Transcript L. Verginius Rufus, 14

L. Verginius Rufus, A.D. 14-97
The story of a notable Roman
senator who fractured his hip
while attempting to subdue an
out of control and extremely
heavy papyrus scroll
Senatorial Career
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Early career quiet, except for a nasty spat
with Nicetes, a famous Greek orator. Nero
intervened, sent Nicetes to Germania
Superior, where he and Rufus forgave each
other, settled the affair, and became friends.
Later on, Nero fiddled while Rome burned,
afterwards killing those poor unfortunate souls
unable to pay his exorbitant taxes to rebuild.
Verginius earned high military recognition
skillfully leading troops that subdued the
uprisings of rioting, outraged citizenry.
Rufus’ Honorable Behavior
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Caving under political pressure, the
unstable Nero committed suicide.
When Verginius Rufus' troops tried to
proclaim him the new
emperor, he steadfastly
refused the honor on the
grounds that his lowly origins
(he was the son of a Roman knight and a
new man of an equestrian family) were
insufficiently prestigious to seek the imperial
purple.
The Zenith of his Fame
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Verginius was many times saluted emperor
by his soldiers and pressed to take the title
upon him, but he declared that he would
neither assume that honor himself, nor see it
given to any other than whom the Senate
should elect.
His image on a coin.
What Happened Was This
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By refusing the emperorship, Verginius left
the soldiers who had loyally supported Nero,
without leadership.
The soldiers were angry, and killed the
governor of Germania Inferior, Fonteius
Capito, because he refused the purple too!
Rome became occupied by soldiers who
despised the men who had rejected their
award. They then sided with the enemy.
Hiding in the Papyrus Stacks
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Verginius retreated to an estate at
Alsium (a small coastal town
northwest of Rome, modern
Ladispoli), where he studied,
composed poems, and hosted a
literary salon.
What Did He Read?
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The historians of the age of Roman emperor
Vespasian praised Verginius.
Having three times been raised to the
dignity of consul, it seemed as if Providence
had purposely preserved him to these times
so that he might read poems composed in
his honor, histories of his achievements, and
was himself witness to his fame for posterity.
Most certainly his accolades (his favorite
topic!) were read aloud to the eager and
fortunate listeners in his salon.
The Demise of L.V. Rufus
He reached his eighty-fourth year
in full tranquility having enjoyed
strong health during his lifetime,
with the exception of a trembling
in his hands, which, however,
gave him no pain. His last illness
was severe and tedious, but even
that circumstance added to his
reputation.
The Untamed Papyrus Roll
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Apparently, papyrus was rather heavy.
He was practicing his voice for purpose of
returning his public acknowledgements to
the emperor, who had promoted him to the
consulship. He took a large
volume into his hand, and it
happened to be too heavy
for so old a man to hold
standing up.
Oops! Mosaic Floor Mishap
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The untamed papyrus
leaped from his grasp.
In hastily endeavoring to
recover it, his foot slipped
on the smooth pavement,
and he fell down and broke
his thigh bone, which being
clumsily set, his age as well being against
him, did not properly unite again.
Funeral Honors
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The good fortune of Rufus’ life was
crowned by the public applause of an
eloquent orator and friend.
He received a state funeral and the speech
was delivered by the consul Cornelius
Tacitus, a promising author who had
recently published Life of Agricola, and
may well have benefited from Verginius'
literary patronage.
Quote from his Protege
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Pliny the Younger, a student and
distant relative who inherited one of
Rufus’ homes said:
He has departed from our midst, full
of years, indeed, and of glory; as
illustrious by the honors he refused
as by those he accepted. Yet still we
shall miss him and lament him, as the
shining model of a past age.
The Epitaph Verginius Wrote
(for himself)
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Here lies Rufus, who
once defeated the
enemy and set free the
imperial power not for
himself, but for his
country.
Temple of Vespasian
Interpersonal Relationship Skills
Needed Some Improvement
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Not everyone held such a
high opinion of Rufus as
he did of himself.
When Pliny paid a visit to
Rufus’ mother-in-law nine
years after the funeral, he
discovered that the modest
tomb of the great senator
lay still unfinished.
Rest in Peace
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L.
Verginius
Rufus
A Roman senator
who survived the
brutal dangers of
war and became a
hero, but was
attacked by a wild
and untamed
papyrus roll, and
suffered broken
bones from which
he could not
recover.
References:
http://www.umich.edu/~classics/latin/231/231rufus.html
http://www.livius.org/va-vh/verginius/rufus.html
http://www.roman-emperors.org/vespasia.htm
http://www.bartleby.com/9/4/1017.html
Kilgour, F.G. 1998. The evolution of the book. New York:
Oxford University Press. (Rufus is mentioned on p. 52.)
We know about L. Verginius Rufus
from the papyrus rolls written by the
authors of his day. Amazing!