a public official in Ancient Rome. There were various types of quaestors, with the title used to describe greatly different offices at different times. In the Roman Republic, quaestors were elected officials who ...
, a junior position administering the public treasury;
plebeian tribune Tribune of the plebs, tribune of the people or plebeian tribune ( la, tribunus plebis) was the first office of the Roman state that was open to the plebeians, and was, throughout the history of the Republic, the most important check on the power o ...
, a senior position within theoryextensive powers over the legislature; and
praetor Praetor ( , ), also pretor, was the title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to a man acting in one of two official capacities: (i) the commander of an army, and (ii) as an elected '' magistratus'' (magistrate), assigned to discharge vari ...
, a senior administrative and judicial position reporting directly to the emperor. He was then appointed ''
legatus A ''legatus'' (; anglicised as legate) was a high-ranking Roman military officer in the Roman Army, equivalent to a modern high-ranking general officer. Initially used to delegate power, the term became formalised under Augustus as the officer ...
'' of the
proconsul A proconsul was an official of ancient Rome who acted on behalf of a consul. A proconsul was typically a former consul. The term is also used in recent history for officials with delegated authority. In the Roman Republic, military command, or ' ...
ar governor of
Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
. Vettius Sabinianus’ next appointment was a special command, functioning as the imperial legate responsible for investigating the status of the
Cyclades The Cyclades (; el, Κυκλάδες, ) are an island group in the Aegean Sea, southeast of mainland Greece and a former administrative prefecture of Greece. They are one of the island groups which constitute the Aegean archipelago. The name ...
in relation to their administration by the Roman province of Asia.


