Quintus Voconius Saxa Fidus

Quintus Voconius Saxa Fidus was a Roman senator, who was active during middle of the second century. He was suffect consul in the nundinium September-October 146 with as his colleague.^[1] He is known almost entirely from inscriptions; Voconius is mentioned once in Ulpian's Liber octavus de officio proconsulis.^[2]

Ronald Syme observes that the nomen gentilicum Voconius appears 14 times in the volumes of Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum containing inscriptions from Gallia Narbonensis and the Spanish provinces; there is also the place-name "Forum Voconi" in Gallia Narbonesis.^[3] One the other hand, Bernard Rémy infers Voconius has his origins in Italy, since his tribe, Romula, is not found outside of that region.^[4]

Life[]

His cursus honorum is known from two inscriptions: one in Greek set up at Phaselis in Lycia,^[5] the other in Latin erected in Perge.^[6] Voconius began his career as one of the decemviri stlitibus judicandis, one of the four boards that form the vigintiviri; membership in one of these boards was a required first step toward gaining entry into the Roman Senate. Next, as a military tribune, he was assigned to two different legions: first to Legio III Cyrenaica, then to Legio XII Fulminata; Bernard Remy dates these commissions to Trajan's Parthian War.^[4] For his service in these units, Voconius was awarded dona militaria. Next he achieved the office of quaestor, which he served in the public province of Macedonia; upon completion of this traditional Republican magistracy he was enrolled in the Senate. Two more of the traditional Republican magistracies followed: plebeian tribune and praetor.

After stepping down from his praetorship, Voconius was appointed to a number of responsible offices. The first listed in his cursus honorum was curator or overseer of the Viae Valeria and Tiburtina; Géza Alföldy estimates he held this post from around the year 135 to around the year 138.^[7] Rémy suggests that while he was overseer of these two roads he was also tasked with recruiting soldiers to aid Roman efforts in the Bar Kokhba Revolt.^[8] Next he was legatus legionis or commander of Legio IV Scythica stationed at Cyrrhus in Syria; Alföldy dates his tenure from around the year 138 to around 141.^[9] After returning to Rome, the sortition awarded Voconius the governorship of the public province of Bithynia et Pontus, which Alföldy and Remy separately date to the term 142/143.^[10] His final posting as an ex-praetor was governor of the imperial province of Lycia et Pamphylia; Alföldy dates his tenure from around the year 143 to 147, while Remy dates it from the year 144 to 147.^[11] The date of his assignment to Lycia and Pamphylia is certain due to his mention in an inscription on the mausoleum of Opramoas, which implies Voconius was consul in absentia.^[8]

Although both inscriptions, erected during his governorship of Lycia and Pamphylia, end about the time of his consulship, from another inscription in , attests the sortition awarded him proconsular governorship of Africa for the term 161/162.^[12] Voconius can be assumed to have died not long after he left this office.

Family[]

Although the name of his wife is not known, Voconius must have had one. A son for him, Q. Voconius Saxa Amyntianus, is mentioned in the Phaselis inscription. However, nothing more is known of Amyntianus.

References[]