Titus Vestricius Spurinna
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Titus Vestricius Spurinna (c. 24 – after 105 AD) was a Roman senator, consul, and a friend and role model of
Pliny the Younger Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, born Gaius Caecilius or Gaius Caecilius Cilo (61 – c. 113), better known as Pliny the Younger (), was a lawyer, author, and magistrate of Ancient Rome. Pliny's uncle, Pliny the Elder, helped raise and educate ...
.Jo-Ann Shelton, ''The Women of Pliny's Letters'' (Routledge, 2013), p. 131. He was consul at least twice, the first time possibly in 72, and the second in the year 98 as the colleague of the emperor Trajan. Spurinna is one of the correspondents in Pliny's ''Letters'', and had literary interests of his own, including writing lyric poetry. Pliny says dinner parties at his home were often enlivened by scenes from Roman comedy. Pliny admired Vestricius Spurinna for his active but orderly life as a septuagenarian. He enjoyed conversation, reading and writing, exercise, and bathing. His diet was simple but good, and he enjoyed the full use of his faculties, remaining both physically and mentally vigorous.


Life

"The origins of Vestricius Spurinna is nowhere documented," writes Ronald Syme, then a few lines later states he was "presumably a Transpadane". Syme also notes that Spurinna's ''
gentilicium The (or simply ) was a hereditary name borne by the peoples of Roman Italy and later by the citizens of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. It was originally the name of one's (family or clan) by patrilineal descent. However, as Rome expande ...
'' and '' cognomen'' both are
Etruscan __NOTOC__ Etruscan may refer to: Ancient civilization *The Etruscan language, an extinct language in ancient Italy *Something derived from or related to the Etruscan civilization **Etruscan architecture **Etruscan art **Etruscan cities **Etruscan ...
, then states the ''gentilicium'', Vestricius, appears only one other time in the entire Italian peninsula, an inscription at
Florentia Florentia () is a former commune in the Jura department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the commune of Val-d'Épy. Population See also * Communes of the Jura department The following ...
. Spurinna first appears in history during the Year of the Four Emperors, when
Appius Annius Gallus Appius Annius Gallus was a Roman senator and general who flourished during the first century. He held the office of suffect consul in 67 with Lucius Verulanus Severus as his colleague. The suffect consul of 67 is commonly identified as the gener ...
, one of Otho's generals, put him in command of a detachment of some 3,000 men, to garrison Placentia, while Gallus occupied Verona. Spurinna commanded an unruly force, far too eager to engage their counterparts on the Vitellian side. When he tried to keep this force inside the city, the troops threatened to mutiny; as a wily move, Spurinna agreed to their demands. The next day the soldiers marched forth; when nightfall came, they were surprised to find they must construct a camp. According to standard Roman practice, this would include digging a trench and erecting a wall around the encampment. When the soldiers started having second thoughts, their officers seized the opportunity to praise "Spurinna's foresight in selecting Placentia as a strongpoint." The men acquiesced and marched back to Placentia where they enthusiastically set to work on improving the city's fortifications. Spurinna's role in the following the
First Battle of Bedriacum The Battle of Bedriacum refers to two battles fought during the Year of the Four Emperors (AD 69) near the village of Bedriacum (now Calvatone), about from the town of Cremona in northern Italy. The fighting in fact took place between Bedriacu ...
is not recorded; Syme notes Tacitus allows him "to fade out, perhaps mercifully: there is no sign of his whereabouts during the battle or the surrender." It is possible that Tacitus learned of Spurinna's handling of his unruly troops from Spurinna himself; Syme suggests as much, then in a footnote admits, "Not, however, that Tacitus' account need derive anywhere directly from Spurinna, although the old fellow was still alive c. 105" He is said to have "held no office under Domitian after it became dishonorable to do so," but under
Nerva Nerva (; originally Marcus Cocceius Nerva; 8 November 30 – 27 January 98) was Roman emperor from 96 to 98. Nerva became emperor when aged almost 66, after a lifetime of imperial service under Nero and the succeeding rulers of the Flavian dy ...
, Spurinna was governor of Germania Inferior in 97, at the age of 73. He was awarded a triumphal statue for his military service.


Family

The wife of Vestricius Spurinna was Cottia, who was probably considerably younger. They had at least one son, who died around 97 or 98 AD before he had begun a political career, which typically began at the age of thirty. Pliny refers to the son as Cottius, from his mother's '' nomen'', an example of how in the
Imperial era The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...
sons might preserve their mother's name as well as their father's.Shelton, ''The Women of Pliny's Letters'', p. 132.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vestricius Spurinna, Titus 1st-century Romans 20s births 2nd-century deaths Year of birth uncertain Year of death uncertain Senators of the Roman Empire Suffect consuls of Imperial Rome Roman governors of Germania Inferior