Gaius Septicius Clarus
Encyclopedia
Gaius Septicius Clarus was a prefect
of the Roman
imperial bodyguard
, known as the Praetorian Guard
and influential as a friend and supporter of famous Silver Age authors Pliny the Younger
and Suetonius
.
became emperor he was considered capable and experienced enough to be appointed to the position of Praetorian Prefect, replacing Servius Sulpicius Similis in c. 119 CE. This was one of the most powerful positions in the Roman administration. However, a few years later (c. 122 CE) Septicius was dismissed from his post as prefect after Hadrian alleged he had been treating the empress Vibia Sabina
“in a more informal fashion than the etiquette of the court demanded.” His friend the imperial secretary Suetonius was dismissed for the same reason.
, Pliny the Younger credits Septicius’ constant urgings for motivating him to publish his letters. The intimate friendship between the two is evident in another letter where Pliny playfully chides Septicius for not turning up to a lavish dinner party. In a letter to Apollinaris Pliny describes Septicius Clarus in these terms:
“I never met anyone more sterling, simple, frank, and trustworthy.” (Plin. Ep. ii. 9.)
Septicius Clarus was also a friend of the historian Suetonius who dedicated his famous collection of biographies of the early emperors, The Twelve Caesars, to him.
during Trajan’s eastern campaign. His nephew Sextus Erucius Clarus was twice consul
and also City Prefect
.
Praetorian prefect
Praetorian prefect was the title of a high office in the Roman Empire. Originating as the commander of the Praetorian Guard, the office gradually acquired extensive legal and administrative functions, with its holders becoming the Emperor's chief aides...
of the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
imperial bodyguard
Bodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
, known as the Praetorian Guard
Praetorian Guard
The Praetorian Guard was a force of bodyguards used by Roman Emperors. The title was already used during the Roman Republic for the guards of Roman generals, at least since the rise to prominence of the Scipio family around 275 BC...
and influential as a friend and supporter of famous Silver Age authors Pliny the Younger
Pliny the Younger
Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, born Gaius Caecilius or Gaius Caecilius Cilo , 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 him...
and Suetonius
Suetonius
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, commonly known as Suetonius , was a Roman historian belonging to the equestrian order in the early Imperial era....
.
Praetorian prefect
Little is known of Septicius Clarus' early career but soon after HadrianHadrian
Hadrian , was Roman Emperor from 117 to 138. He is best known for building Hadrian's Wall, which marked the northern limit of Roman Britain. In Rome, he re-built the Pantheon and constructed the Temple of Venus and Roma. In addition to being emperor, Hadrian was a humanist and was philhellene in...
became emperor he was considered capable and experienced enough to be appointed to the position of Praetorian Prefect, replacing Servius Sulpicius Similis in c. 119 CE. This was one of the most powerful positions in the Roman administration. However, a few years later (c. 122 CE) Septicius was dismissed from his post as prefect after Hadrian alleged he had been treating the empress Vibia Sabina
Vibia Sabina
Vibia Sabina was a Roman Empress, wife and second cousin, once removed, to Roman Emperor Hadrian. She was the daughter to Salonina Matidia , and suffect consul Lucius Vibius Sabinus...
“in a more informal fashion than the etiquette of the court demanded.” His friend the imperial secretary Suetonius was dismissed for the same reason.
Literary connections
In the first letter of his famous collection of correspondence, the EpistulaeEpistulae (Pliny)
The Epistulae are a series of personal missives by Pliny the Younger directed to his friends and associates. These letters are a unique testimony of Roman administrative history and everyday life in the 1st century. The style is very different from that in the Panegyricus, and some commentators...
, Pliny the Younger credits Septicius’ constant urgings for motivating him to publish his letters. The intimate friendship between the two is evident in another letter where Pliny playfully chides Septicius for not turning up to a lavish dinner party. In a letter to Apollinaris Pliny describes Septicius Clarus in these terms:
“I never met anyone more sterling, simple, frank, and trustworthy.” (Plin. Ep. ii. 9.)
Septicius Clarus was also a friend of the historian Suetonius who dedicated his famous collection of biographies of the early emperors, The Twelve Caesars, to him.
Family
Septicius’ family was prominent in 2nd Century CE Rome. His brother Marcus Erucius Clarus was suffect consul in 117 CE and conquered and burned the city of SeleuciaSeleucia
Seleucia was the first capital of the Seleucid Empire, and one of the great cities of antiquity standing in Mesopotamia, on the Tigris River.Seleucia may refer to:...
during Trajan’s eastern campaign. His nephew Sextus Erucius Clarus was twice consul
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
and also City Prefect
Praefectus urbi
The praefectus urbanus or praefectus urbi, in English the urban prefect, was prefect of the city of Rome, and later also of Constantinople. The office originated under the Roman kings, continued during the Republic and Empire, and held high importance in late Antiquity...
.