Lucius Pomponius Secundus

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This article is about Lucius Pomponius Secundus. For Lucius Pomponius Bononiensis, see under Lucius Pomponius.

Lucius Pomponius Secundus was a Roman patrician who rose through the cursus honorum under a number of emperors in the 1st century CE to become a successful consul and military general.

He began his rise in the reign of Roman Emperor Tiberius, attaching himself to the party of the ill-fated Sejanus. After the latter was executed for treason in 31, Lucius was remanded to the custody of his brother until his release under Caligula. His career resumed and he became consul in 44. He led the legions successfully against the Chatti, who were raiding Germania Superior in 50 (see also under Vangiones), for which he was granted a rare triumph by the emperor Claudius.

It seems clear that Lucius received favorable treatment when his friends were being executed and were suffering under a line of bad emperors. The secret to his escape and success is probably his second career as a writer of poetic tragedy. Men of literature were held in great favor at Rome, were patronized by the great, and fraternized with emperors, if they were sufficiently successful. Emperors often turned their hands to writing as well. A writer fortunate enough to be in the inner circle was personally tolerated as a critic of the emperor and was allowed a freedom not granted to others.