Publius Calpurnius Macer Caulius 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 lette ...

senator of the 2nd century AD who held a number of offices in the imperial service, as well as serving as suffect consul for the '' nundinium'' of November to December 103 as the colleague of Annius Mela. His relationship to the Republican Calpurnii is unknown; he could be descended from a freedman of their family, or a '' cliens'' who was enrolled as a citizen with their help. He was an acquaintance of Pliny the Younger, who called him Calpurnius Macer, and two letters to him from Pliny survive. Both are trivial works: one a short note about Pliny's life when he was on his rural estate, the other concerned with some local gossip concerning Lake Como. Macer is mentioned in a letter that the emperor

Trajan Trajan ( ; la, Caesar Nerva Traianus; 18 September 539/11 August 117) was Roman emperor from 98 to 117. Officially declared ''optimus princeps'' ("best ruler") by the senate, Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presi ...

wrote to Pliny, which is included in Pliny's collected letters: in responding to Pliny's proposal to drain Lake Sophon (modern

Lake Sapanca Lake Sapanca ( tr, Sapanca Gölü) (previous Greek name: Boáne (Βοάνη)) is a fresh water lake in Turkey, between the Gulf of İzmit and the Adapazarı Meadow. The lake has a catchment area of 251 km², surface area is 45 km², a l ...

), Trajan directs him to make a careful study of the land, and suggests he ask Calpurnius Macer for a surveyor. Two sources -- one 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 ...

, the other an inscription from

Troesmis Troesmis was an ancient Roman castra, legionary fortress, a major site situated on the Danube and forming a key part of the Limes Moesiae frontier system. Around this fortress the Geto-Dacian town later developed.TOCILESCU 1883a, p. 101http://w ...

-- attest Calpurnius Macer as the governor of

Lower Moesia Moesia (; Latin: ''Moesia''; el, Μοισία, Moisía) was an ancient region and later Roman province situated in the Balkans south of the Danube River, which included most of the territory of modern eastern Serbia, Kosovo, north-eastern Alb ...

; so it is likely he was governor at the time of this letter from the emperor.

Werner Eck Werner Eck (born 17 December 1939) is Professor of Ancient History at Cologne University, Germany, and a noted expert on the history and epigraphy of imperial Rome.Eck, W. (2007) ''The Age of Augustus''. 2nd ed. Oxford: Blackwell, cover notes. Hi ...

dates his tenure in this post as extending from the year 110 to 113, noting that a yet unidentified governor served between Macer and Lucius Fabius Justus.Werner Eck, "Jahres- und Provinzialfasten der senatorischen Statthalter von 69/70 bis 138/139", ''

Chiron In Greek mythology, Chiron ( ; also Cheiron or Kheiron; ) was held to be the superlative centaur amongst his brethren since he was called the "wisest and justest of all the centaurs". Biography Chiron was notable throughout Greek mythology ...

'', 12 (1982), pp. 349-353 Nothing further is known of Macer.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Calpurnius Macer Caulius Rufus, Publius 1st-century Romans 2nd-century Romans Suffect consuls of Imperial Rome Roman governors of Lower Moesia Macer