Gaius Antistius Vetus (consul 30 BC)
Encyclopedia
Gaius Antistius Vetus was a Roman politician and general who was consul suffectus
in 30 BC
.
. He was probably the son of Gaius Antistius Vetus, propraetor in Hispania Ulterior
about 68 BC, under whom Julius Caesar
served as quaestor
.
Initially a supporter of Caesar, Vetus was appointed Quaestor
pro praetore of Syria
by Caesar, a position which he held in 45 BC
. He was forced to fight against Quintus Caecilius Bassus, the former governor and an opponent of Caesar, who refused to relinquish his post. Vetus besieged him until the Parthians came to relieve Bassus; during this time Vetus was hailed as imperator
.
On his way back to Rome
in 44 BC, he was intercepted by Brutus, one of Caesar’s leading assassins, who persuaded him not only to hand over the province’s revenues which he was taking to Rome, but also to join the cause of the Liberatores. In June 43 BC he was back in Rome
but soon returned to Brutus were he served as one of his legates
. Fleeing after the defeat of Brutus at Philippi
, Vetus eventually became reconciled with Marcus Antonius and Octavianus
.
In 35 BC
, Vetus was given command of the ongoing war against the Salassi
, perhaps as the governor of Transalpine Gaul, which he prosecuted with vigour, but without success. Then in 30 BC, he was awarded the position of consul suffectus, serving alongside Octavianus for a portion of the year. Vetus was then made legate
of Hispania Citerior
in 26 BC
, one of the few men of consular standing to be given a military province during the reign of Augustus. He took over from Augustus after the Princeps
fell ill whilst on campaign in Spain, leading a campaign
together with P. Carusius against the Astures which they successfully concluded in 25 BC.
Roman consul
A consul served in the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic.Each year, two consuls were elected together, to serve for a one-year term. Each consul was given veto power over his colleague and the officials would alternate each month...
in 30 BC
30 BC
Year 30 BC was either a common year starting on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday or a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar and a common year starting on Wednesday of the Proleptic Julian calendar...
.
Biography
Vetus was a descendant of the Plebeian Roman house of the Antistii VetiAntistia (gens)
The gens Antistia, sometimes written Antestia, was a plebeian family at Rome. The first of the gens to achieve prominence was Sextus Antistius, tribune of the people in 422 BC.-Praenomina used by the gens:...
. He was probably the son of Gaius Antistius Vetus, propraetor in Hispania Ulterior
Hispania Ulterior
During the Roman Republic, Hispania Ulterior was a region of Hispania roughly located in Baetica and in the Guadalquivir valley of modern Spain and extending to all of Lusitania and Gallaecia...
about 68 BC, under whom Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
served as quaestor
Quaestor
A Quaestor was a type of public official in the "Cursus honorum" system who supervised financial affairs. In the Roman Republic a quaestor was an elected official whereas, with the autocratic government of the Roman Empire, quaestors were simply appointed....
.
Initially a supporter of Caesar, Vetus was appointed Quaestor
Quaestor
A Quaestor was a type of public official in the "Cursus honorum" system who supervised financial affairs. In the Roman Republic a quaestor was an elected official whereas, with the autocratic government of the Roman Empire, quaestors were simply appointed....
pro praetore of Syria
Syria (Roman province)
Syria was a Roman province, annexed in 64 BC by Pompey, as a consequence of his military presence after pursuing victory in the Third Mithridatic War. It remained under Roman, and subsequently Byzantine, rule for seven centuries, until 637 when it fell to the Islamic conquests.- Principate :The...
by Caesar, a position which he held in 45 BC
45 BC
Year 45 BC was either a common year starting on Thursday, Friday or Saturday or a leap year starting on Friday or Saturday and the first year of the Julian calendar and a leap year starting on Friday of the Proleptic Julian calendar...
