Gaius Julius Quadratus Bassus

Gaius Julius Quadratus Bassus (70–117), was a Roman senator and general. He is known to have been active under Trajan in the Dacian and Parthian War. Bassus was suffect consul in the nundinium of May-August 105 with Gnaeus Afranius Dexter as his colleague.

Quadratus Bassus was born in Pergamon to a family related to the Attalid dynasty and Galatian tetrarchs.[1] His father was Gaius Julius Bassus, who was Proconsul of Bithynia in 100/101.[2]

Career

His career began as military tribune in Legio XIII Gemina around 87-89, which was followed by membership in the tresviri monetalis, one of the four magistracies that comprised the vigintiviri, a preliminary and required first step toward a gaining entry into the Roman Senate.[3] This order is unusual: normally membership in the vigintiviri came before serving as military tribune in a legion. Dabrowa notes that this reversed order was not unusual for men who were born to the equestrian order but intended to enter the senate. But what makes this even more unusual, notes Dabrowa, was that he was made on of the tresviri monetalis: this magistacy was reserved either for Patricians or men favored by the emperor. Dabrowa suggests Bassus gained entry to this coveted board through the intervention of his relative Gaius Antius Aulus Julius Quadratus, three-time consul and "a man of high political and social standing."[4]

After the vigintiviri Bassus was a quaestor, which gained him formal entry into the senate; he executed this office in the province of Crete and Cyrenaica around the year 92. This Republican magistracy was followed by aedile (circa 95) and then praetor (circa 98). The last office qualified Bassus to either govern provinces or serve as a legate (or commander) of a legion. Bassus sought a military career.[3]

First he was legate of Legio XI Claudia, from around 99 to 101. This was followed as commander of a vexillation drawn from several legions -- including the IV Scythica and XII Fulminata in the Dacian War for the years 101-102. Then Bassus served as commander of Legio X Fretensis, a posting that was combined with the governorship of Judaea from 102/103 to 104/105. After his term as suffect consul Quadratus Bassus was admitted to the College of Pontiffs, a significant social achievement.[3] This was followed as the governor of Cappadocia and Galatia (114/115), and later Syria (114/115).[2] During this time he was made commander of a second vexillation of soldiers drawn from a number of legions -- including III Gallica and XIII Gemina -- that fought in the Parthian War.[3]

Bassus was serving as Legatus Augusti pro praetore (governor) in the province of Dacia when he died in the Dacian revolt of 117.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Edward Dabrowa, Legio X Fretensis: A Prosopographical Study of its Officers (I-III c. A.D.) (Stuttgart: Franz Steiner, 1993), p. 34
  2. 1 2 Werner Eck, "Jahres- und Provinzialfasten der senatorischen Statthalter von 69/70 bis 138/139", Chiron, 12 (1982), pp. 281-362; 13 (1983), pp. 147-237
  3. 1 2 3 4 Dabrowa, Legio X Fretensis, p. 35
  4. ↑ Dabrowa, Legio X Fretensis, pp. 47f
  5. ↑ Garzetti, Albino, From Tiberius to the Antonines (Routledge Revivals): A History of the Roman Empire AD 14-192 (2014), p. 383
Political offices
Preceded by
Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodes		 Legate of Iudaea
102/103–104/105 		Succeeded by
Quintus Pompeius Falco


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