Marcus Plautius Silvanus was a Roman senator, and was praetor elect in AD 24. He held the duumvirate of

Trebula Suffenas Trebula (Greek: ) or Trebula Suffenas or Trebula Suffenes, was an ancient city of the Sabines, one of two bearing the name Trebula (the other being Trebula Mutusca) – Pliny being the only author who mentions both places: ''Trebulani qui cogn ...

in AD 23. He was a member of the ''

gens In ancient Rome, a gens ( or , ; plural: ''gentes'' ) was a family consisting of individuals who shared the same Roman naming conventions#Nomen, nomen and who claimed descent from a common ancestor. A branch of a gens was called a ''stirps'' (p ...

'' Plautia, the son of Marcus Plautius Silvanus, consul in 2 BC, and Lartia, and was therefore related to the

Aulus Plautius Aulus Plautius was a Roman politician and general of the mid-1st century. He began the Roman conquest of Britain in 43, and became the first governor of the new province, serving from 43 to 46 CE. Career Little is known of Aulus Plautius's e ...

who invaded Britannia in 43 AD. He first married

Fabia Numantina Fabia may refer to: * Fabia gens, an ancient Roman family * Fabia, the daughter of Marcus Fabius Ambustus (consular tribune 381 BC) * Fabia (given name), an Italian feminine given name derived from masculine Fabio * Fabia Arete, Roman actress * Fab ...

, but their marriage was over by AD 24, as by then he was married to Apronia, daughter of

Lucius Apronius Lucius Apronius was a Roman senator and suffect consul in 8 AD. Achievements He became suffect consul in 8 AD, and was a military commander active during the reign of Tiberius. Apronius shared in the achievements of Gaius Vibius Postumus ...

. He was accused of murdering Apronia "for reasons not ascertained," by throwing her out of a window in that year. Silvanus' response was to say that he had been asleep and was unaware of the circumstances leading to her death, saying that she had perhaps committed suicide. The murder was investigated by the Emperor Tiberius who, having inspected the couple's bedroom, discovered proof of a scuffle, and therefore referred the case to the Senate for trial. However, Silvanus' grandmother, Urgulania sent Silvanus a dagger, encouraging him to commit suicide, which he duly did. Shortly after the murder of Apronia, his first wife was "charged with having caused her husband's insanity by magical incantations and potions", but was acquitted. During his lifetime, it is probable that Silvanus adopted

Tiberius Plautius Silvanus Aelianus Tiberius Plautius Silvanus Aelianus was a Roman patrician who twice served as consul, in 45 and 74 AD. He was the adopted nephew of Plautia Urgulanilla, first wife of the emperor Claudius. It is known he offered up the prayer as pontifex when ...

, who Syme has suggested was the son of Lucius Aelius Lamia, consul in AD 3.Syme, ''Augustan Aristocracy'', pp. 52, 394 Plautius was a minor character in the Robert Graves novel ''

I, Claudius ''I, Claudius'' is a historical novel by English writer Robert Graves, published in 1934. Written in the form of an autobiography of the Roman Emperor Claudius, it tells the history of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and the early years of the Roma ...

'', where it is implied that his second wife was murdered by an admirer of his first.

References

1st-century Romans Ancient Romans who committed suicide Silvanus, Marcus (praetor 24) Senators of the Roman Empire {{AncientRome-bio-stub