Sextus Afranius Burrus

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Sextus Afranius Burrus
1 – 62
Place of birth	Gallia Narbonensis, Vasio
Place of death	Rome
Allegiance	Roman Empire
Years of service	50 AD – 62
Rank	Praetorian prefect
Commands held	Praetorian Guard

For other persons named Afranius, see Afranius.

Sextus Afranius Burrus (1 - 62), Praetorian prefect, was advisor to Roman emperor Nero and, together with Seneca the Younger, very powerful in the early years of Nero's reign.

Burrus was born in Gallia Narbonensis. He was chosen by Agrippina the Younger as Prefect in 51 in order to secure her son Nero's place as emperor after the death of Claudius. For the first eight years of Nero's rule of the Roman Empire he and Nero's former tutor Seneca helped maintain a stable government. He acquiesced to Nero's murder of Agrippina the Younger but he lost his influence over Nero anyway. He died in 62, some say from poison.

The Roman cognomen "Burrus" is the Latin version of the name Pyrrhus, king of Epirus (region).

Preceded by Lusius Geta and Rufrius Crispinus

Praetorian prefect 50–62

Succeeded by Faenius Rufus and Gaius Ophonius Tigellinus