received
by the people with marks of the utmost
ziv.
ziv.
William Smith - 1844 - Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities - c
4.
§ 6, There was, however, no occasion for the addition of
iv. 12. $ 17. )
Calpurnianus to his name, as that of Piso showed
17. C. CALPURNIUS Piso, was consul B. C. 67, sufficiently his original family. Piso bad attained
with M'. Acilius Glabrio. He belonged to the some importance as early as the first civil war.
high aristocratical party, and, as consul, led the On the death of L. Cinna, in B. c. 84, he married
opposition to the proposed law of the tribune Ga- his wife Annia, and in the following year, 83, was
binius, by which Pompey was to be entrusted appointed quaestor to the consul L. Scipio ; but he
with extraordinary powers for the purpose of con- quickly deserted this party, and went over to
ducting the war against the pirates. Piso even Sulla, who compelled him to divorce his wife on
went so far as to threaten Pompey's life, telling account of her previous connection with Cinna
bim, “ that if he emulated Romulus, he would not (Cic. Verr. i. 14; Vell. Pat. ii. 41). He failed
escape the end of Romulus," for which imprudent in obtaining the aedileship (Cic. pro Planc. 5, 21),
speech he was nearly torn to pieces by the people. and the year of his praetorship is uncertain. After
The law, however, was carried, notwithstanding all his praetorship he received the province of Spain
the opposition of Piso and his party ; and when with the title of proconsul, and on his return to
shortly afterwards the orders which Pompey had Rome in 69, enjoyed the honour of a triumph,
issued, were not carried into execution in Nar- although it was asserted by some that he had no
honese Gaul, in consequence, as it was supposed, claim to this distinction. (Cic. pro Flacc. 3, in
of the intrigues of Piso, Gabinius proposed to de Pison. 26 ; Ascon. in Pison. p. 15. ) Piso served
prive the latter of his consulship, an extreme mea- in the Mithridatic war as a legatus of Pompey,
sure which Pompey's prudence would not allow to who sent him to Rome in B. c. 62, to become a
be brought forward. Piso had not an easy life in candidate for the consulship, as he was anxious
this consulship. In the same year the tribune, C. obtain the ratification of his acts in Asia, and
Cornelius, proposed several laws, which were di- therefore wished to have one of his friends at the
rected against the shameless abuses of the aristo- head of the state. Piso was accordingly elected
cracy. [Cornelius, Vol. I. p. 857. ] All these Piso consul for the following year, B. C. 61, with M. Va-
resisted with the utmost vehemence, and none lerius Messalla Niger. In his consulship he gave
more strongly than a stringent enactment to put great offence to Cicero, by not asking him first in
down bribery at elections. But as the senate the senate for his opinion, and still further in-
could not with any decency refuse to lend their creased the anger of the orator by taking P. Clo
aid in suppressing this corrupt practice, they pre- dius under his protection after his violation of the
tended that the law of Cornelius was so severe, mysteries of the Bona Dean Cicero revenged
that no accusers would come forward, and no himself on Piso, by preventing him from obtaining
judges would condemn a criminal ; and they there the province of Syria, which had been promised
fore made the consuls bring forward a less stringent him. (Dion Cass. xxxvii
. 44 ; Cic. ad At. i. 12–
law (Ler Acilia Calpurniu), imposing a fine on 18. ) Piso must have died, in all probability, be-
the offender, with exclusion from the senate and fore the breaking out of the second civil war, for
all public offices. It was with no desire to di- in B. c. 47 Antony inhabited his house at Rome.
minish corruption at elections that Piso joined (Cic. Phil
. ii. 25. ) Piso, in his younger days, had
his colleague in proposing the law, for an accusa- so high a reputation as an orator, that Cicero was
tion had been brought against him in the preceding taken to him by his father, in order to receive in-
year of obtaining by bribery his own election to struction from him. He possessed some natural
the consulship.
ability, but was chiefly indebted for his excellence
In B. c. 66 and 65, Piso administered the pro- to study, especially of Greek literature, in the
vince of Narbonese Gaul as proconsul, and while I knowledge of which he surpassed all previous
Prema wa
Els can
Agrandir
leis
is.
܀ "_. - ܬܡ
poate
PE, C, da se
## p. 375 (#391) ############################################
PISO.
