Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodes (suffect consul 132)
Encyclopedia
Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodes (65 - before 160) was a distinguished Greek
aristocrat of the Roman Empire
.
descent. As he bears the Roman family name, Claudius, there is a possibility that a paternal ancestor of his, received Roman citizenship
, from an unknown member of the Claudius gens. His great-great-grandfather was a man called Polycharmus (ca. 9/8 BC-22/23). Claudius Atticus was born and raised into a very distinguished, wealthy family. He was the son of Hipparchus (born c. 40) and an unnamed woman. His sister was called Claudia Alcia, and married the Athenian aristocrat Lucius Vibullius Rufus
. In his lifetime, Hipparchus was considered one of the wealthiest men in the Roman Empire
; he was reputed to possess one hundred million sesterces. This reputation is evident in a line from Suetonius
(The Twelve Caesars, Vespasian
, 13):
However, his fortune ultimately led to Hipparchus' downfall. In the reign of Vespasian’s second son Domitian
, either in 92 or 93, the emperor ordered proscriptions on a large number of wealthy men. The father of Claudius Atticus seems to have been accused of attempting a form of an extra-constitutional regime in Athens. Consequently his fortune and estates were confiscated, and on Domitian's orders, Hipparchus was either executed or exiled.
In later years, in a house that Claudius Atticus acquired near the Theatre of Dionysus
in Athens, he found an immense treasure. As a precaution, he wrote a letter to the Roman Emperor
Nerva
informing him of this and asking what to do with the treasure. Nerva replied in a letter stating: “Use what you have found”. Again however Claudius Atticus wrote to Nerva, stating that this discovery was beyond his station in life, to which Nerva replied: “Then misuse your windfall, for it is yours”. It is possible that this treasure was hidden there by Hipparchus during Domitian's proscriptions. With it, Claudius Atticus restored his family's influence and prestige.
In 98, using the money of the treasure, Claudius Atticus purchased a seat in the Roman Senate
. According to two fragments from the Christian chronicler Hegesippus
, Claudius Atticus served as a legatus
of the Iudaea Province
sometime between 99-107. Claudius Atticus served as one of the suffect consuls in the year 132, being the first Greek from old Greece to reach the post, and probably also its first member in the Roman Senate.
, a member of a very wealthy and prominent family. Vibulia was also his niece, being the daughter of his sister, Claudia Alcia. She bore him three children:
Herodes Atticus with his wife, the Roman aristocrat Aspasia Annia Regilla
, erected a great outdoor nymphaeum
(a monumental fountain) at Olympia, Greece
. The monumental fountain features statues and honors members of the ruling imperial family, relatives of Herodes Atticus and his wife. Among the statues is a bust of Claudius Atticus, now on display at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
aristocrat of the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
.
Origin and life
Claudius Atticus was a Greek of AthenianAthens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
descent. As he bears the Roman family name, Claudius, there is a possibility that a paternal ancestor of his, received Roman citizenship
Roman citizenship
Citizenship in ancient Rome was a privileged political and legal status afforded to certain free-born individuals with respect to laws, property, and governance....
, from an unknown member of the Claudius gens. His great-great-grandfather was a man called Polycharmus (ca. 9/8 BC-22/23). Claudius Atticus was born and raised into a very distinguished, wealthy family. He was the son of Hipparchus (born c. 40) and an unnamed woman. His sister was called Claudia Alcia, and married the Athenian aristocrat Lucius Vibullius Rufus
Lucius Vibullius Rufus
Lucius Vibullius Rufus sometimes known as Vibullius Rufus was a Greek Aristocratic that lived in the second half of the 1st century and the first half of the 2nd century in the Roman Empire....
. In his lifetime, Hipparchus was considered one of the wealthiest men in the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
; he was reputed to possess one hundred million sesterces. This reputation is evident in a line from Suetonius
Suetonius
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, commonly known as Suetonius , was a Roman historian belonging to the equestrian order in the early Imperial era....
(The Twelve Caesars, Vespasian
Vespasian
Vespasian , was Roman Emperor from 69 AD to 79 AD. Vespasian was the founder of the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for a quarter century. Vespasian was descended from a family of equestrians, who rose into the senatorial rank under the Emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty...
, 13):
- ”When Salvius Liberalis was defending a rich client he earned commendation from Vespasian by daring to ask: ‘Does the Emperor really care whether Hipparchus is, or is not, worth a million gold pieces?’”
However, his fortune ultimately led to Hipparchus' downfall. In the reign of Vespasian’s second son Domitian
Domitian
Domitian was Roman Emperor from 81 to 96. Domitian was the third and last emperor of the Flavian dynasty.Domitian's youth and early career were largely spent in the shadow of his brother Titus, who gained military renown during the First Jewish-Roman War...
, either in 92 or 93, the emperor ordered proscriptions on a large number of wealthy men. The father of Claudius Atticus seems to have been accused of attempting a form of an extra-constitutional regime in Athens. Consequently his fortune and estates were confiscated, and on Domitian's orders, Hipparchus was either executed or exiled.
