Quintus Baienus Blassianus was a Roman ''

eques Eques, ''horseman'' or ''rider'' in Latin, may refer to: * Equites, a member of the Roman Equestrian order * the Latin word for a knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or ...

'' who held a number of military and civilian positions during the reign of the Emperors Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius, including '' praefectus'' of the

Classis Britannica The ''Classis Britannica'' (literally, ''British fleet'', in the sense of 'the fleet in British waters' or 'the fleet of the province of Britannia', rather than 'the fleet of the state of Britain') was a provincial naval fleet of the navy of anc ...

, and of

Roman Egypt , conventional_long_name = Roman Egypt , common_name = Egypt , subdivision = Province , nation = the Roman Empire , era = Late antiquity , capital = Alexandria , title_leader = Praefectus Augustalis , image_map = Roman E ...

. Blassianus' home, based on the presence of a number of inscriptions, is believed to be Trieste. Based on his filiation, attested in at least one inscription, indicates his father's

praenomen The ''praenomen'' (; plural: ''praenomina'') was a personal name chosen by the parents of a Roman child. It was first bestowed on the ''dies lustricus'' (day of lustration), the eighth day after the birth of a girl, or the ninth day after the bi ...

was Publius, and his tribe was Pupinia.

Life

The three earliest appointments Blassianus received, which comprise the steps of the '' tres militiae'' that ''equites'' followed in their military career, are recorded in several inscriptions from Trieste. First was prefect of the

Cohors A cohort (from the Latin ''cohors'', plural ''cohortes'', see wikt:cohors for full inflection table) was a standard tactical military unit of a Roman legion. Although the standard size changed with time and situation, it was generally composed ...

II Asturum equitata, then stationed in Roman Britain; followed by military tribune in Legio VII, either Claudia or

Gemina ''Gemina'' is a genus of green alga. Species Some species include: *''Gemina clavata'' *''Gemina enteromorphoidea'' *''Gemina letterstedtoidea'' *''Gemina ulvoidea ''Gemina'' is a genus of green alga. Species Some species include: *' ...

; and lastly prefect of the ''

ala Ala, ALA, Alaa or Alae may refer to: Places * Ala, Hiiu County, Estonia, a village * Ala, Valga County, Estonia, a village * Ala, Alappuzha, Kerala, India, a village * Ala, Iran, a village in Semnan Province * Ala, Gotland, Sweden * Alad, Seydu ...

'' II Gallorum stationed in Cappadocia.

Anthony Birley Anthony Richard Birley (8 October 1937 – 19 December 2020) was a British ancient historian, archaeologist and academic. He was the son of Margaret Isabel (Goodlet) and historian and archaeologist Eric Birley. Early life and education Anthony ...

notes that "it would fit the chronology of his career if he obtained a commission from A. Platorius Nepos, governor of Britain 122-4, who was patron of

Aquileia Aquileia / / / / ;Bilingual name of ''Aquileja – Oglej'' in: vec, Aquiłeja / ; Slovenian: ''Oglej''), group=pron is an ancient Roman city in Italy, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about from the sea, on the river N ...

, a city close to Blassianus' home".Birley, ''The Fasti of Roman Britain'' (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1981), p. 307 The remainder of his career in the imperial service is documented in a fragmentary inscription recovered from

Ostia Antica Ostia Antica ("Ancient Ostia") is a large archaeological site, close to the modern town of Ostia (Rome), Ostia, that is the location of the harbour city of ancient Rome, 25 kilometres (15 miles) southwest of Rome. "Ostia" (plur. of "ostium") is a ...

honoring him as prefect by the ''collegium fabrum tignariorum''. Blassianus received three civil appointments. The first was procurator of one of the

gladiator A gladiator ( la, gladiator, "swordsman", from , "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gla ...

training schools, the ''ludus matutinus''. The second was procurator ''ad census accipiendos'' in Cappadocia. Third was procurator of the provinces of Gallia Lugdunensis and

Aquitania Gallia Aquitania ( , ), also known as Aquitaine or Aquitaine Gaul, was a province of the Roman Empire. It lies in present-day southwest France, where it gives its name to the modern region of Aquitaine. It was bordered by the provinces of Gallia ...

. Blassianus then received a military commission as ''praefectus'' of the

, which Birley dates to c. 140. This was followed by two governorships: the first was as procurator of Mauretania Tingitana, which J.E.H. Spaul dates to 146–150; next was procurator of Raetia. After these came the signal appointment as ''praefectus'' of the

Classis Ravennas The ''Classis Ravennas'' ("Fleet of Ravenna"), later awarded the honorifics ''praetoria'' and ''Pia Vindex'', was the second most senior fleet of the imperial Roman Navy after the ''Classis Misenensis''. History Ravenna had been used for ship ...

, the second major fleet of the Roman military. Blassianus returned to Rome to hold the next two appointments. First was '' praefectus vigilum'', commander of the '' vigiles'' or nightwatch of Rome; he may have preceded Gaius Tettius Maximus in this post. Next was an appointment as ''

praefectus annonae The ("prefect of the provisions"), also called the ("prefect of the grain supply") was a Roman official charged with the supervision of the grain supply to the city of Rome. Under the Republic, the job was usually done by an aedile. However, in ...

''; which may have fallen between the tenures of

Lucius Volusius Maecianus Lucius Volusius Maecianus (c. 110 – 175) was a Roman jurist, who advised the Emperor Antoninus Pius on legal matters, as well educating his son the future Marcus Aurelius in the subject. Originally of the equestrian class, Maecianus held a ...

and

Titus Furius Victorinus Titus Furius Victorinus (died 168 AD) was a Roman '' eques'' who held a number of appointments during the reigns of the Emperors Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. The most prominent of these offices were ''praefectus vigilum'', ''praefectus'' or ...

. His last appointment was as governor of Egypt, one of the most prestigious offices an ''eques'' could hold; his tenure in Egypt is dated as extending from 167 to the following year. Guido Bastianini
a al 299^p"">"Lista dei prefetti d'Egitto dal 30^a al 299^p"
'' Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik'', 17 (1975), p. 297 The last known event in his life is his prefecture of the ''collegium'' honored in the inscription mentioned above. This office has been dated to have fallen between the year 164 and 169. His life after this is not yet known.

Life

References

Further reading