Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodes (

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 ...

: Τιβέριος Κλαύδιος Άττικός Ήρώδης; 65 before 160) was a

aristocrat of 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 ...

. Born into a wealthy family, his father was

proscribed Proscription () is, in current usage, a 'decree of condemnation to death or banishment' (''Oxford English Dictionary'') and can be used in a political context to refer to state-approved murder or banishment. The term originated in Ancient Rome ...

by Domitian, had his fortune confiscated, and was exiled or executed. Claudius Atticus restored his family's influence, becoming a senator and suffect consul in 133. His son, Herodes Atticus, erected a statue of him at the Nymphaeum of Herodes Atticus in Olympia.

Origin and life

Claudius Atticus was a Greek of

Athenian Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

descent. As he bears the Roman family name,

Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; ; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54), or Claudius, was a Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Nero Claudius Drusus, Drusus and Ant ...

, it is possible that a paternal ancestor of his received

Roman citizenship Citizenship in ancient Rome () was a privileged political and legal status afforded to free individuals with respect to laws, property, and governance. Citizenship in ancient Rome was complex and based upon many different laws, traditions, and cu ...

from a member of the Claudius gens. Claudius Atticus was born and raised into a very distinguished, wealthy family, descended from the Augustan-era politician, Eucles of Marathon. He was the son of Tiberius Claudius Hipparchus (born c. 40); his mother's name is unknown.Graindor, ''Un milliardaire antique'' p. 29 His sister, Claudia Alcia, married the Athenian aristocrat Lucius Vibullius Rufus. Claudius Atticus' father, Hipparchus, was considered one of the wealthiest men in the

; he was reputed to possess one hundred million sesterces.Day, ''An economic history of Athens under Roman domination'' p. 242 This reputation is evident in a line from

Suetonius Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (), commonly referred to as Suetonius ( ; – after AD 122), was a Roman historian who wrote during the early Imperial era of the Roman Empire. His most important surviving work is ''De vita Caesarum'', common ...

(''The Twelve Caesars'',

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 ...

, 13): However, Hipparchus' fortune ultimately led to his downfall.

's second son

Domitian Domitian ( ; ; 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was Roman emperor from 81 to 96. The son of Vespasian and the younger brother of Titus, his two predecessors on the throne, he was the last member of the Flavian dynasty. Described as "a r ...

, in either 92 or 93, ordered proscriptions on a large number of wealthy men. The father of Claudius Atticus seems to have been accused of attempting to form an extra-constitutional regime in Athens. Consequently, his fortune and estates were confiscated, and, on Domitian's orders, Hipparchus was either executed or exiled. In later years, in a house that Claudius Atticus acquired near the Theatre of Dionysus in Athens, he found an immense treasure.Day, ''An economic history of Athens under Roman domination'' p. 243 As a precaution, he wrote a letter to the

Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

Nerva informing him of this and asking what to do with the treasure. Nerva replied in a letter stating: "Use what you have found". However, Claudius Atticus again wrote to Nerva, stating that this discovery was beyond his station in life, to which Nerva replied: "Then misuse your windfall, for it is yours". It is possible that this treasure was hidden there by Hipparchus during Domitian's proscriptions. With it, Claudius Atticus restored his family's influence and prestige. In 98, using money from the treasure, Claudius Atticus purchased a seat in 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 ...

. According to two fragments from the Christian chronicler Hegesippus, Claudius Atticus served as the 7th legate of Iudaea Province from 99 to 102. He was one of the suffect consuls in 133, the first Greek from old Greece to reach the post, and probably also its first member in the Roman Senate.

Family

Claudius Atticus married an Athenian heiress, Vibullia Alcia Agrippina, a member of a very wealthy and prominent family. Vibullia was also his niece, the daughter of his sister, Claudia Alcia.Wilson, ''Encyclopedia of ancient Greece'' p. 349 They had three children:Pomeroy, ''The murder of Regilla: a case of domestic violence in antiquity'' * Lucius Vibullius Hipparchus Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodes, otherwise known as Herodes Atticus, 101-177 * Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodianus * Claudia Tisamenis Herodes Atticus and his wife, Aspasia Annia Regilla, erected a great outdoor nymphaeum (a monumental fountain) at

Olympia, Greece Olympia ( ; ), officially Archaia Olympia ( ), is a small town in Elis (regional unit), Elis on the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece, famous for the nearby archaeological site of the same name. The site was a major Panhellenic sanctuary, Panhell ...

. The monumental fountain features statues and honors members of the ruling imperial family, relatives of Herodes Atticus, and his wife. Among the statues is one of Claudius Atticus, now on display at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia

References

Sources

* * Suetonius - The Twelve Caesars – Vespasian * Day, J., ''An economic history of Athens under Roman domination'', Ayers Company Publishers, 1973 * Graindor, P., ''Un milliardaire antique'', Ayers Company Publishers, 1979 * Wilson, N.G., ''Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece'', Routledge, 2006 * Pomeroy, S.B., ''The murder of Regilla: a case of domestic violence in antiquity'', Harvard University Press, 2007 * https://web.archive.org/web/20110716083759/http://www.sleepinbuff.com/13history.pdf
"Plancia Magna, Aurelia Paulina, and Regilla: Civic Donors"

"Procurators"

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Atticus Herodes, Tiberius 65 births 2nd-century deaths Year of death unknown 1st-century Romans 2nd-century Romans 1st-century Athenians 2nd-century Athenians 1st-century Roman governors of Judaea 2nd-century Roman governors of Judaea Ancient Athenians Suffect consuls of Imperial Rome Roman governors of Judaea Ancient Roman governors Claudii