In later years, in a house that Claudius Atticus acquired near the Theatre of Dionysus
Theatre of Dionysus
The Theatre of Dionysus is a major open-air theatre and one of the earliest preserved in Athens. It was used for festivals in honor of the god Dionysus...
in Athens, he found an immense treasure. As a precaution, he wrote a letter to the Roman Emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
Nerva
Nerva
Nerva , was Roman Emperor from 96 to 98. Nerva became Emperor at the age of sixty-five, after a lifetime of imperial service under Nero and the rulers of the Flavian dynasty. Under Nero, he was a member of the imperial entourage and played a vital part in exposing the Pisonian conspiracy of 65...
informing him of this and asking what to do with the treasure. Nerva replied in a letter stating: “Use what you have found”. Again however Claudius Atticus wrote to Nerva, stating that this discovery was beyond his station in life, to which Nerva replied: “Then misuse your windfall, for it is yours”. It is possible that this treasure was hidden there by Hipparchus during Domitian's proscriptions. With it, Claudius Atticus restored his family's influence and prestige.
In 98, using the money of the treasure, Claudius Atticus purchased a seat in the Roman Senate
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
. According to two fragments from the Christian chronicler Hegesippus
Hegesippus (chronicler)
Saint Hegesippus , was a Christian chronicler of the early Church who may have been a Jewish convert and certainly wrote against heresies of the Gnostics and of Marcion...
, Claudius Atticus served as a legatus
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 the Iudaea Province
Iudaea Province
Judaea or Iudaea are terms used by historians to refer to the Roman province that extended over parts of the former regions of the Hasmonean and Herodian kingdoms of Israel...
sometime between 99-107. Claudius Atticus served as one of the suffect consuls in the year 132, being the first Greek from old Greece to reach the post, and probably also its first member in the Roman Senate.
Family
Claudius Atticus married an Athenian heiress called Vibullia Alcia AgrippinaVibullia Alcia Agrippina
Vibullia Alcia Agrippina was a Greek Aristocrat and Heiress that lived in the Roman Empire.Vibullia was a Greek of Athenian descent and was a member of a very wealthy family who were prominent in Athens . She was the daughter of the Athenian Aristocrats, Claudia Alcia and Lucius Vibullius Rufus...
, a member of a very wealthy and prominent family. Vibulia was also his niece, being the daughter of his sister, Claudia Alcia. She bore him three children:
- Lucius Vibullius Hipparchus Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodes, otherwise known as Herodes AtticusHerodes AtticusLucius Vibullius Hipparchus Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodes, otherwise known as Herodes Atticus was a very distinguished, rich Greek aristocrat who served as a Roman Senator and a Sophist. He is notable as a proponent in the Second Sophistic by Philostratus.-Ancestry and Family:Herodes Atticus...
, 101-177 - Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodianus
- Claudia TisamenisClaudia TisamenisClaudia Tisamenis was a Greek Aristocratic woman that lived in the 2nd century in the Roman Empire-Ancestry and Family:Tisamenis was of Athenian descent. Her ancestry can be traceable to the Athenian noble woman Elpinice . She had an ancestor four generations removed from her called Polycharmus...
Herodes Atticus with his wife, the Roman aristocrat Aspasia Annia Regilla
Aspasia Annia Regilla
Aspasia Annia Regilla, full name Appia Annia Regilla Atilia Caucidia Tertulla , was a wealthy, aristocratic and influential Roman woman, who was a distant relative of several Roman Emperors and Roman Empresses. She was the wife of the prominent Greek Herodes Atticus .-Genealogy:Regilla was born...
, erected a great outdoor nymphaeum
Nymphaeum
A nymphaeum or nymphaion , in ancient Greece and Rome, was a monument consecrated to the nymphs, especially those of springs....
(a monumental fountain) at Olympia, Greece
Olympia, Greece
Olympia , a sanctuary of ancient Greece in Elis, is known for having been the site of the Olympic Games in classical times, comparable in importance to the Pythian Games held in Delphi. Both games were held every Olympiad , the Olympic Games dating back possibly further than 776 BC...
. The monumental fountain features statues and honors members of the ruling imperial family, relatives of Herodes Atticus and his wife. Among the statues is a bust of Claudius Atticus, now on display at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia
Sources
- Suetonius - The Twelve Caesars – Vespasian
- Day, J., An economic history of Athens under Roman domination, Ayers Company Publishers, 1973
- Graindor, P., Un milliardaire antique, Ayers Company Publishers, 1979
- Wilson, N.G., Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece, Routledge 2006
- Pomeroy, S.B., The murder of Regilla: a case of domestic violence in antiquity, Harvard University Press, 2007
- http://www.sleepinbuff.com/13history.pdf
- http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/women_civicdonors.html
- http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=541&letter=P