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Marcus Plancius Varus was an
Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...
n Roman noble who lived in the 1st century in the
Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...
. His paternal ancestors were originally from
Latium Latium ( , ; ) is the region of central western Italy in which the city of Rome was founded and grew to be the capital city of the Roman Empire. Definition Latium was originally a small triangle of fertile, volcanic soil (Old Latium) on whic ...
in
Central Italy Central Italy ( or ) is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), a first-level NUTS region with code ITI, and a European Parliament constituency. It has 11,704,312 inhabita ...
. They had immigrated to
Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...
in the time of the late
Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( ) was the era of Ancient Rome, classical Roman civilisation beginning with Overthrow of the Roman monarchy, the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom (traditionally dated to 509 BC) and ending in 27 BC with the establis ...
. Varus came from a local, wealthy family who were prominent and they came from an unknown town in
Galatia Galatia (; , ''Galatía'') was an ancient area in the highlands of central Anatolia, roughly corresponding to the provinces of Ankara and Eskişehir in modern Turkey. Galatia was named after the Gauls from Thrace (cf. Tylis), who settled here ...
. His family owned large estates in
Galatia Galatia (; , ''Galatía'') was an ancient area in the highlands of central Anatolia, roughly corresponding to the provinces of Ankara and Eskişehir in modern Turkey. Galatia was named after the Gauls from Thrace (cf. Tylis), who settled here ...
. Apart from this, not much is known on the family and early life of Varus.


History

Between the years of 56–69, Varus served as a
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 disch ...
during the reign of the Roman Emperor
Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his ...
. He entered the
Roman Senate The Roman Senate () was the highest and constituting assembly of ancient Rome and its aristocracy. With different powers throughout its existence it lasted from the first days of the city of Rome (traditionally founded in 753 BC) as the Sena ...
as a praetor and through this entry, became a Roman Senator. After his service as a praetor, Varus implied treasonable behavior by a Roman called Dolabella. A Roman woman called
Triaria file:De mulieribus claris (BnF Français 599) f82v - Triaria.jpg, In On Famous Women Triaria (1st-century) was a Roman woman, the second wife of Lucius Vitellius the Younger (the brother of emperor Vitellius, Aulus Vitellius). She is mentioned on ...
(second wife of
Lucius Vitellius the younger Lucius Vitellius (died December 69) was a Roman senator who lived in the 1st century. He was the second son of Lucius Vitellius and Sextilia, and younger brother of emperor Aulus Vitellius. Lucius was suffect consul in the '' nundinium'' of July- ...
and sister-in-law to the brief future Roman Emperor Aulus
Vitellius Aulus Vitellius ( ; ; 24 September 1520 December 69) was Roman emperor for eight months, from 19 April to 20 December AD 69. Vitellius became emperor following the quick succession of the previous emperors Galba and Otho, in a year of civil wa ...
) terrified the City Prefect Titus Flavius Sabinus (brother to future Roman Emperor
Vespasian Vespasian (; ; 17 November AD 9 – 23 June 79) was Roman emperor from 69 to 79. The last emperor to reign in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for 27 years. His fiscal reforms and consolida ...
) warning Sabinus not to seek a reputation for clemency by endangering Nero. During the reign of Roman Emperor
Vespasian Vespasian (; ; 17 November AD 9 – 23 June 79) was Roman emperor from 69 to 79. The last emperor to reign in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for 27 years. His fiscal reforms and consolida ...
(69-79), Varus served as governor of the public province of
Bithynia and Pontus Bithynia and Pontus (, Ancient Greek ) was the name of a province of the Roman Empire on the Black Sea coast of Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). It was formed during the late Roman Republic by the amalgamation of the former kingdoms of Bithynia (ma ...
. During his time in
Nicaea Nicaea (also spelled Nicæa or Nicea, ; ), also known as Nikaia (, Attic: , Koine: ), was an ancient Greek city in the north-western Anatolian region of Bithynia. It was the site of the First and Second Councils of Nicaea (the first and seve ...
, the capital of the
Roman province The Roman provinces (, pl. ) were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was ruled by a Roman appointed as Roman g ...
of Bithynia, Varus had struck coinage honoring the Roman State and himself. Julia became a priestess and served in the temple of the Ancient
Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
Goddess
Artemis In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Artemis (; ) is the goddess of the hunting, hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, transitions, nature, vegetation, childbirth, Kourotrophos, care of children, and chastity. In later tim ...
in Perga. Artemis was the most important Goddess in Perga. In Perga, the city's most magnificent structure was the Hellenistic Gate that was the entrance to the city. Inside in the courtyard of the Hellenistic Gate, there are inscribed bases of statues that bear the names of Marcus Plancius Varus and his son. From these inscriptions it is understood that Varus, along with his son were wealthy, influential and generous citizens in Perga. Varus and his son were made benefactors whom they contributed to the prosperity of Perga. Due to the goodness and generosity of Varus and his son, they were both accepted as the second founders of the city. For who they were both honored with the title ''‘’Ktistes’’'' or ''’’Founder’‘''. Varus also had contributed to the construction of the North Gate of Nicaea/İznik, now called
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
Gate, that was built between 70-71. He had appeared to have died before 81. There is a possibility that Varus could be buried west of this Gate. His epitaph was written and dedicated in common Emperorship by Vespasian and his son
Titus Titus Caesar Vespasianus ( ; 30 December 39 – 13 September AD 81) was Roman emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death, becoming the first Roman emperor ever to succeed h ...
. Varus’ epitaph is preserved inside the Istanbul Gate. His epitaph was written in metal letters:


Family

At unknown date, Varus married the Herodian Princess Julia, the daughter of King
Tigranes VI of Armenia Tigranes VI, also known as Tigran VI or by his Roman name Gaius Julius Tigranes (, before 25 – after 68) was a Herodian prince and served as a Roman client king of Armenia in the 1st century. He was the child born to Alexander by an unnamed ...
and sister of prince
Gaius Julius Alexander Gaius Julius Alexander II () was a Herodian Dynasty, Herodian prince who lived in the 1st century and 2nd century in the Roman Empire. Life Alexander was of Jews, Jewish, Nabataeans, Nabataean, Edom, Edomite, Greeks, Greek, Armenians, Armenian ...
. Julia bore Varus two children: * Son, Gaius Plancius Varus, consul during the reign of Roman Emperor
Hadrian Hadrian ( ; ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. Hadrian was born in Italica, close to modern Seville in Spain, an Italic peoples, Italic settlement in Hispania Baetica; his branch of the Aelia gens, Aelia '' ...
. * Daughter, Plancia Magna, who married the
Roman Senator The Roman Senate () was the highest and Roman constitution, constituting assembly of ancient Rome and its aristocracy. With different powers throughout its existence it lasted from the first days of the Rome, city of Rome (traditionally founded ...
Gaius Julius Cornutus Tertullus. Plancia Magna was a prominent patron and prominent citizen in Perga.


Sources

* https://web.archive.org/web/20050104093812/http://www.iznik.bel.tr/bld-gov/eng/eistkapi.htm * https://web.archive.org/web/20080509195203/http://www.serifyenen.com/heritage_Summer2005.asp * Richard A Bauman, ''Crime and Punishment in Ancient Rome'', (Routledge, 2005) , p. 86 *
Tacitus Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historians by modern scholars. Tacitus’ two major historical works, ''Annals'' ( ...
, '' Histories'
II.63
*


External links



{{DEFAULTSORT:Plancius Varus, Marcus Imperial Roman praetors Roman governors of Bithynia and Pontus 1st-century Romans Herodian dynasty Plancii