Later career

At the beginning of the joint reigns of
Marcus Aurelius Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Latin: áːɾkus̠ auɾέːli.us̠ antɔ́ːni.us̠ English: ; 26 April 121 – 17 March 180) was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD and a Stoic philosopher. He was the last of the rulers known as the Five Good E ...
and
Lucius Verus Lucius Aurelius Verus (15 December 130 – January/February 169) was Roman emperor from 161 until his death in 169, alongside his adoptive brother Marcus Aurelius. He was a member of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty. Verus' succession together wit ...
, Sabinianus was appointed '' juridicus'' of the Italian circuit comprising '' Aemilia''; ''
Etruria Etruria () was a region of Central Italy, located in an area that covered part of what are now most of Tuscany, northern Lazio, and northern and western Umbria. Etruscan Etruria The ancient people of Etruria are identified as Etruscans. Thei ...
'' and ''
Liguria Liguria (; lij, Ligûria ; french: Ligurie) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is ...
''; Mireille Corbier states he is the earliest known ''juridicus'' for that circuit. Around 165 Emperor Marcus Aurelius raised a new legion,
Legio III Italica Legio III Italica ("Italian Third Legion") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army founded in 165 AD by the emperor Marcus Aurelius (r. AD 161–80) for his campaign against the Marcomanni tribe. The cognomen ''Italica'' suggests that the legio ...
, to fight in the
Marcomannic Wars The Marcomannic Wars (Latin: ''bellum Germanicum et Sarmaticum'', "German and Sarmatian War") were a series of wars lasting from about 166 until 180 AD. These wars pitted the Roman Empire against, principally, the Germanic Marcomanni and Quad ...
and Sabinianus was appointed its first commander as a ''
legatus legionis A ''legatus'' (; anglicised as legate) was a high-ranking Roman military officer in the Roman Army, equivalent to a modern high-ranking general officer. Initially used to delegate power, the term became formalised under Augustus as the office ...
'', senior legionary commander. This was followed by another special appointment, as ''Legatus Aug. Rationibus putandis trium Galliarum'' or legate in control of the urban finances of the three Gallic provinces, again reporting directly to the Emperor. This appointment may reflect a growing debt problem in the province, triggered by the demands of the
Marcomannic Wars The Marcomannic Wars (Latin: ''bellum Germanicum et Sarmaticum'', "German and Sarmatian War") were a series of wars lasting from about 166 until 180 AD. These wars pitted the Roman Empire against, principally, the Germanic Marcomanni and Quad ...
. His next appointment was ''legatus legionis'' of another legion, XIV Gemina, together with military and civil jurisdiction over
Pannonia Superior Pannonia Superior, lit. Upper Pannonia, was a province of the Roman Empire. Its capital was Carnuntum. It was one on the border provinces on the Danube. It was formed in the year 103 AD by Emperor Trajan who divided the former province of P ...
, following a Roman defeat in the province in about 170 and the death of the governor. After a brief period in Rome as praefect of the ''
aerarium Saturni Aerarium, from ''aes'' (“bronze, money”) + -''ārium'' (“place for”), was the name given in Ancient Rome to the public treasury, and in a secondary sense to the public finances. ''Aerarium populi Romani'' The main ''aerarium'', that ...
'' (state treasury), he was again posted to the frontier, this time as ''
legatus Augusti pro praetore A ''legatus Augusti pro praetore'' (literally: "envoy of the emperor – acting for the praetor") was the official title of the governor or general of some Imperial provincess of the Roman Empire during the Principate era, normally the larger ones ...
'', imperial governor, of Pannonia Superior, where he served from around 170 to 175. Here he fought in the First Marcomannic War, taking part in several battles against
Germanic tribes The Germanic peoples were historical groups of people that once occupied Central Europe and Scandinavia during antiquity and into the early Middle Ages. Since the 19th century, they have traditionally been defined by the use of ancient and e ...
. For his services Marcus Aurelius rewarded him with a large share of the booty from the campaign. During the usurpation of
Avidius Cassius Gaius Avidius Cassius ( 130 – July 175 AD) was a Syrian Roman general and usurper. He was born in Cyrrhus, and was the son of Gaius Avidius Heliodorus, who served as '' praefectus'' or governor of Roman Egypt, and Julia Cassia Alexandra, wh ...
in AD 175, Vettius Sabinianus was sent by Marcus Aurelius to take charge of the
vexillatio A ''vexillatio'' (plural ''vexillationes'') was a detachment of a Roman legion formed as a temporary task force created by the Roman army of the Principate. It was named from the standard carried by legionary detachments, the ''vexillum'' (plural ...
ns (detachments) from Illyricum and defend Rome against a possible advance by Cassius. Positioning himself in Rome, Sabinianus also had to ensure that those within the city opposed to the continued war against the Germans, headed by the family of Lucius Verus, did not take advantage of Cassius' rebellion to undermine imperial authority. As a reward for his loyalty during the crisis, Vettius Sabinianus was appointed
consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throu ...
by the emperor around AD 175.Alföldy, p. 190 Becoming a consul was the highest honour of the Roman state, and as such candidates were chosen carefully by the emperor. He was then appointed proconsular curator of
Puteoli Pozzuoli (; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Naples, in the Italian region of Campania. It is the main city of the Phlegrean Peninsula. History Pozzuoli began as the Greek colony of ''Dicaearchia'' ( el, Δικα ...
, followed by a tenure as ''curator aedium sacrarum'', curator of the temples, a senior religious position. Next he was appointed legatus Augusti pro praetore (imperial legate) of
Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see names in other languages) is one of the four historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of the Adriatic Sea, str ...
in AD 177, with instructions to deal with the bandits which infested the areas around modern
Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and share ...
and
Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = ...
, which the previous governor
Didius Julianus Marcus Didius Julianus (; 29 January 133 or 137 – 2 June 193) was Roman emperor for nine weeks from March to June 193, during the Year of the Five Emperors. Julianus had a promising political career, governing several provinces, including D ...
had been unable to eradicate. From 179 to 182 Vettius Sabinianus held the post of imperial governor of Tres Daciae, during which he subdued some 12,000
Free Dacians The so-called Free Dacians ( ro, Daci liberi) is the name given by some modern historians to those Dacians who putatively remained outside, or emigrated from, the Roman Empire after the emperor Trajan's Dacian Wars (AD 101-6). Dio Cassius named t ...
on the border of the province and settled them inside the provincial border. He was probably the governor who fought in a victorious but brutal war against the Buri until 182, which saw the creation of a five-mile wide security zone along the borders of the province. This was followed by his posting as imperial legate of the province of Pannonia Superior. The last position Sabinianus is recorded to have held, in around AD 191, was proconsular governor of
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
which, because of the reliance of the city of Rome on its grain, was considered the most important Roman governorship.


