Plotius Firmus

Plotius Firmus (fl. 1st century AD) was a Roman knight and senator who flourished in the sixties of the first century AD. He started his career in the army as a simple soldier, and in 69 AD, during the reign of Galba he was praefectus vigilum in Rome, helping Otho to oust the emperor.[1] After Galba's seizure of power, he was acclaimed by the soldiers praefectus praetorio, and remained quite popular with the military.[1] After Otho's defeat at Bedriacum he encouraged the depressed Emperor who wanted to quit his power to persevere.[1] Despite that, Otho killed himself, and Plotius found him in his chamber liying in his blood.[1]After the suicide of his patron, Plotius tried to rapproach himself with Vitellius, but was prevented to do that by his soldiers.[1] It cannot be excluded that he managed to be pardoned later, but after the end of the 69 AD crisis there are two possible hypotheses: he could either have been the adoptive father or father of C. Tullius Capito Pomponianus Plotius Firmus,[1] or under Vespasian he could have been adopted by the senator Gaius Tullius Capito Pomponianus, taking himself the name Gaius Tullius Capito Pomponianus Plotius Firmus. Thereby he gained entry into the ordo senatorius, and was immediately sent to the military district of Numidia as legate of the Legio III Augusta.[2]

In 84, he was appointed consul suffectus for the nundinum from September to October 84.[3]

