Aulus Bucius Lappius Maximus 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 ...

senator who flourished during the

Flavian dynasty The Flavian dynasty ruled the Roman Empire between AD 69 and 96, encompassing the reigns of Vespasian (69–79), and his two sons Titus (79–81) and Domitian (81–96). The Flavians rose to power during the civil war of 69, known ...

; Brian W. Jones considers him one of

Domitian Domitian (; la, Domitianus; 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was a Roman emperor who reigned 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 Fl ...

's ''amici'' or advisors. He held the

consulate A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of diplomatic mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth c ...

twice.

Name and family

Older authorities refer to him as Lucius Appius Maximus Norbanus, combining Pliny the Younger's mention of him ("Lappius Maximus") with a garbled passage from the '' Epitome de Caesaribus'' ("Norbanus Lappius") where his name is combined with the name of the governor of

Raetia Raetia ( ; ; also spelled Rhaetia) was a province of the Roman Empire, named after the Rhaetian people. It bordered on the west with the country of the Helvetii, on the east with Noricum, on the north with Vindelicia, on the south-west ...

, Titus Flavius Norbanus. Although his correct name is provided by a

military diploma A Roman military diploma was a document inscribed in bronze certifying that the holder was honourably discharged from the Roman armed forces and/or had received the grant of Roman citizenship from the emperor as reward for service. The diploma ...

from Suhozem in Bulgaria, some authorities persisted in giving the wrong name. The

polyonymy Over the course of some fourteen centuries, the Romans and other peoples of Italy employed a system of nomenclature that differed from that used by other cultures of Europe and the Mediterranean Sea, consisting of a combination of personal and fa ...

of his name indicates an adoption; according to Olli Salomies, he was born a Lappius Maximus adopted by an Aulus Bucius. Salomies also notes that "all A. Lappii seem to have something to do with the senator".Salomies, ''Adoptive and polyonymous nomenclature in the Roman Empire'' (Helsinki: Societas Scientiarum Fennica, 1992), p. 95

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 Roman ...

notes the ''

gentilicium The (or simply ) was a hereditary name borne by the peoples of Roman Italy and later by the citizens of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. It was originally the name of one's (family or clan) by patrilineal descent. However, as Rome expand ...

'' "'Lappius' is very rare." An inscription at Rome provides the name of his wife, Aelia. Salomies writes that Lappia A.f. Tertulla, mentioned in a Roman inscription () "is probably this man's daughter". In any case, Syme notes Lappius Maximus was one of several notables living during the Flavian dynasty who "were unable to supply consular descendants."

Career

The career of Lappius Maximus included being

proconsul A proconsul was an official of ancient Rome who acted on behalf of a consul. A proconsul was typically a former consul. The term is also used in recent history for officials with delegated authority. In the Roman Republic, military command, or ...

ar governor of

Bithynia et Pontus Bithynia and Pontus ( la, Provincia Bithynia et 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 o ...

during 83/84 prior to being consul for the first time for the '' nundinium'' September to December 86 with

Gaius Octavius Tidius Tossianus Lucius Javolenus Priscus Gaius Octavius Tidius Tossianus Lucius Javolenus Priscus was a Roman senator and jurist who flourished during the Flavian dynasty. Many of his judgments are quoted in the ''Digest''. Priscus served as suffect consul for the '' nundinium'' (perio ...

as his colleague. Then he was consular

legate Legate may refer to: *Legatus, a higher ranking general officer of the Roman army drawn from among the senatorial class :*Legatus Augusti pro praetore, a provincial governor in the Roman Imperial period *A member of a legation *A representative, ...

Germania Inferior Germania Inferior ("Lower Germania") was a Roman province from AD 85 until the province was renamed Germania Secunda in the fourth century, on the west bank of the Rhine bordering the North Sea. The capital of the province was Colonia Agripp ...

during 87 to 89, during which time he assisted in crushing the revolt of Lucius Antonius Saturninus in the adjacent province of Germania Superior. Afterwards he was immediately assigned to the consular legateship of Syria from 89 to 92, before holding the fasces a second time for the ''nundinium'' May to August 95 with Publius Ducenius Verus as his colleague; occupying the office of consul was a distinction Syme notes "that had become preternaturally rare in the course of the previous century."Syme, ''Tacitus'', p. 51

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bucius Lappius Maximus, Aulus 1st-century Romans 1st-century Roman governors of Syria Roman governors of Bithynia and Pontus Suffect consuls of Imperial Rome Roman governors of Germania Inferior Roman governors of Syria