Antistius Sosianus
Antistius Sosianus (fl. 1st Century AD) was a Roman magistrate who served as a tribune of the plebs in 56, and later as praetor in 62, and was noted by Tacitus for his frequent political misconduct that resulted in his eventual exile.
Biography
Born into an ancient plebeian family, the gens Antistia, Sosianus was eligible to stand for the plebeian tribuneship, which he held in 56. While tribune, he fell into conflict with Vibullius, who was serving as a praetor in the same year. Sosianus had ordered the release of "some disorderly applauders"[1] that Vibullius had previously imprisoned, defying the wishes of the senate, who had approved the imprisonment. Sosianus was censured by the senate, and his orders were overturned. In response to the incident, further restrictions were placed upon the increasingly powerless office of tribune by the senate, including the revocation of their ability to override consuls and praetors, and making their legal rulings subject to review by the consuls. [2]
Despite his political wrongdoing earlier in his career, Sosianus held the office of praetor in 62, where he fell once again into another scandal. He recited libellous verses he had written about Nero at a large gathering at the house of Ostorius Scapula.[3] where he was subsequently accused of treason by Cossutianus Capito, being stripped of his office. Although initially found guilty and sentenced to death, Paetus Thraesea convinced the senate that exile was a more suitable punishment for Sosianus.[4]
In 66, Sosianus was granted a brief reprieve from his exile in order to become an informer for the emperor in Rome. Having heard of the potential rewards, he slandered Publius Anteius Rufus and M. Ostorius Scapula, arguing that they aspired to overthrow the emperor. The former was, according to Tacitus, so shunned before his death that "no one would attest the will" until Ofonius Tigellinus, a praetorian prefect, stood up.[5]. Despite this reprieve, Sosianus returned to exile, with the senatorial ruling for his banishment being renewed in 70 by the senate under the emperor Vespasian[6], who feared the influence he may wield as an informer.[7] After this, Sosianus disappears from historical records, likely living the rest of his life in exile from Rome.