Gaius Julius Quadratus Bassus (70 – 117) was a Romansenator and general. He rose from provincial aristocratic origins to occupy the highest offices of Rome. He served as a legionary commander and as imperial governor of Judea, Cappadoccia, Galatia, Syria and Dacia. He is known to have been active under Trajan in the Dacian and Parthian Wars. Bassus was suffect consul in the nundinium of May to August 105 with Gnaeus Afranius Dexter as his colleague.[1]
Gaius Julius Quadratus Bassus
Military diplomaAE 2004, 1256, dated May 13th 105, attesting him as suffect consul
His career began as military tribune in Legio XIII Gemina around 87 to 89. This was followed by membership in the tresviri monetalis, one of the magistracies that comprised the vigintiviri, a preliminary and required first step toward gaining entry to the Roman Senate.[5] This order is unusual: normally membership in the vigintiviri came before serving as military tribune in a legion. Dabrowa notes that this reversed order was not unusual for men who were born to the equestrian order but intended to enter the Senate. However, Bassus was made one of the tresviri monetalis: this magistracy was reserved either for patricians or men favored by the emperor.[6] Dabrowa suggests that Bassus gained entry to this coveted board through the intervention of his relative Gaius Antius Aulus Julius Quadratus, three-time consul and "a man of high political and social standing".[7]
After the vigintiviri Bassus was a quaestor, a junior position administering the public treasury, in the province of Crete and Cyrenaica around the year 92. This office gained him formal entry into the senate. He advanced to the traditional Roman magistracy of aedile, then around 98 he won election as a praetor. This last magistracy qualified Bassus to either govern provinces or serve as a legatus legionis or commander of a legion. Bassus sought a military career.[5]
First he was legatus of Legio XI Claudia from 99 to 101. This was followed by command of a vexillation drawn from several legions—including the IV Scythica and XII Fulminata—in the First Dacian War for the years 101 and 102. Then Bassus served as commander of Legio X Fretensis, a posting that was combined with the governorship as the 8th legate of Judaea from 102 to 104. During the summer of 105 he spent four months as consul; becoming a consul was considered the highest honour of the Roman state and the Emperor would have chosen candidates to fill it carefully. After his term as consul Bassus was admitted to the College of Pontiffs, the highest-ranking priests of the state religion; a significant social achievement for a man born as an equestrian.[5] This was followed by a posting as governor of Cappadocia and Galatia in 114 to 115, and later Syria.[3] During this time he was made commander of a second vexillation of soldiers drawn from a number of legions – including III Gallica and XIII Gemina – that fought in the Parthian War.[5]
^Alison E. Cooley, The Cambridge Manual of Latin Epigraphy (Cambridge: University Press, 2012), p. 467
^Edward Dabrowa, Legio X Fretensis: A Prosopographical Study of its Officers (I-III c. A.D.) (Stuttgart: Franz Steiner, 1993), p. 34
^ abWerner Eck, "Jahres- und Provinzialfasten der senatorischen Statthalter von 69/70 bis 138/139" 2018-07-17 at the Wayback Machine, Chiron, 12 (1982), pp. 281–362; 13 (1983), pp. 147–237 (German)
^Géza Alföldy, Konsulat und Senatorenstand unter der Antoninen (Bonn: Rudolf Habelt Verlag, 1977), p. 323, (German)
gaius, julius, quadratus, bassus, roman, senator, general, rose, from, provincial, aristocratic, origins, occupy, highest, offices, rome, served, legionary, commander, imperial, governor, judea, cappadoccia, galatia, syria, dacia, known, have, been, active, un. Gaius Julius Quadratus Bassus 70 117 was a Roman senator and general He rose from provincial aristocratic origins to occupy the highest offices of Rome He served as a legionary commander and as imperial governor of Judea Cappadoccia Galatia Syria and Dacia He is known to have been active under Trajan in the Dacian and Parthian Wars Bassus was suffect consul in the nundinium of May to August 105 with Gnaeus Afranius Dexter as his colleague 1 Gaius Julius Quadratus BassusMilitary diploma AE 2004 1256 dated May 13th 105 attesting him as suffect consulConsul of the Roman RepublicIn office May 105 August 105Serving with Gnaeus Afranius DexterQuintus Caelius HonoratusPreceded byTiberius Julius Candidus Marius Celsus II and Gaius Antius Aulus Julius QuadratusSucceeded byMarcus Vitorius Marcellus and Gaius