Decorations and family

Vettius Sabinianus was awarded the
civic crown The Civic Crown ( la, corona civica) was a military decoration during the Roman Republic and the subsequent Roman Empire, given to Romans who saved the lives of fellow citizens. It was regarded as the second highest decoration to which a citizen ...
, the second highest military decoration to which a Roman citizen could aspire, three times.Only the
grass crown The Grass Crown ( la, corona graminea) or Blockade Crown (''corona obsidionalis'') was the highest and rarest of all military decorations in the Roman Republic and early Roman Empire. It was presented only to a general, commander, or officer ...
was held in higher regard.
A chaplet of common oak leaves woven to form a crown, it was reserved for Roman citizens who saved the lives of fellow citizens by slaying an enemy. He was also awarded the ''
Hasta pura The ''hasta pura'' or ''hasta donatica'' was a decoration for merit, awarded in Ancient Rome. The Roman sources do not concur about the precise character of the decoration. Some call it a decoration for valour, others mention that it had been awa ...
'', a decoration for military valour and the '' Vexilla'' twice each.Maxfield, pg. 42 He was married to the daughter of Servius Cornelius Scipio Salvidienus Orfitus, proconsular governor of Africa in AD 163/164. His grandson was Gaius Vettius Gratus Sabinianus, who was consul in AD 221.


Notes


References


Sources

* Alföldy, Géza ''Konsulat und Senatorenstand unter der Antoninen'' (1977) Bonn: Rudolf Habelt Verlag. * Arnheim, Michael, ''The senatorial aristocracy in the later Roman empire'' (1972) Oxford: Clarendon. Press. * Birley, Anthony, ''Marcus Aurelius'' (2000a) London: Routledge. * Birley, A. R., "Senators as Generals" in ''Kaiser, Heer und Gesellschaft in der Römischen Kaiserzeit'' (ed. Eric Birley, Géza Alföldy, Brian Dobson, Werner Eck) (2000b) Stuttgart: Steiner. * Buraselis, Kostas, ''Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. Vol. 90, pt. 4: Kos between Hellenism and Rome: Studies on the Political, Institutional and Social History of Kos from ca. the Middle Second Century B.C. until Late Antiquity'' (2000) Philadelphia American Philosophical Society. * Dumitrascu, Sever, "Research and Discovery in Northwest Rumania" in ''Rumanian Studies: An International Annual of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Vol III 1973 – 1975'' (1976) * Grant, Michael, ''The Antonines: The Roman Empire in Transition'' (1996) London: Routledge. * Kovács, Péter, ''Marcus Aurelius' Rain Miracle and the Marcomannic Wars'' (2009) Leiden: Brill. * Maxfield, Valerie, A., ''The Military Decorations of the Roman Army'' (1981) Berkeley (Calif.) University of California Press. * McLynn, Frank, ''Marcus Aurelius: Warrior, Philosopher, Emperor'' (2011) London: Vintage Digital, 2011. * Mennen, Inge, ''Power and Status in the Roman Empire, AD 193–284'' (2011) Leiden: Brill. * Potter, David S., ''The Roman Empire at Bay: AD 180–395'' (2004) London: Routledge. {{DEFAULTSORT:Vettius Sabinianus Julius Hospes, Gaius 2nd-century Romans Suffect consuls of Imperial Rome Roman governors of Dalmatia Roman governors of Dacia Roman governors of Pannonia Superior Roman governors of Africa Sabinianus Julius Hospes Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown