Lucius Pedanius Secundus
First century Roman statesman, murdered by one of his slaves
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Biography
The Pedanii had their roots as Roman colonists in the town of Barcino in Tarraconensis. Secundus' descendants include a series of consuls, beginning with his son Gnaeus Pedanius Fuscus Salinator, consul in AD 61.[1]
Reign of Claudius
In AD 43, during the reign of Claudius, he was consul suffectus from the Kalends of March to the Kalends of July, together with Sextus Palpellius Hister.[2] Secundus was the first senator from the Spanish provinces to achieve the rank of consul since the anomalous tenure of Lucius Cornelius Balbus in 40 BC.[1]
Reign of Nero
In AD 56, he was appointed praefectus urbi by Nero.
Death by a slave
Few details of his tenure are known; only that he was murdered in the year 61 by one of his slaves. The Senate, moved, among others, by Gaius Cassius Longinus,[i] approved the execution of all of Pedanius' four hundred slaves, in accordance with Roman law; an abridged version of Longinus' speech was preserved by Tacitus.[3] The people demanded the release of those slaves who were innocent, but Nero deployed the Roman army to prevent the mob from disrupting the executions.[3][4]
See also
Footnotes
- Not to be confused with the murderer of Caesar.