375
PISO.
orators. He did not, however, prosecute oratory find the letters Numa), because the Calpurnia
long, partly on account of ill-health, and partly gens claimed descent from Calpus, the son of
because his irritable temper would not submit to Numa (CALPURNIA GENS); the reverse repre-
the rude encounters of the forum. He belonged sents the prow of a ship with the legend MAGN.
to the Peripatetic school in philosophy, in which he (P)Ro. cos. , i. e. (Pompeius) Magnus proconsul.
received instructions from Staseas. (Cic. Brut. 67, (Eckhel, vol. v. p. 160. )
90, de Or. i. 22, de Nat. Deor. i. 7 ; Ascon. l. c. ) 22. CN. CALPURNIUS CN. F. CN. N. Piso,
19. M. Piso, perhaps the son of No. 18, was consul B. c. 23, was, in all probability, the so of
praetor, B. C. 44, when he was praised by Cicero No. 21. He belonged to the high aristocratical
on account of his opposition to Antony. (Phil. party, and was naturally of a proud and imperious
üï. 10. )
temper. He fought against Caesar in Africa, in
20. CN. CALPURNIUS Piso, was a young noble B. c. 46, and after the death of the dictator, joined
who had dissipated his fortune by his extravagance Brutus and Cassius. He was subsequently par-
and profligacy, and being a man of a most daring doned, and returned to Rome ; but he disdained
and unscrupulous character, attempted to improve to ask Augustus for any of the honours of the
his circumstances by a revolution in the state. He state, and was, without solicitation, raised to the
therefore formed with Catiline, in B. C. 66, a con- consulship in B. c. 23. (Tac. Ann. ii. 43, Bell.
spiracy to murder the new consuls when they en- | Afr. 18. ) This Cn. Piso appears to be the same
tered upon their office on the 1st of January in as the Cn. Piso spoken of by Valerius Maximus
the following year. The history of this conspiracy, | (vi. 2. $ 4).
and the manner in which it failed, are related 23. CN. CALPURNIUS CN. F. CN. N. Piso, son of
elsewhere. (CatiLINA, p. 629, b. ) Although no No. 22, inherited all the pride and haughtiness of
doubt was entertained of the existence of the con- his father. He was consul B. c. 7, with Tiberius,
spiracy, still there were not sufficient proofs to the future emperor, and was sent by Augustus as
convict the parties, and they were not therefore legate into Spain, where he made himself hated
brought to trial
. It had been arranged by the by his cruelty and avarice. Tiberius after his ac-
conspirators, that after the murder of the consuls, cession was chiefly jealous of Germanicus, his
Piso was to be despatched, with an army, to seize brother's son, whom he had adopted, and who was
the Spains; and the senate, in order to get rid of idolized both by the soldiery and the people. Ac-
this dangerous agitator, now sent him into Nearer cordingly, when the eastern provinces were as-
Spain as quaestor, but with the rank and title of signed to Germanicus in A. D. 18, Tiberius chose
propraetor. By his removal the senate hoped to Piso as a fit instrument to thwart the plans and
weaken his faction at Rome, and they gave him check the power of Germanicus, and therefore con-
an opportunity of acquiring, by the plunder of the ferred upon him the command of Syria. It was
province, the money of which he was so much in believed that the emperor had given him secret in-
need. His exactions, however, in the province structions to that effect ; and his wife Piancina,
soon made him so hateful to the inhabitants, that who was as proud and haughty as her husband,
he was murdered by them. Some persons, how was urged on by Livia, the mother of the emperor,
ever, supposed that he was murdered at the insti- to vie with and annoy Agrippina. Piso and Plancina
gation of Pompey, who had possessed great influ- fulfilled their mission most completely ; the former
ence in the country ever since the conquest of opposed all the wishes and measures of Germanicus,
Sertorius. Crassus had been in favour of sending and the latter heaped every kind of insult upon
Piso to Spain, that he might, by Piso's means, Agrippina. Germanicus, on his return from Egypt,
persecute the friends of his great enemy and rival, in A. D. 19, found that all his orders had been neg-
Pompey; and it was therefore thought that the lected or disobeyed. Hence arose vehement alter-
latter had revenged himself, by making away with cations between him and Piso ; and when the
the new governor. (Dion Cass. xxxvi. 27 ; Sall
. former fell ill in the autumn of this year, he be-
Cat. 18, 19; Cic. pro Sull. 24, pro Mur. 38 ; | lieved that he had been poisoned by Piso and
Ascon, in Cornel. p. 66, in Tog. Cand. pp. 83, 94. ) | Plancina. Before his death he had ordered Piso
21. Cn. CALPURNIUS Piso, legatus and pro- to quit Syria, and had appointed Cn. Sentius as
quaestor of Pompey in the war against the pirates, his successor. Piso now made an attempt to re-
commanded a division of the fleet at the Helles-cover his province, but the Roman soldiers refused
pont, B. C. 67. He afterwards followed Pompey to obey him, and Sentius drove him out of the
in the Mithridatic war, and was present at the country. Relying on the protection of Tiberius
surrender of Jerusalem in 63. (Appian, Mithr. 95, Piso now went to Rome (A. D. 20); but he was
who erroneously calls him Publius ; Joseph. Ant.
received by the people with marks of the utmost
ziv. 4. § 2. ) The following coin commemorates dislike and horror. " Whether Piso had poisoned
the connection of Piso with the war against the Germanicus cannot now be determined ; Tacitus
pirates. The obverse contains the legend cn. piso. candidly admits that there were no proofs of his
PRO. Q, with the head of Numa (on which we having done so ; but the popular belief in his guilt
was so strong that Tiberius could not refuse an in-
vestigation into the matter, which was conducted
by the senate. As it proceeded the emperor
seemed to have made up his mind to sacrifice his
tool to the general indignation ; but before the in-
vestigation came to an end, Piso was found one
morning in his room with his throat cut, and his
ROCOS sword lying by his side. It was generally sup-
posed that, despairing of the emperor's protection,
he had put an end to his own life ; but others be-
COIN OP CN. PISO, PROQUAESTOR, B. c. 67. lieved that Tiberius dreaded his revealing his
CA. M
பறி
D. PRO
INO
B B 4
## p. 376 (#392) ############################################
376
PISO.
PJSO.
het;
secrets, and had accordingly caused him to be put | ward to defend Cn. Piso (No. 23) in A. D. 20, when
to death. The powerful influence of Livia secured so many shrunk from the unpopular office. (Tac.
the acquittal of Plancina for the present. [PLAN- Ann. iii. 11. )
CINA. ] His two sons Cneius and Marcus, the 29. L. CALPURNIUS Piso, praetor in Nearer
latter of whom had been with him in Syria, were Spain in a. D. 25, was murdered in the province
involved in the accusation of their father, but were while travelling. (Tac. Ann. iv. 45. )
pardoned by Tiberius, who mitigated the sentence 30. C. CALPURNIUS Piso, the leader of the
which the senate pronounced after the death of well-known conspiracy against Nero in a. D. 65.
Piso. (Tac. Ann. ii. 43, 55, 57, 69, 74, 75, 80, | He is first mentioned in a. D. 37, when Caligula
iii. 10–18 ; Senec. de Ira, i. 16 ; Dion Cass. Ivii. was invited to his nuptial banquet on the day of
18 ; Suet. Tib. 15, 52, Cal. 2. )
his marriage with Livia Orestilla ; but the emperor
24. L. CALPURNIUS Piso, probably the eldest took a fancy to the bride, whom he married, and
Bon of No. 23. In the judgment which the senate shortly afterwards banished the husband. He
pronounced upon the sons of Cn. Piso (see above, was recalled by Claudius, and raised to the con-
No. 23], it was decreed that the eldest Cneius sulship, but what year is uncertain, as his name
should change his praenomen (Tac. Ann. iii. 17); does not occur in the Fasti. When the crimes
and it would appear that he assumed the surname and follies of Nero had made him both hated and
of Lucius, since Dion Cassius (lix. 20) speaks of a despised by his subjects, a formidable conspiracy
Lucius (not Cncius) Piso, the son of Ćn. Piso and was formed against the tyrant, and the conspirators
Plancina, who was governor of Africa in the reign destined Piso as his successor. Piso himself did
of Caligula. This supposition is confirmed by the not form the plot ; but as soon as he had joined it,
fact that Tacitus speaks of only two sons, Cneius his great popularity gained him many partizans.
and Marcus We may therefore conclude that he He possessed most of the qualities which the
is the same as the L. Piso, who was consul in A. D. Romans prized, high birth, an eloquent address,
27, with M. Licinius Crassus Frugi. (Tac. Ann. liberality and affability; and he also displayed a
iv. 62. )
sufficient love of magnificence and luxury to suit
25. M. CALPURNIUS Piso, the younger son of the taste of the day, which would not have tolerated
No. 23, accompanied his father into Syria, and was austerity of manner or character. The conspiracy
accused along with him in A. d. 20. [See above, was discovered by Milichus, a freedman of Flavius
No. 23. ]
Scevinus, one of the conspirators. Piso thereupon
26. L. CALPURNIUS Piso, the son of No. 24, opened his veins, and thus died. (Schol. ad Juv.
was consul in A. D. 57 with the emperor Nero, and v. 109 ; Dion Cass. lix. 8; Tac. Ann. xiv. 65,
in A. D. 66 had the charge of the public finances xv. 48—59 ; Dion Cass. lxii. 24, &c. ; Suet. Ner.
entrusted to him, together with two other con- 36. ). There is extant a poem in 261 lines, con-
sulars. He was afterwards appointed proconsul oftaining a panegyric on a certain Calpurnius Piso,
Africa, and was slain there in A. p. 70, because it whom Wernsdorf supposes with considerable pro
was reported that he was forming a conspiracy bability to be the same as the leader of the con-
against Vespasian, who had just obtained the spiracy against Nero. The poem is printed in
empire. (Tac. Ann. xiii. 28, 31, xv. 18, . Hist. iv. the fourth volume of Wernsdorf's Poetae Latini
38, 48—50 ; Plin. Ep. iii. 7. )
Minores, where it is attributed to Saleius Bas-
27. L. CALPURNIUS Pisn, consul B. c. 1, with sus. [Bassus, p. 473. ) Piso left a son, whom
Cossus Cornelius Lentulus. (Dion Cass. Index, Tacitus calls Calpurnius Galerianus, and who
lib. lv. )
would appear from his surname to have been
28. L. CALPURNIUS Piso, was characterised by adopted by Piso. The ambition of the father
the same haughtiness and independence as the rest caused the death of the son ; for Mucianus, the
of his family under the empire. He is first men- praefect of Vespasian, fearing lest Galerianus might
tioned in a. d. 16, as complaining of the corruption follow in bis father's steps, put him to death, when
of the law-courts, and threatening to leave the city he obtained possession of the city in A. D. 70.
and spend the rest of his life in some distant retreat in (Tac. Hist. iv. 11. )
the country; and he was a person of so much import- 31. L. CALPURNIUS Piso LICINIANUS, was
ance that the emperor thought it advisable to en- the son of M. Licinius Crassus Frugi, who was
deavour to soothe his anger and to induce his consul with L. Piso in A. D. 27, and of Scribonia,
friends to prevail upon him to remain at Rome. a grand-daughter of Sex. Pompeius. His brothers
In the same year he gave another instance of the were Cn. Pompeius Magnus, who was killed by
little respect which he entertained for the imperial Claudius, M. Licinius Crassus, slain by Nero, and
family. Urgulania, the favourite of the empress Licinius Crassus Scribonianus, who was offered
mother, owed Piso a certain sum of money ; and the empire by Antonius Primus, but refused to
when she refused to obey the summons to appear accept it. By which of the Pisones Licinianus
before the praetor, Piso followed her to the palace was adopted, is uncertain. On the accession of
of Livia, and insisted upon being paid. Although the aged Galba to the throne on the death of Nero,
Tiberius, at the commencement of his reign, had not he adopted as his son and successor Piso Licinia-
thought it advisable to resent the conduct of Piso, nus; but the latter only enjoyed the distinction
yet he was not of a temper to forgive it, and only four days, for Otho, who had hoped to receive this
waited for a favourable opportunity to revenge him- honour, induced the praetorians to rise against the
self upon his haughty subject. Accordingly, when emperor. Piso fled for refuge into the temple of
he considered his power sufficiently established, Vesta, but was dragged out by the soldiers, and
Q. Granius appeared in A. v. 24, as the accuser of despatched at the threshold of the temple, A. D. 69.
Piso, charging him with entertaining designs against | His head was cut off and carried to Otho, who
the emperor's life ; but Piso died just before the feasted his eyes with the sight, but afterwards
trial came on (Tac. Ann. ii. 34, iv. 21). He is surrendered it for a large sum of money to Ve-
probably the same as the L. Piso, who came for- | rania, the wife of Piso, who buried it with his body,
00
a
lopeta. Ee
PISOS LL07
## p. 377 (#393) ############################################
PITHON.
377
m
PISTIUS.
Piso was thirty-one at the time of his death, and fidelity, occurs as a surname of Zeus, and, accord-
enjoyed a reputation for the strictest integrity, ing to some, answers to the Latin Fidius or Medius
uprightness, and morality. (Tac. Hist. i. 14, 15, Fidius. (Dionys. ii. 49; Eurip. Med.
iv. 12. $ 17. )
Calpurnianus to his name, as that of Piso showed
17. C. CALPURNIUS Piso, was consul B. C. 67, sufficiently his original family. Piso bad attained
with M'. Acilius Glabrio. He belonged to the some importance as early as the first civil war.
high aristocratical party, and, as consul, led the On the death of L. Cinna, in B. c. 84, he married
opposition to the proposed law of the tribune Ga- his wife Annia, and in the following year, 83, was
binius, by which Pompey was to be entrusted appointed quaestor to the consul L. Scipio ; but he
with extraordinary powers for the purpose of con- quickly deserted this party, and went over to
ducting the war against the pirates. Piso even Sulla, who compelled him to divorce his wife on
went so far as to threaten Pompey's life, telling account of her previous connection with Cinna
bim, “ that if he emulated Romulus, he would not (Cic. Verr. i. 14; Vell. Pat. ii. 41). He failed
escape the end of Romulus," for which imprudent in obtaining the aedileship (Cic. pro Planc. 5, 21),
speech he was nearly torn to pieces by the people. and the year of his praetorship is uncertain. After
The law, however, was carried, notwithstanding all his praetorship he received the province of Spain
the opposition of Piso and his party ; and when with the title of proconsul, and on his return to
shortly afterwards the orders which Pompey had Rome in 69, enjoyed the honour of a triumph,
issued, were not carried into execution in Nar- although it was asserted by some that he had no
honese Gaul, in consequence, as it was supposed, claim to this distinction. (Cic. pro Flacc. 3, in
of the intrigues of Piso, Gabinius proposed to de Pison. 26 ; Ascon. in Pison. p. 15. ) Piso served
prive the latter of his consulship, an extreme mea- in the Mithridatic war as a legatus of Pompey,
sure which Pompey's prudence would not allow to who sent him to Rome in B. c. 62, to become a
be brought forward. Piso had not an easy life in candidate for the consulship, as he was anxious
this consulship. In the same year the tribune, C. obtain the ratification of his acts in Asia, and
Cornelius, proposed several laws, which were di- therefore wished to have one of his friends at the
rected against the shameless abuses of the aristo- head of the state. Piso was accordingly elected
cracy. [Cornelius, Vol. I. p. 857. ] All these Piso consul for the following year, B. C. 61, with M. Va-
resisted with the utmost vehemence, and none lerius Messalla Niger. In his consulship he gave
more strongly than a stringent enactment to put great offence to Cicero, by not asking him first in
down bribery at elections. But as the senate the senate for his opinion, and still further in-
could not with any decency refuse to lend their creased the anger of the orator by taking P. Clo
aid in suppressing this corrupt practice, they pre- dius under his protection after his violation of the
tended that the law of Cornelius was so severe, mysteries of the Bona Dean Cicero revenged
that no accusers would come forward, and no himself on Piso, by preventing him from obtaining
judges would condemn a criminal ; and they there the province of Syria, which had been promised
fore made the consuls bring forward a less stringent him. (Dion Cass. xxxvii
. 44 ; Cic. ad At. i. 12–
law (Ler Acilia Calpurniu), imposing a fine on 18. ) Piso must have died, in all probability, be-
the offender, with exclusion from the senate and fore the breaking out of the second civil war, for
all public offices. It was with no desire to di- in B. c. 47 Antony inhabited his house at Rome.
minish corruption at elections that Piso joined (Cic. Phil
. ii. 25. ) Piso, in his younger days, had
his colleague in proposing the law, for an accusa- so high a reputation as an orator, that Cicero was
tion had been brought against him in the preceding taken to him by his father, in order to receive in-
year of obtaining by bribery his own election to struction from him. He possessed some natural
the consulship.
ability, but was chiefly indebted for his excellence
In B. c. 66 and 65, Piso administered the pro- to study, especially of Greek literature, in the
vince of Narbonese Gaul as proconsul, and while I knowledge of which he surpassed all previous
Prema wa
Els can
Agrandir
leis
is.
܀ "_. - ܬܡ
poate
PE, C, da se
## p. 375 (#391) ############################################
PISO.
375
PISO.
orators. He did not, however, prosecute oratory find the letters Numa), because the Calpurnia
long, partly on account of ill-health, and partly gens claimed descent from Calpus, the son of
because his irritable temper would not submit to Numa (CALPURNIA GENS); the reverse repre-
the rude encounters of the forum. He belonged sents the prow of a ship with the legend MAGN.
to the Peripatetic school in philosophy, in which he (P)Ro. cos. , i. e. (Pompeius) Magnus proconsul.
received instructions from Staseas. (Cic. Brut. 67, (Eckhel, vol. v. p. 160. )
90, de Or. i. 22, de Nat. Deor. i. 7 ; Ascon. l. c. ) 22. CN. CALPURNIUS CN. F. CN. N. Piso,
19. M. Piso, perhaps the son of No. 18, was consul B. c. 23, was, in all probability, the so of
praetor, B. C. 44, when he was praised by Cicero No. 21. He belonged to the high aristocratical
on account of his opposition to Antony. (Phil. party, and was naturally of a proud and imperious
üï. 10. )
temper. He fought against Caesar in Africa, in
20. CN. CALPURNIUS Piso, was a young noble B. c. 46, and after the death of the dictator, joined
who had dissipated his fortune by his extravagance Brutus and Cassius. He was subsequently par-
and profligacy, and being a man of a most daring doned, and returned to Rome ; but he disdained
and unscrupulous character, attempted to improve to ask Augustus for any of the honours of the
his circumstances by a revolution in the state. He state, and was, without solicitation, raised to the
therefore formed with Catiline, in B. C. 66, a con- consulship in B. c. 23. (Tac. Ann. ii. 43, Bell.
spiracy to murder the new consuls when they en- | Afr. 18. ) This Cn. Piso appears to be the same
tered upon their office on the 1st of January in as the Cn. Piso spoken of by Valerius Maximus
the following year. The history of this conspiracy, | (vi. 2. $ 4).
and the manner in which it failed, are related 23. CN. CALPURNIUS CN. F. CN. N. Piso, son of
elsewhere. (CatiLINA, p. 629, b. ) Although no No. 22, inherited all the pride and haughtiness of
doubt was entertained of the existence of the con- his father. He was consul B. c. 7, with Tiberius,
spiracy, still there were not sufficient proofs to the future emperor, and was sent by Augustus as
convict the parties, and they were not therefore legate into Spain, where he made himself hated
brought to trial
. It had been arranged by the by his cruelty and avarice. Tiberius after his ac-
conspirators, that after the murder of the consuls, cession was chiefly jealous of Germanicus, his
Piso was to be despatched, with an army, to seize brother's son, whom he had adopted, and who was
the Spains; and the senate, in order to get rid of idolized both by the soldiery and the people. Ac-
this dangerous agitator, now sent him into Nearer cordingly, when the eastern provinces were as-
Spain as quaestor, but with the rank and title of signed to Germanicus in A. D. 18, Tiberius chose
propraetor. By his removal the senate hoped to Piso as a fit instrument to thwart the plans and
weaken his faction at Rome, and they gave him check the power of Germanicus, and therefore con-
an opportunity of acquiring, by the plunder of the ferred upon him the command of Syria. It was
province, the money of which he was so much in believed that the emperor had given him secret in-
need. His exactions, however, in the province structions to that effect ; and his wife Piancina,
soon made him so hateful to the inhabitants, that who was as proud and haughty as her husband,
he was murdered by them. Some persons, how was urged on by Livia, the mother of the emperor,
ever, supposed that he was murdered at the insti- to vie with and annoy Agrippina. Piso and Plancina
gation of Pompey, who had possessed great influ- fulfilled their mission most completely ; the former
ence in the country ever since the conquest of opposed all the wishes and measures of Germanicus,
Sertorius. Crassus had been in favour of sending and the latter heaped every kind of insult upon
Piso to Spain, that he might, by Piso's means, Agrippina. Germanicus, on his return from Egypt,
persecute the friends of his great enemy and rival, in A. D. 19, found that all his orders had been neg-
Pompey; and it was therefore thought that the lected or disobeyed. Hence arose vehement alter-
latter had revenged himself, by making away with cations between him and Piso ; and when the
the new governor. (Dion Cass. xxxvi. 27 ; Sall
. former fell ill in the autumn of this year, he be-
Cat. 18, 19; Cic. pro Sull. 24, pro Mur. 38 ; | lieved that he had been poisoned by Piso and
Ascon, in Cornel. p. 66, in Tog. Cand. pp. 83, 94. ) | Plancina. Before his death he had ordered Piso
21. Cn. CALPURNIUS Piso, legatus and pro- to quit Syria, and had appointed Cn. Sentius as
quaestor of Pompey in the war against the pirates, his successor. Piso now made an attempt to re-
commanded a division of the fleet at the Helles-cover his province, but the Roman soldiers refused
pont, B. C. 67. He afterwards followed Pompey to obey him, and Sentius drove him out of the
in the Mithridatic war, and was present at the country. Relying on the protection of Tiberius
surrender of Jerusalem in 63. (Appian, Mithr. 95, Piso now went to Rome (A. D. 20); but he was
who erroneously calls him Publius ; Joseph. Ant.
received by the people with marks of the utmost
ziv. 4. § 2. ) The following coin commemorates dislike and horror. " Whether Piso had poisoned
the connection of Piso with the war against the Germanicus cannot now be determined ; Tacitus
pirates. The obverse contains the legend cn. piso. candidly admits that there were no proofs of his
PRO. Q, with the head of Numa (on which we having done so ; but the popular belief in his guilt
was so strong that Tiberius could not refuse an in-
vestigation into the matter, which was conducted
by the senate. As it proceeded the emperor
seemed to have made up his mind to sacrifice his
tool to the general indignation ; but before the in-
vestigation came to an end, Piso was found one
morning in his room with his throat cut, and his
ROCOS sword lying by his side. It was generally sup-
posed that, despairing of the emperor's protection,
he had put an end to his own life ; but others be-
COIN OP CN. PISO, PROQUAESTOR, B. c. 67. lieved that Tiberius dreaded his revealing his
CA. M
பறி
D. PRO
INO
B B 4
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376
PISO.
PJSO.
het;
secrets, and had accordingly caused him to be put | ward to defend Cn. Piso (No. 23) in A. D. 20, when
to death. The powerful influence of Livia secured so many shrunk from the unpopular office. (Tac.
the acquittal of Plancina for the present. [PLAN- Ann. iii. 11. )
CINA. ] His two sons Cneius and Marcus, the 29. L. CALPURNIUS Piso, praetor in Nearer
latter of whom had been with him in Syria, were Spain in a. D. 25, was murdered in the province
involved in the accusation of their father, but were while travelling. (Tac. Ann. iv. 45. )
pardoned by Tiberius, who mitigated the sentence 30. C. CALPURNIUS Piso, the leader of the
which the senate pronounced after the death of well-known conspiracy against Nero in a. D. 65.
Piso. (Tac. Ann. ii. 43, 55, 57, 69, 74, 75, 80, | He is first mentioned in a. D. 37, when Caligula
iii. 10–18 ; Senec. de Ira, i. 16 ; Dion Cass. Ivii. was invited to his nuptial banquet on the day of
18 ; Suet. Tib. 15, 52, Cal. 2. )
his marriage with Livia Orestilla ; but the emperor
24. L. CALPURNIUS Piso, probably the eldest took a fancy to the bride, whom he married, and
Bon of No. 23. In the judgment which the senate shortly afterwards banished the husband. He
pronounced upon the sons of Cn. Piso (see above, was recalled by Claudius, and raised to the con-
No. 23], it was decreed that the eldest Cneius sulship, but what year is uncertain, as his name
should change his praenomen (Tac. Ann. iii. 17); does not occur in the Fasti. When the crimes
and it would appear that he assumed the surname and follies of Nero had made him both hated and
of Lucius, since Dion Cassius (lix. 20) speaks of a despised by his subjects, a formidable conspiracy
Lucius (not Cncius) Piso, the son of Ćn. Piso and was formed against the tyrant, and the conspirators
Plancina, who was governor of Africa in the reign destined Piso as his successor. Piso himself did
of Caligula. This supposition is confirmed by the not form the plot ; but as soon as he had joined it,
fact that Tacitus speaks of only two sons, Cneius his great popularity gained him many partizans.
and Marcus We may therefore conclude that he He possessed most of the qualities which the
is the same as the L. Piso, who was consul in A. D. Romans prized, high birth, an eloquent address,
27, with M. Licinius Crassus Frugi. (Tac. Ann. liberality and affability; and he also displayed a
iv. 62. )
sufficient love of magnificence and luxury to suit
25. M. CALPURNIUS Piso, the younger son of the taste of the day, which would not have tolerated
No. 23, accompanied his father into Syria, and was austerity of manner or character. The conspiracy
accused along with him in A. d. 20. [See above, was discovered by Milichus, a freedman of Flavius
No. 23. ]
Scevinus, one of the conspirators. Piso thereupon
26. L. CALPURNIUS Piso, the son of No. 24, opened his veins, and thus died. (Schol. ad Juv.
was consul in A. D. 57 with the emperor Nero, and v. 109 ; Dion Cass. lix. 8; Tac. Ann. xiv. 65,
in A. D. 66 had the charge of the public finances xv. 48—59 ; Dion Cass. lxii. 24, &c. ; Suet. Ner.
entrusted to him, together with two other con- 36. ). There is extant a poem in 261 lines, con-
sulars. He was afterwards appointed proconsul oftaining a panegyric on a certain Calpurnius Piso,
Africa, and was slain there in A. p. 70, because it whom Wernsdorf supposes with considerable pro
was reported that he was forming a conspiracy bability to be the same as the leader of the con-
against Vespasian, who had just obtained the spiracy against Nero. The poem is printed in
empire. (Tac. Ann. xiii. 28, 31, xv. 18, . Hist. iv. the fourth volume of Wernsdorf's Poetae Latini
38, 48—50 ; Plin. Ep. iii. 7. )
Minores, where it is attributed to Saleius Bas-
27. L. CALPURNIUS Pisn, consul B. c. 1, with sus. [Bassus, p. 473. ) Piso left a son, whom
Cossus Cornelius Lentulus. (Dion Cass. Index, Tacitus calls Calpurnius Galerianus, and who
lib. lv. )
would appear from his surname to have been
28. L. CALPURNIUS Piso, was characterised by adopted by Piso. The ambition of the father
the same haughtiness and independence as the rest caused the death of the son ; for Mucianus, the
of his family under the empire. He is first men- praefect of Vespasian, fearing lest Galerianus might
tioned in a. d. 16, as complaining of the corruption follow in bis father's steps, put him to death, when
of the law-courts, and threatening to leave the city he obtained possession of the city in A. D. 70.
and spend the rest of his life in some distant retreat in (Tac. Hist. iv. 11. )
the country; and he was a person of so much import- 31. L. CALPURNIUS Piso LICINIANUS, was
ance that the emperor thought it advisable to en- the son of M. Licinius Crassus Frugi, who was
deavour to soothe his anger and to induce his consul with L. Piso in A. D. 27, and of Scribonia,
friends to prevail upon him to remain at Rome. a grand-daughter of Sex. Pompeius. His brothers
In the same year he gave another instance of the were Cn. Pompeius Magnus, who was killed by
little respect which he entertained for the imperial Claudius, M. Licinius Crassus, slain by Nero, and
family. Urgulania, the favourite of the empress Licinius Crassus Scribonianus, who was offered
mother, owed Piso a certain sum of money ; and the empire by Antonius Primus, but refused to
when she refused to obey the summons to appear accept it. By which of the Pisones Licinianus
before the praetor, Piso followed her to the palace was adopted, is uncertain. On the accession of
of Livia, and insisted upon being paid. Although the aged Galba to the throne on the death of Nero,
Tiberius, at the commencement of his reign, had not he adopted as his son and successor Piso Licinia-
thought it advisable to resent the conduct of Piso, nus; but the latter only enjoyed the distinction
yet he was not of a temper to forgive it, and only four days, for Otho, who had hoped to receive this
waited for a favourable opportunity to revenge him- honour, induced the praetorians to rise against the
self upon his haughty subject. Accordingly, when emperor. Piso fled for refuge into the temple of
he considered his power sufficiently established, Vesta, but was dragged out by the soldiers, and
Q. Granius appeared in A. v. 24, as the accuser of despatched at the threshold of the temple, A. D. 69.
Piso, charging him with entertaining designs against | His head was cut off and carried to Otho, who
the emperor's life ; but Piso died just before the feasted his eyes with the sight, but afterwards
trial came on (Tac. Ann. ii. 34, iv. 21). He is surrendered it for a large sum of money to Ve-
probably the same as the L. Piso, who came for- | rania, the wife of Piso, who buried it with his body,
00
a
lopeta. Ee
PISOS LL07
## p. 377 (#393) ############################################
PITHON.
377
m
PISTIUS.
Piso was thirty-one at the time of his death, and fidelity, occurs as a surname of Zeus, and, accord-
enjoyed a reputation for the strictest integrity, ing to some, answers to the Latin Fidius or Medius
uprightness, and morality. (Tac. Hist. i. 14, 15, Fidius. (Dionys. ii. 49; Eurip. Med.
