Publius Acilius Attianus

Publius Acilius Attianus
Publius Acilius Attianus
Allegiance	Roman Empire
Years of service	??–119
Rank	Praetorian prefect
Commands held	Praetorian Guard

Publius Acilius Attianus (1st – 2nd century AD) was a powerful Roman official who played a significant, though obscured, role in the transfer of power from Trajan to Hadrian.

Life[]

He was born in Italica, Hispania Baetica, which was also the birthplace of Publius Aelius Hadrianus Afer, the emperor Hadrian's father. When Afer died about 86, Attianus and the future Emperor Trajan (another native of Italica) became the ten-year-old Hadrian's guardians.^[1] Otherwise nothing is known of Attianus's early career, but towards the end of Trajan's reign he was joint Praetorian Prefect with Servius Sulpicius Similis. While Similis remained at Rome, Attianus accompanied the Emperor on campaign in the East.

Imperial succession[]

Shortly before his death, Trajan was said to have composed a letter naming Hadrian as his adopted son and successor. Suspicions were raised because the copy of the letter that reached Rome bore Plotina's signature. It was rumoured that Attianus and the Empress Plotina had been lovers, both very fond of Hadrian their ward, and both present at Trajan's deathbed at Selinus in Cilicia in August 117, the two helped secure Hadrian's succession by forging Trajan's will.^[2]

Along with Plotina and Matidia, Attianus accompanied Trajan's body to Seleucia and his ashes to Rome.

During Hadrian's reign[]

Early in Hadrian's reign, Attianus counselled the emperor on his accession against various possible opponents, and, according to Hadrian's lost autobiography, was responsible for the murder of the ‘four consulars’ whose deaths were an early stain on his reign. However, the new emperor resented Attianus's power, and, in 119, induced him to request to be relieved of the post of Praetorian Prefect.^[3] Attianus was given senatorial rank and the on his retirement, but nothing more is heard of him past that point.

Nerva–Antonine family tree[]

Q. Marcius Barea Soranus

Q. Marcius Barea Sura

Antonia Furnilla

M. Cocceius Nerva

Sergia Plautilla

P. Aelius Hadrianus

Titus
(r. 79–81)

Marcia Furnilla

Marcia

Trajanus Pater

Nerva
(r. 96–98)

Ulpia^[i]

Aelius Hadrianus Marullinus

Flavia^[ii]

Marciana^[iii]

C. Salonius Matidius^[iv]

Trajan
(r. 98–117)

Plotina

P. Acilius Attianus

P. Aelius Afer^[v]

Paulina Major^[vi]

Lucius Mindius
(2)

Libo Rupilius Frugi
(3)

Matidia^[vii]

L. Vibius Sabinus
(1)^[viii]

Paulina Minor^[vi]

L. Julius Ursus Servianus^[ix]

Matidia Minor^[vii]

Suetonius?^[x]

Sabina^[iii]

Hadrian^[v]^[xi]^[vi] (r. 117–138)

Antinous^[xii]

Julia Balbilla?^[xiii]

C. Fuscus Salinator I

Julia Serviana Paulina

M. Annius Verus^[xiv]

Rupilia Faustina^[xv]

Boionia Procilla

Cn. Arrius Antoninus

L. Ceionius Commodus

Appia Severa

C. Fuscus Salinator II

L. Caesennius Paetus

Arria Antonina

Arria Fadilla^[xvi]

T. Aurelius Fulvus

L. Caesennius Antoninus

L. Commodus

Plautia

ignota^[xvii]

C. Avidius Nigrinus

M. Annius Verus^[xv]

Domitia Calvilla^[xviii]

Fundania^[xix]

M. Annius Libo^[xv]

FAUSTINA^[xvi]

Antoninus Pius
(r. 138–161)^[xvi]

L. Aelius Caesar^[xvii]

Avidia^[xvii]

Cornificia^[xv]

MARCUS AURELIUS
(r. 161–180)^[xx]

FAUSTINA Minor^[xx]

C. Avidius Cassius^[xxi]

Aurelia Fadilla^[xvi]

LUCIUS VERUS
(r. 161–169)^[xvii]
(1)

Ceionia Fabia^[xvii]

Plautius Quintillus^[xxii]

Q. Servilius Pudens

Ceionia Plautia^[xvii]

Cornificia Minor^[xxiii]

M. Petronius Sura

COMMODUS
(r. 177–192)^[xx]

Fadilla^[xxiii]

M. Annius Verus Caesar^[xx]

Ti. Claudius Pompeianus
(2)

Lucilla^[xx]

M. Plautius Quintillus^[xvii]

Junius Licinius Balbus

Servilia Ceionia

Petronius Antoninus

L. Aurelius Agaclytus
(2)

Aurelia Sabina^[xxiii]

L. Antistius Burrus
(1)

Plautius Quintillus

Plautia Servilla

C. Furius Sabinus Timesitheus

Antonia Gordiana

Junius Licinius Balbus?

Furia Sabina Tranquillina

GORDIAN III
(r. 238–244)

(1) = 1st spouse
(2) = 2nd spouse
(3) = 3rd spouse
  Reddish-purple indicates emperor of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty

  lighter purple indicates designated imperial heir of said dynasty who never reigned

  grey indicates unsuccessful imperial aspirants

  bluish-purple indicates emperors of other dynasties
dashed lines indicate adoption; dotted lines indicate love affairs/unmarried relationships
small caps = posthumously deified (Augusti, Augustae, or other)

Notes:

Except where otherwise noted, the notes below indicate that an individual's parentage is as shown in the above family tree.

^ Sister of Trajan's father: Giacosa (1977), p. 7.
^ Giacosa (1977), p. 8.
^ ^a ^b Levick (2014), p. 161.
^ Husband of Ulpia Marciana: Levick (2014), p. 161.
^ ^a ^b Giacosa (1977), p. 7.
^ ^a ^b ^c DIR contributor (Herbert W. Benario, 2000), "Hadrian".
^ ^a ^b Giacosa (1977), p. 9.
^ Husband of Salonia Matidia: Levick (2014), p. 161.
^ Smith (1870), "Julius Servianus".
^ Suetonius a possible lover of Sabina: One interpretation of HA Hadrianus 11:3
^ Smith (1870), "Hadrian", pp. 319–322.
^ Lover of Hadrian: Lambert (1984), p. 99 and passim; deification: Lamber (1984), pp. 2–5, etc.
^ Julia Balbilla a possible lover of Sabina: A. R. Birley (1997), Hadrian, the Restless Emperor, p. 251, cited in Levick (2014), p. 30, who is sceptical of this suggestion.
^ Husband of Rupilia Faustina: Levick (2014), p. 163.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Levick (2014), p. 163.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Levick (2014), p. 162.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Levick (2014), p. 164.
^ Wife of M. Annius Verus: Giacosa (1977), p. 10.
^ Wife of M. Annius Libo: Levick (2014), p. 163.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Giacosa (1977), p. 10.
^ The epitomator of Cassius Dio (72.22) gives the story that Faustina the Elder promised to marry Avidius Cassius. This is also echoed in HA "Marcus Aurelius" 24.
^ Husband of Ceionia Fabia: Levick (2014), p. 164.
^ ^a ^b ^c Levick (2014), p. 117.

References:

DIR contributors (2000). "De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Rulers and Their Families". Retrieved 2015-04-14.
Giacosa, Giorgio (1977). Women of the Caesars: Their Lives and Portraits on Coins. Translated by R. Ross Holloway. Milan: Edizioni Arte e Moneta. ISBN 0-8390-0193-2.
Lambert, Royston (1984). Beloved and God: The Story of Hadrian and Antinous. New York: Viking. ISBN 0-670-15708-2.
Levick, Barbara (2014). Faustina I and II: Imperial Women of the Golden Age. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-537941-9.
Smith, William, ed. (1870). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.

References[]

^ Historia Augusta, "Hadrian", 2; translated by Anthony Birley, Lives of the Later Caesars (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1976), p. 37
^ Simon Hornblower and Anthony Spawforth-E.A. (edd.), Oxford Classical Dictionary, Oxford University Press, 2003, p. 1214.
^ Historia Augusta, "Hadrian", 8; translated by Birley, Lives, p. 66

[4] Sister of Trajan's father: Giacosa (1977), p. 7.

[giac8-5] Giacosa (1977), p. 8.

[lev161-6] Levick (2014), p. 161.

[7] Husband of Ulpia Marciana: Levick (2014), p. 161.

[giac7-8] Giacosa (1977), p. 7.

[DIR_hadrian-9] DIR contributor (Herbert W. Benario, 2000), "Hadrian".

[giac9-10] Giacosa (1977), p. 9.

[11] Husband of Salonia Matidia: Levick (2014), p. 161.

[Smith_Servianus-12] Smith (1870), "Julius Servianus".

[13] Suetonius a possible lover of Sabina: One interpretation of HA Hadrianus 11:3

[Smith_1870a_p._319-14] Smith (1870), "Hadrian", pp. 319–322.

[15] Lover of Hadrian: Lambert (1984), p. 99 and passim; deification: Lamber (1984), pp. 2–5, etc.

[16] Julia Balbilla a possible lover of Sabina: A. R. Birley (1997), Hadrian, the Restless Emperor, p. 251, cited in Levick (2014), p. 30, who is sceptical of this suggestion.

[17] Husband of Rupilia Faustina: Levick (2014), p. 163.

[lev163-18] Levick (2014), p. 163.

[lev162-19] Levick (2014), p. 162.

[lev164-20] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Levick (2014), p. 164.

[21] Wife of M. Annius Verus: Giacosa (1977), p. 10.

[22] Wife of M. Annius Libo: Levick (2014), p. 163.

[giac10-23] Giacosa (1977), p. 10.

[24] The epitomator of Cassius Dio (72.22) gives the story that Faustina the Elder promised to marry Avidius Cassius. This is also echoed in HA "Marcus Aurelius" 24.

[25] Husband of Ceionia Fabia: Levick (2014), p. 164.

[lev117-26] Levick (2014), p. 117.

[1] Historia Augusta, "Hadrian", 2; translated by Anthony Birley, Lives of the Later Caesars (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1976), p. 37

[school-2] Simon Hornblower and Anthony Spawforth-E.A. (edd.), Oxford Classical Dictionary, Oxford University Press, 2003, p. 1214.

[3] Historia Augusta, "Hadrian", 8; translated by Birley, Lives, p. 66

[1]

[2]

[3]

[i]

[ii]

[iii]

[iv]

[v]

[vi]

[vii]

[viii]

[ix]

[x]

[xi]

[xii]

[xiii]

[xiv]

[xv]

[xvi]

[xvii]

[xviii]

[xix]

[xx]

[xxi]

[xxii]

[xxiii]