Gnaeus Pinarius Cornelius Clemens (fl. 1st century AD) 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 lette ...
military officer and
senator who was appointed
Suffect consul during the reign of
Vespasian
Vespasian (; la, Vespasianus ; 17 November AD 9 – 23/24 June 79) was a Roman emperor who reigned from AD 69 to 79. The fourth and last emperor who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty that ruled the Empi ...
. He is primarily known through inscriptions.
Biography
Possibly originating from
Hispania
Hispania ( la, Hispānia , ; nearly identically pronounced in Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, and Italian) was the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula and its provinces. Under the Roman Republic, Hispania was divided into two provinces: Hisp ...
, son of a Lucius, Clemens Pinarius'
polyonymous name poses a challenge: C. Castillo has argued that he was born a Cornelius L.f. who was adopted by a Gnaeus Pinarius; Olli Salomies, however, reports that "among the numerous Pinarii I can find only one Gnaeus, whereas, on the other hand, this praenomen was much in use among the Cornelii." This led Salomies to speculate that he was originally a Gnaeus Cornelius L.f. who added the element "Pinarius" from his mother's side; but noting the existence of
Gnaeus Pinarius Aemilius Cicatricula
Gnaeus Pinarius Aemilius Cicatricula was a Roman senator, who was active during the reign of Domitian. He was suffect consul in the '' nundinium'' of November-December 72 as the colleague of Sextus Marcius Priscus. He is known entirely from inscri ...
, suffect consul in 72, Salomies concluded that "it is much better to assume" the existence of a Gnaeus Pinarius, despite lack of evidence otherwise of the senator, who adopted both men. In a later article, Salomies noted the existence of
Gnaeus Pinarius Caecilius Simplex
Gnaeus Caecilius Simplex was a Roman senator, who was active during the middle of the first century AD. The ephemeral emperor Vitellius appointed him consul during the Year of Four Emperors with Gaius Quinctius Atticus as his colleague, replacing ...
, suffect consul in 69; this forced him to conclude "the most economical explanation for the existence of the three contemporary Cn. Pinarii would be to postulate an otherwise unknown Cn. Pinarius, probably a man of means but perhaps without an offspring, who could have adopted by testament three promising younger senators."
Prior to AD 74, most probably either AD 71 or 72, Clemens Pinarius was appointed ''
consul suffectus
A consul held the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic ( to 27 BC), and ancient Romans considered the consulship the second-highest level of the ''cursus honorum'' (an ascending sequence of public offices to which politic ...
''. Following this he was appointed ''curator exercitusque sacrarum locorum publicorum'' (or the official responsible for maintaining the religious and public buildings of
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
). His next posting was 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 ...
'' (or imperial governor) of the province of
Germania Superior, a position he held from AD 72 to 75. Taking
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 of the
Legio VIII Augusta
Legio VIII Augusta ("Augustus' Eighth Legion") was one of the oldest legions of the Imperial Roman army.
In republican service
They were ordered to Cisalpine Gaul around 58 BC by Julius Caesar and marched with him throughout the entirety of t ...
and the
Legio XI Claudia
Legio XI Claudia ("Claudius' Eleventh Legion") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. The legion was levied by Julius Caesar for his campaign against the Nervii. XI ''Claudia'' dates back to the two legions (the other was the XIIth) recruit ...
, he undertook a campaign on the right bank of the
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, so ...
in
Germania Magna
Germania ( ; ), also called Magna Germania (English: ''Great Germania''), Germania Libera (English: ''Free Germania''), or Germanic Barbaricum to distinguish it from the Roman province of the same name, was a large historical region in north-c ...
, for which the emperor
Vespasian
Vespasian (; la, Vespasianus ; 17 November AD 9 – 23/24 June 79) was a Roman emperor who reigned from AD 69 to 79. The fourth and last emperor who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty that ruled the Empi ...
awarded him the ''ornamenta triumphalia'' (or insignia of a
triumph
The Roman triumph (Latin triumphus) was a celebration for a victorious military commander in ancient Rome. For later imitations, in life or in art, see Trionfo. Numerous later uses of the term, up to the present, are derived directly or indirectl ...
). Travelling through the sparsely populated ''
Agri Decumates
The ''Agri Decumates'' or ''Decumates Agri'' ("Decumatian Fields") were a region of the Roman Empire's provinces of Germania Superior and Raetia, covering the Black Forest, Swabian Jura, and Franconian Jura areas between the Rhine, Main, and Da ...
'' in AD 74, Clemens Pinarius constructed a
road
A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation.
There are many types of ...
from
Argentoratum
Argentoratum or Argentorate was the ancient name of the city of Strasbourg. The name was first mentioned in 12 BC, when it was a Roman military outpost established by Nero Claudius Drusus. From 90 AD the Legio VIII Augusta was permanently stati ...
through to the upper
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...
. This road shortened the distance between
Augusta Vindelicorum
Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the '' ...
and
Mogontiacum
Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-west, with Main ...
by 160 km or seven days' march.
Clemens Pinarius was buried in the town of
Hispellum Hispellum (modern Spello) was an ancient town of Umbria, Italy, north of Fulginiae, on the road between it and Perusia.
History
Hispellum is mentioned in Pliny StraboV.2.10, and Ptolemy's ''Geography'', but apparently by no earlier author. ...
.
Gnaeus Pinarius Cornelius Severus
Gnaeus, also spelled Cnaeus, was a Ancient Rome, Roman praenomen derived from the Latin ''naevus'', a birthmark. It was a common name borne by many individuals throughout Roman history, including:
Individuals
*Gnaeus Acerronius Proculus, a consul ...
, the suffect consul of AD 112, is probably his grandson.
[Salomies, ''Adoptive and polyonymous nomenclature'', pp. 87f]
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cornelius Clemens Pinarius, Gnaeus
1st-century Romans
Suffect consuls of Imperial Rome
Roman governors of Germania Superior
Year of birth unknown
Year of death unknown
Pinarii