Subrius Flavus was a tribune of the
Praetorian Guard
The Praetorian Guard (Latin: ''cohortēs praetōriae'') was a unit of the Imperial Roman army that served as personal bodyguards and intelligence agents for the Roman emperors. During the Roman Republic, the Praetorian Guard were an escort fo ...
who was heavily implicated in the
Pisonian conspiracy
The conspiracy of Gaius Calpurnius Piso in AD 65 was a in the reign of the Roman emperor Nero (reign 54–68). The plot reflected the growing discontent among the ruling class of the Roman state with Nero's increasingly despotic leadership, a ...
against the Emperor Nero and was executed in 65 CE for his involvement.
Role in the Pisonian Conspiracy
As
Tribune
Tribune () was the title of various elected officials in ancient Rome. The two most important were the tribunes of the plebs and the military tribunes. For most of Roman history, a college of ten tribunes of the plebs acted as a check on th ...
and a man of military experience, Flavus enjoyed great significance in the plot. Along several others, including the Centurion
Sulpicius Asper, Flavus is described as one of the conspiracy's "leading lights" by Tacitus. He was close to
Gaius Calpurnius Piso, the figurehead of the conspiracy.
Tacitus observes that Flavus' hatred for Nero arose suddenly while he was watching him perform on stage but failed to attack him in front of the audience because he would not have had a chance to escape.
Tacitus also observes that it was rumoured that, after the success of the conspiracy, Flavus intended to murder Piso and give control over the empire to
Seneca the Younger
Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger (; 65 AD), usually known mononymously as Seneca, was a Stoic philosopher of Ancient Rome, a statesman, dramatist, and, in one work, satirist, from the post-Augustan age of Latin literature.
Seneca was born in ...
, a fellow conspirator, because "it mattered not as to the disgrace if a harp-player were removed and a tragic actor succeeded him." For as Nero used to sing to the harp, so did Piso in the dress of a tragedian".
Depiction in Tacitus
Flavus, like
Seneca the Younger
Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger (; 65 AD), usually known mononymously as Seneca, was a Stoic philosopher of Ancient Rome, a statesman, dramatist, and, in one work, satirist, from the post-Augustan age of Latin literature.
Seneca was born in ...
, is presented as a bastion of traditional morality by
Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historians by modern scholars.
The surviving portions of his two major works—the ...
, as in the above quote, because of his stand against Nero's excesses. The Classicist
Edward Champlin
Edward Champlin is a Professor of Classics, Cotsen Professor of Humanities, and former Master of Butler College at Princeton University. He teaches Roman history, Roman law, and Latin literature and has written several books regarding these subje ...
argues that Flavus is one of the few figures in the
Annals
Annals ( la, annāles, from , "year") are a concise historical record in which events are arranged chronologically, year by year, although the term is also used loosely for any historical record.
Scope
The nature of the distinction between ann ...
whom Tacitus eulogises without reserve.
Execution
Because of his involvement in the conspiracy, Flavus was condemned to death. He was beheaded in two strokes in front of a pre-dug pit near the
Castra Praetoria in 65 CE. The execution was entrusted to a tribune,
Veianius Niger.
Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historians by modern scholars.
The surviving portions of his two major works—the ...
, ''Annals'', 15.67
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Subrius Flavus
1st-century Romans
People executed by the Roman Empire
65 deaths
Members of the Pisonian conspiracy
People executed by decapitation
Year of birth unknown