. He was forced to fight against Quintus Caecilius Bassus, the former governor and an opponent of Caesar, who refused to relinquish his post. Vetus besieged him until the Parthians came to relieve Bassus; during this time Vetus was hailed as imperator
Imperator
The Latin word Imperator was originally a title roughly equivalent to commander under the Roman Republic. Later it became a part of the titulature of the Roman Emperors as part of their cognomen. The English word emperor derives from imperator via Old French Empreur...
.
On his way back to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in 44 BC, he was intercepted by Brutus, one of Caesar’s leading assassins, who persuaded him not only to hand over the province’s revenues which he was taking to Rome, but also to join the cause of the Liberatores. In June 43 BC he was back in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
but soon returned to Brutus were he served as one of his legates
Legatus
A legatus was a general in the Roman army, equivalent to a modern general officer. Being of senatorial rank, his immediate superior was the dux, and he outranked all military tribunes...
. Fleeing after the defeat of Brutus at Philippi
Battle of Philippi
The Battle of Philippi was the final battle in the Wars of the Second Triumvirate between the forces of Mark Antony and Octavian and the forces of Julius Caesar's assassins Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus in 42 BC, at Philippi in Macedonia...
, Vetus eventually became reconciled with Marcus Antonius and Octavianus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
.
In 35 BC
35 BC
Year 35 BC was either a common year starting on Thursday or Friday or a leap year starting on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday of the Julian calendar and a common year starting on Thursday of the Proleptic Julian calendar...
, Vetus was given command of the ongoing war against the Salassi
Salassi
The Salassi were an Alpine tribe whose lands lay on the Italian side of the Little St Bernard Pass across the Graian Alps to Lyons, and the Great St Bernard Pass over the Pennine Alps...
, perhaps as the governor of Transalpine Gaul, which he prosecuted with vigour, but without success. Then in 30 BC, he was awarded the position of consul suffectus, serving alongside Octavianus for a portion of the year. Vetus was then made legate
Legatus
A legatus was a general in the Roman army, equivalent to a modern general officer. Being of senatorial rank, his immediate superior was the dux, and he outranked all military tribunes...
of Hispania Citerior
Hispania Citerior
During the Roman Republic, Hispania Citerior was a region of Hispania roughly occupying the northeastern coast and the Ebro Valley of what is now Spain. Hispania Ulterior was located west of Hispania Citerior—that is, farther away from Rome.-External links:*...
in 26 BC
26 BC
Year 26 BC was either a common year starting on Tuesday or Wednesday or a leap year starting on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of the Julian calendar and a common year starting on Monday of the Proleptic Julian calendar...
, one of the few men of consular standing to be given a military province during the reign of Augustus. He took over from Augustus after the Princeps
Princeps
Princeps is a Latin word meaning "first in time or order; the first, chief, the most eminent, distinguished, or noble; the first man, first person."...
fell ill whilst on campaign in Spain, leading a campaign
Cantabrian Wars
The Cantabrian Wars occurred during the Roman conquest of the modern provinces of Cantabria, Asturias and León, against the Asturs and the Cantabri. They were the final stage of the conquest of Hispania.-Antecedents:...
together with P. Carusius against the Astures which they successfully concluded in 25 BC.
See also
- Antistia (gens)Antistia (gens)The gens Antistia, sometimes written Antestia, was a plebeian family at Rome. The first of the gens to achieve prominence was Sextus Antistius, tribune of the people in 422 BC.-Praenomina used by the gens:...
Sources
- T. Robert S. BroughtonThomas Robert Shannon BroughtonThomas Robert Shannon Broughton was a Canadian classical scholar and leading Latin prosopographer of the twentieth century. He is especially noted for his definitive three-volume work, Magistrates of the Roman Republic ....
, The Magistrates of the Roman Republic, Vol II (1952). - Syme, Ronald, The Roman Revolution, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1939.
- Anthon, Charles & Smith, William, A New Classical Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography, Mythology and Geography (1860).