References
  1. Klass (1951)
  2. His activity is proven through several termini (Roman border markers) between two pagi of the Cirta Colony:
    • AE 1969/70, 696, Ain Abid (Algeria: Ex au(c)torit(ate) / Imp(eratoris) Vespasia(ni) / Cae(saris) Aug(usti) agr(i) / pub(lici) Cir(tensium) ad(signati) Sub/urb(uribus) Reg(ianis) et / Nicibibus per / Tul(l)ium Pom/ponianum / Capitonem / leg(atum) Aug(usti)
    • AE 1957, 175, Ain el Bordj (Algeria): [Ex auctorit(ate) Imp(eratoris)] / [V]es(pasiani) Caesar(is) / Aug(usti) agri pu[b]/lici Cirt(ensium) adsig/(nati) Nicibibus et S/uburburibus / Regi(anis) per Tulliu(m) Pomponianu(m) / Capitone(m) / leg(atum) Aug(usti)
    • AE 2017, 1701, Ain el Bordj (Algeria): [Ex auctoritate Imp(eratoris) V]es(pasiani) Caesar[is] / Aug(usti) agri pub/lici Cirt(ensium) adsig(nati) / Nicibibus et S/uburburibus / Regi(anis) per Tulliu(m) / Pomponianu(m) / Capitone(m) / leg(atum) Aug(usti)
    • AE 2017, 1701, Ouled Gouam (Algeria): Ex au(c)toritate / Imp(eratoris) Vespasia(ni) / Cae(saris) Aug(usti) agr(i) / pub(lici) Cir(tensium) ads(ignati) Sub/urb(uribus) Reg(ianis) et / Nicibibus per / Tul(l)ium Pom/ponianum / Capitonem / leg(atum) Aug(usti)
  3. This is indicated by the inscriptions:
    • CIL XIV 244, 245, 4531, 4532, 4532a, 4533, 4534, 4535, 4536, 4537, 4538, 4539, 4540, 4542, 4543, 4544, 4546, 5354, 5355 = AE 1917/18, 122 = AE 1922, 94 = AE 1924, 111 = AE 1928, 126 = AE 1933, 30 = AE 1934, 97 = AE 1934, 98 = AE 1934, 99 = AE 1936, 97 = AE 1936, 98 = AE 1936, 99 = AE 1937, 10 = AE 1938, 150 = AE 1939, 52 = AE 1940, 92 = AE 1940, 93 = AE 1945, 33 = AE 1945, 34 = AE 1945, 36 = AE 1945, 37 = AE 1946, 169 = AE 1946, 204 = AE 1949, 23 = AE 1949, 64 = AE 1954, 123 = AE 1949, 23 = AE 1949, 64 = AE 1954, 221 = AE 1954, 222 = AE 1954, 223 = AE 1955, 120 = AE 1956, 32 = AE 1956, 132 = AE 1968, 6 = AE 1975, 130 = AE 1975, 131 = AE 1975, 132 = AE 1978, 60 = AE 1980, 183 = AE 1994, 330 = AE 1997, 256 = AE 1998, 408 = AE 2001, 620 = AE 2005, 305, Ostia Antica (Italia):(...) [84] -----] / K(alendis) Mai(is?) --- L(ucius) Iulius U]rsus / [K(alendis) Sept(embribus?) C(aius) Tullius Capito C(aius) Cornelius Ga]llican(us) / [-- G]allus / [--- Imp(erator) Domitianus congiarium divisit] |(denarios) LXXV / [IIvir(i) ---] Celsus / (...)
    • CIL XVI 30, Bad Deutsch-Altenburg (Austria): Imp(erator) Caesar divi Vespasiani f(ilius) Domitianus / Augustus Germanicus pontifex maximus / tribunic(ia) potestat(e) III imp(erator) VII p(ater) p(atriae) co(n)s(ul) X / equitibus et peditibus qui militant in alis / quinque et cohortibus decem et tribus / quae appellantur I civium Romanorum / et I et II Ar(a)vacorum et Frontoniana et Si/liana et I Noricorum et I Britannica et I / Montanorum et I Lusitanorum et I et I et II / Alpinorum et II Hispanorum et III Thracum / et V Gallorum et V Callaecorum Lucen/sium et VI Thracum et VIII Raetorum et / sunt in Panno(nia) sub L(ucio) Funisulano Vettonia/no qui quina et vicena stipendia // aut plura meruerant quorum no/mina subscripta sunt ipsis liberis pos/terisque eorum civitatem dedit et conu/bium cum uxoribus quas tunc habuis/sent cum est civitas iis data aut si qui / caelibes essent cum iis quas postea du/xissent dumtaxat singuli singulas / a(nte) d(iem) III Nonas Sept(embres) / C(aio) Tullio Capitone Pomponiano Plotio Firmo / C(aio) Cornelio Gallicano co(n)s(ulibus) / cohort(is) I Montanorum cui prae(e)st / Nipius Aquila / pediti / Dasio Dasentis f(ilio) Dalmat(ae) / descriptum et recognitum ex tabula ae/nea quae fixa est Romae in Capitolio // Imp(erator) Caesar divi Vespasiani f(ilius) Domitianus / Augustus Germanicus pontifex maximus / tribunic(ia) potestat(e) III imp(erator) VII p(ater) p(atriae) co(n)s(ul) X / equitibus et peditibus qui militant in alis / quinque et cohortibus decem et tribus quae / appellantur I civium Romanorum et I et II / Ar(a)vacorum et Frontoniana et Siliana / et I Noricorum et I Britannica et I Mon/tanorum et I Lusitanorum et I et I et II / Alpinorum et II Hispanorum et III Thracum / et V Gallorum et V Callaecorum Lucensi/um et VI Thracum et VIII Raetorum et / sunt in Panno(nia) sub L(ucio) Funisulano Vet/toniano qui quina et vicena stipendia aut / plura meruerant quorum nomina sub/scripta sunt ipsis liberis posterisque eorum / civitatem dedit et conubium cum uxoribus / quas tunc habuissent cum est civitas iis data / aut si qui caelibes essent cum iis quas postea / duxissent dumtaxat singuli singulas / a(nte) d(iem) III Nonas Sept(embres) / C(aio) Tullio Capitone Pomponiano Plotio Firmo / C(aio) Cornelio Gallicano co(n)s(ulibus) / cohort(is) I Montanorum cui prae(e)st / Nipius Aquila / pediti / Dasio Dasentis f(ilio) Dalmat(ae) / descriptum et recognitum ex tabula aenea / quae fixa est Romae in Capitolio post the/sarium veterem // P(ubli) Atini Rufi / Q(uinti) Muci Augustalis / C(ai) Lucreti Modesti / C(ai) Iuli Modesti / C(ai) Iuli Clementis / L(uci) Sesti Maximi / Q(uinti) Iuni Syllae / P(ubli) Corneli Verecundi

Sources
  • Justinus Klass: Plotius 2. In: Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft (RE). Vol. XXI,1, Stuttgart 1951, p. 592–593
  • Paul Gallivan, "The Fasti for A. D. 70–96", Classical Quarterly, 31, 1981, pp. 190, 197, 216.
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