Gaius Dillius Aponianus

Gaius Dillius Luci filius Auli nepos Sergia Aponianus[1] was soldier of ancient Rome, of Spanish origin.[2] He replaced Titus Aurelius Fulvus and joined Marcus Antonius Primus as legate of the Legio III Gallica in the year 69-70.[1][3]

His men refused to swear allegiance to Vitellius during the Year of the Four Emperors, instead favoring Vespasian. Aponianus does not appear to have been aligned with any of the four emperors, aside from being under Vitellius at the time, and he asked the governor of Moesia—his relative Marcus Aponius Saturninus[2]—for assistance. Saturninus informed Vitellius of the legion's refusal, but not that their allegiance was aligned with Vespasian. Legio III Gallica went on to be instrumental in inflaming legionary sentiment against Vitellius (and for Vespasian),[4] and in the Second Battle of Bedriacum, where they fought for Vespasian.[3][5]

Aponianus is believed to have served as a suffect consul some time around 71 or 73. His name appears as consul in literary sources, but not the Fasti consulares, so it is difficult to fix the exact year.[6][7] Paul Gillivan suggests the possible dates for his tenure as suffect consul could be November/December 71, the last half of 72, or March/April of 73.[8] However, more recently Giuseppi Camodeca has completed the list of consuls for 71, so the available dates for his tenure are now limited to 72 and 73.[9]

There is epigraphical evidence of him being responsible for repairs made on the right bank of the Tiber River in 73.[10]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Bodel, John (2012). Epigraphic Evidence: Ancient History From Inscriptions. Approaching the Ancient World. Routledge. p. 85. ISBN 9781134819249. Retrieved 2016-06-04.
  2. 1 2 Jones, Brian W. (1975). "Titus and Some Flavian Amici". Historia: Zeitschrift Für Alte Geschichte. Franz Steiner Verlag. 24 (3): 458. JSTOR 4435457.
  3. 1 2 Tacitus, Histories 3.10, 11
  4. ↑ Dando-Collins, Stephen (2011). Mark Antony's Heroes: How the Third Gallica Legion Saved an Apostle and Created an Emperor. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 168–169, 189, 192, 208. ISBN 9781118040805. Retrieved 2016-06-04.
  5. ↑ Wellesley, Kenneth (2000). The Year of the Four Emperors. Roman Imperial Biographies. Routledge. p. 139. ISBN 9780415232289. Retrieved 2016-06-04.
  6. ↑ Weinrib, Ernest (2014). The Spaniards in Rome: From Marius to Domitian. Routledge Revivals. Routledge. pp. 224–225. ISBN 9781317686460. Retrieved 2016-06-04.
  7. ↑ McCrum, M.; Woodhead, A. G. (1966). Select Documents of the Principates of the Flavian Emperors: Including the Year of Revolution A.D. 68-96. Cambridge University Press. p. 6. ISBN 9780521168526. Retrieved 2016-06-04.
  8. ↑ Gallivan, "The Fasti for A. D. 70-96", Classical Quarterly, 31 (1981), p. 201
  9. ↑ Camodeca, "Novità sui fasti consolari delle tavolette cerate della Campania", Publications de l'École française de Rome, 143 (1991), pp. 57-62
  10. ↑ Newton, Homer Curtis (1901). The Epigraphical Evidence for the Reigns of Vespasian and Titus. Cornell studies in classical philology. 16. Andrus and Church. p. 45. Retrieved 2016-06-04.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William (1870). "Aponianus,Dillius". In Smith, William. Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. 1. p. 247. 

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