Aulus Licinius Nerva Silianus 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 Roman civilization
*Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...
who was active during the
Principate
The Principate was the form of imperial government of the Roman Empire from the beginning of the reign of Augustus in 27 BC to the end of the Crisis of the Third Century in AD 284, after which it evolved into the Dominate. The principate was ch ...
. He was
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 thro ...
in AD 7 as the colleague of
Quintus Caecilius Metellus Creticus Silanus
Quintus Caecilius Metellus Creticus Silanus, born Iunius Silanus was adopted by Quintus Caecilius Metellus, a descendant of the optimate Quintus Caecilius Metellus Creticus and the natural son of Marcus Junius Silanus. He was a Consul in AD 7 and ...
. Silianus was born the second of three sons of
Publius Silius Nerva, consul in 20 BC, and was later adopted by
Aulus Licinius Nerva.
Velleius Paterculus
Marcus Velleius Paterculus (; ) was a Roman historian, soldier and senator. His Roman history, written in a highly rhetorical style, covered the period from the end of the Trojan War to AD 30, but is most useful for the period from the death of ...
salutes him for his ''simplicissimus''.
Silianus was a member of the ''
tresviri monetalis
The ''triumvir monetalis'' ( ''tresviri'' or ''triumviri monetales'', also called the , abbreviated IIIVIR A. A. A. F. F.) was a moneyer during the Roman Republic and the Empire, who oversaw the minting of coins. In that role, he would be respons ...
'', the most prestigious of the four boards that form the ''
vigintiviri
The ''vigintisexviri'' ( ''vigintisexvir''; ) were a college ( ''collegium'') of minor magistrates (''magistratus minores'') in the Roman Republic. The college consisted of six boards:
* the '' decemviri stlitibus judicandis'' – 10 magis ...
'';
Lucius Valerius Messalla Volesus, consul in AD 5, was one of the other two members of this board at the same time as Silianus. Because assignment to this board was usually allocated to
patricians
The patricians (from ) were originally a group of ruling class families in ancient Rome. The distinction was highly significant in the Roman Kingdom and the early Republic, but its relevance waned after the Conflict of the Orders (494 BC to 287 B ...
,
Ronald Syme
Sir Ronald Syme, (11 March 1903 – 4 September 1989) was a New Zealand-born historian and classicist. He was regarded as the greatest historian of ancient Rome since Theodor Mommsen and the most brilliant exponent of the history of the Roma ...
sees this as evidence that Silianus was a member of that class. Silianus was also a personal friend of emperor
Augustus
Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...
. Silianus participated in the beginning of the
Bellum Batonianum
The (Latin for ''War of the Batos'') or Great Illyrian Revolt was a military conflict fought in the Roman province of Illyricum in the 1st century AD, in which an alliance of native peoples of the two regions of Illyricum, Dalmatia and Pannoni ...
in
Illyricum in the year 6, for which he was awarded the consulate.
[Velleius, 116.4] According to the ''Fasti Urbisalvienses'', Silianus resigned his office on June 30, and was replaced by
Lucilius Longus
Lucilius Longus was a Roman politician and senator of the Roman Empire in the 1st century.Tacitus, Annals, 4, 15
Biography
Lucilius Longus (his Praenomen is unknown), was a '' homo novus'' and a friend of Tiberius. In 6 BC, He accompanied Tiberiu ...
.
[''Fasti Urbisalvienses'', .] Velleius says that Silianus died without fulfilling his full potential, but gives no details concerning the time or cause.
[
Aulus Licinius Nerva Silianus (consul 65), Aulus Licinius Nerva Silianus, consul in 65, was his grandson.
]
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Licinius Nerva Silianus, Aulus
1st-century BC births
Year of birth uncertain
Year of death missing
1st-century BC Romans
1st-century Romans
Imperial Roman consuls
Silii