Calpurnius Piso Galerianus was a man of the
Calpurnia gens of
ancient Rome who lived around the 1st century CE. He was the (possibly adopted) son of
Gaius Calpurnius Piso Gaius Calpurnius Piso may refer to:
* Gaius Calpurnius Piso (conspirator)
* Gaius Calpurnius Piso (consul 180 BC)
* Gaius Calpurnius Piso (consul 67 BC)
* Gaius Calpurnius Piso (praetor 211 BC)
* Gaius Calpurnius Piso Crassus Frugi Licinianus
Gai ...
. Gaius was married twice, to
Livia Orestilla and later to
Atria Galla
Atria Galla was a woman of ancient Rome related to various imperial intrigues by her husband, and reputed as "beautiful but low-born". She was first the wife of Domitius Silus but eventually left him for his friend Gaius Calpurnius Piso, whom she l ...
, and it is unclear which of these women, if any, was Galerianus's biological mother.
He was married to Calpurnia, daughter of
Licinia Magna and
Lucius Calpurnius Piso.
In 65 CE, Galerianus's father was executed for
conspiring against the emperor Nero. Just a few years later, around 69 CE, the empire was plunged into
civil war during what is known as the
Year of the Four Emperors, during which Nero committed suicide, and at the end of which the emperor
Vespasian emerged as victorious.
We don't know exactly how old Galerianus was at this time, but he is described as "too young" to participate in the intrigues of this civil war, and despite being unremarkable and trying to live a quiet life -- the writer
Tacitus describes him as having "no daring at all" -- his noble birth and his youth and popularity earned him the attention of the emperor Vespasian's prefect
Gaius Licinius Mucianus, eager to quash potential threats to Vespasian's ascension.
Vespasian's partisans thought Galerianus might attract the support of the now leaderless faction of
Galba
Galba (; born Servius Sulpicius Galba; 24 December 3 BC – 15 January AD 69) was the sixth Roman emperor, ruling from AD 68 to 69. After his adoption by his stepmother, and before becoming emperor, he was known as Livius Ocella Sulpicius Ga ...
, a major challenger of Vespasian during the Year of Four Emperors, who had been assassinated by Praetorians in 69 CE. This was possibly at least in part because a relative of Galerianus,
Lucius Calpurnius Piso Frugi Licinianus, had been named heir by Galba himself. It probably also didn't help Galerianus that his father had been executed as a traitor to the emperor, and his father-in-law,
Lucius Calpurnius Piso, had been a supporter of
Vitellius -- another executed challenger to Vespasian.
Galerianus was arrested in Rome, led by armed guard for forty miles along the
Appian Way, taken to a fortress and executed by injecting him with poison.
[Tacitus, '' Annales'', iv. 11] His father-in-law was likewise executed on the orders of Mucianus shortly afterwards.
References
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70 deaths
Year of birth unknown
Calpurnii Pisones
1st-century Romans
Executed ancient Roman people