Lucius Verginius Rufus (AD 1597; sometimes incorrectly called Lucius Virginus Rufus) 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 letter ...

commander of Germania Superior during the late 1st century. He was three times

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throug ...

(in 63, 69, and 97). He was born near Comum, the birthplace of both

Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/2479), called Pliny the Elder (), was a Roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the emperor Vespasian. He wrote the encyclopedic '' ...

and Pliny the Younger. Verginius Rufus was born in Northern Italy as a member of an equestrian family. He became consul in 63 under the emperor

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 un ...

. After his consulship, Verginius Rufus was made governor of Germania Superior. When Gaius Iulius Vindex revolted against Nero in 67, Verginius Rufus led an army against him and defeated the rebel in 68 near modern-day

Besançon Besançon (, , , ; archaic german: Bisanz; la, Vesontio) is the prefecture of the department of Doubs in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The city is located in Eastern France, close to the Jura Mountains and the border with Switzerl ...

. After Nero's fall, the legions under Verginius Rufus hailed him as emperor in preference to

Servius Sulpicius Galba Servius Sulpicius Galba may refer to: * Servius Sulpicius Galba (consul 144 BC) * Servius Sulpicius Galba (consul 108 BC) * Servius Sulpicius Galba (praetor 54 BC), assassin of Julius Caesar * Galba, born Servius Sulpicius Galba, Roman emperor fro ...

(Vindex' ally), but Verginius Rufus refused to accept the purple. After the death of

Otho Marcus Otho (; born Marcus Salvius Otho; 28 April 32 – 16 April 69) was the seventh Roman emperor, ruling for three months from 15 January to 16 April 69. He was the second emperor of the Year of the Four Emperors. A member of a noble Etru ...

in April 69, the soldiers again offered the throne to Verginius, but he again refused it. Verginius retreated to an estate at

Alsium Alsium ( el, ; modern: Palo) was an ancient city on the coast of Etruria, between Pyrgi and Fregenae, on the Via Aurelia, by which it is about 35 km from Rome near the modern Ladispoli. It was one of the oldest towns of Etruria, but does n ...

on the coast of

Etruria Etruria () was a region of Central Italy, located in an area that covered part of what are now most of Tuscany, northern Lazio, and northern and western Umbria. Etruscan Etruria The ancient people of Etruria are identified as Etruscan civiliza ...

northwest of Rome. There he studied, composed poems, and had a literary salon. After the murder of Emperor

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 Flavi ...

, Marcus Cocceius Nerva was elected emperor by the senate. Nerva chose as his co-consul for 97 the elderly Verginius Rufus, who was enticed out of retirement. However, when Verginius Rufus was to hold a speech, he dropped a book he was carrying, and while bending down to pick it up, slipped and broke his hip. He died not long afterward at the age of 82 and was given a state funeral. At the public burial with which he was honored, the historian

Tacitus Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historiography, Roman historians by modern scholars. The surviving portions of his t ...

(then consul) delivered the funeral oration. Pliny the Younger, his neighbor and ward, has recorded the lines which Verginius had ordered to be engraved upon his tomb: ''Hic situs est Rufus, pulso qui Vindice quondam Imperium asseruit non sibi sed patriae'' ("Here lies Rufus, who after defeating Vindex, did not take power, but gave it to the fatherland").

References

*Cassius Dio, ''Roman History'' 63.23.1-24.4 *Wells, Colin. ''The Roman Empire.'' Cambridge, MA: Harvard, 1992. 153-154 *Pliny, ''Letters'', Book II.1, IX.19 *

External links

Livius.org: Lucius Verginius Rufus
{{DEFAULTSORT:Verginius Rufus, Lucius Imperial Roman consuls 1st-century Romans Roman consuls who died in office 15 births 97 deaths Roman governors of Germania Inferior Verginii Accidental deaths from falls

See also

References

External links