Caecilius StraboPersonal detailsBorn70Died117DaciaMilitary serviceAllegianceRoman EmpireCommandsGovernor of JudaeaGovernor of CappadociaGovernor of GalatiaGovernor of Syria Governor of DaciaBattles warsTrajan s Dacian WarsTrajan s Parthian War Contents 1 Family 2 Career 3 See also 4 ReferencesFamily EditGaius Julius Quadratus Bassus was born in Pergamon to a family related to the Attalid dynasty and the Galatian tetrarchs 2 His father was Gaius Julius Bassus who was Proconsul of Bithynia in 100 to 101 3 He is known to have had at least one son Gaius Julius Bassus who was suffect consul in 139 4 Career Edit The Roman Empire at the time of Bassus death His career began as military tribune in Legio XIII Gemina around 87 to 89 This was followed by membership in the tresviri monetalis one of the magistracies that comprised the vigintiviri a preliminary and required first step toward gaining entry to the Roman Senate 5 This order is unusual normally membership in the vigintiviri came before serving as military tribune in a legion Dabrowa notes that this reversed order was not unusual for men who were born to the equestrian order but intended to enter the Senate However Bassus was made one of the tresviri monetalis this magistracy was reserved either for patricians or men favored by the emperor 6 Dabrowa suggests that Bassus gained entry to this coveted board through the intervention of his relative Gaius Antius Aulus Julius Quadratus three time consul and a man of high political and social standing 7 After the vigintiviri Bassus was a quaestor a junior position administering the public treasury in the province of Crete and Cyrenaica around the year 92 This office gained him formal entry into the senate He advanced to the traditional Roman magistracy of aedile then around 98 he won election as a praetor This last magistracy qualified Bassus to either govern provinces or serve as a legatus legionis or commander of a legion Bassus sought a military career 5 First he was legatus of Legio XI Claudia from 99 to 101 This was followed by command of a vexillation drawn from several legions including the IV Scythica and XII Fulminata in the First Dacian War for the years 101 and 102 Then Bassus served as commander of Legio X Fretensis a posting that was combined with the governorship as the 8th legate of Judaea from 102 to 104 During the summer of 105 he spent four months as consul becoming a consul was considered the highest honour of the Roman state and the Emperor would have chosen candidates to fill it carefully After his term as consul Bassus was admitted to the College of Pontiffs the highest ranking priests of the state religion a significant social achievement for a man born as an equestrian 5 This was followed by a posting as governor of Cappadocia and Galatia in 114 to 115 and later Syria 3 During this time he was made commander of a second vexillation of soldiers drawn from a number of legions including III Gallica and XIII Gemina that fought in the Parthian War 5 Bassus was serving as legatus Augusti pro praetore or imperial governor in the province of Dacia when he died in the Dacian revolt of 117 8 See also EditThe Administration of Judaea AD 6 135 References Edit Alison E Cooley The Cambridge Manual of Latin Epigraphy Cambridge University Press 2012 p 467 Edward Dabrowa Legio X Fretensis A Prosopographical Study of its Officers I III c A D Stuttgart Franz Steiner 1993 p 34 a b Werner Eck Jahres und Provinzialfasten der senatorischen Statthalter von 69 70 bis 138 139 Archived 2018 07 17 at the Wayback Machine Chiron 12 1982 pp 281 362 13 1983 pp 147 237 German Geza Alfoldy Konsulat und Senatorenstand unter der Antoninen Bonn Rudolf Habelt Verlag 1977 p 323 German a b c d Dabrowa Legio X Fretensis p 35 Anthony Birley The Fasti of Roman Britain Oxford Clarendon Press 1981 pp 4f Dabrowa Legio X Fretensis pp 47f Garzetti Albino From Tiberius to the Antonines Routledge Revivals A History of the Roman Empire AD 14 192 Routledge 2014 p 383 Political officesPreceded byTiberius Claudius Atticus Herodes Legate of Iudaea102 103 104 105 Succeeded byQuintus Pompeius FalcoPreceded byTiberius Julius Candidus Marius Celsus II and Gaius Antius Aulus Julius Quadratus IIas Ordinary consuls Suffect consul of the Roman Empire105with Gnaeus Afranius Dexter followed by Quintus Caelius Honoratus Succeeded byMarcus Vitorius Marcellus and Gaius Caecilius Straboas Suffect consuls Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gaius Julius Quadratus Bassus amp oldid 1125501572, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
