Sextus Afranius Burrus
Sextus Afranius Burrus | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 |
| Died | 62 (aged 60–61) |
| Allegiance | Roman Empire |
| Service years | 50 AD – 62 |
| Rank | Praetorian prefect |
| Commands | Praetorian Guard |
Sextus Afranius Burrus (born AD 1 in Vasio, Gallia Narbonensis;[1] died AD 62) was a prefect of the Praetorian Guard and was, together with Seneca the Younger, an advisor to the Roman emperor Nero, making him a very powerful man in the early years of Nero's reign.[2] The cognomen "Burrus" is Latin for "red" or "reddish-brown", likely referring to his hair color[3].
Imperial Court
Emperor Claudius
Agrippina the Younger chose him as Prefect in 51 to secure her son Nero's place as emperor after the death of Claudius.[4]
Emperor Nero
For the first eight years of Nero's rule, Burrus and Nero's former tutor Seneca helped maintain a stable government. Burrus acquiesced to Nero's murder of Agrippina the Younger but lost his influence over Nero anyway.
Death
In 62 AD, Burrus apparently suffered from a tumor in his throat or larynx [5], which was likely the cause of his death. However, contemporary rumors claimed that Nero had poisoned him because he was annoyed by Burrus's outspoken opposition to his criminal activities.[6] Suetonius reports that Nero sent him a poisonous medicine to treat the tumor in his throat [7]. Tacitus, on the other hand, leaves it open whether these rumors were actually true. [8][9][10]
Sources
References
- ^ CIL XII, 5842 = ILS 1321. English translation Robert K. Sherk (1988). The Roman Empire: Augustus to Hadrian. Cambridge University Press. p. 99. ISBN 978-0-521-33887-5.
- ^ Albino Garzetti (1974). From Tiberius to the Antonines: A History of the Roman Empire AD 14-192. Routledge. pp. 611f. ISBN 978-1-317-69844-9.
- ^ "burrus", Wiktionary, the free dictionary, 2025-12-26, retrieved 2026-01-25
- ^ Anthony A. Barrett (1996). Agrippina: Sex, Power, and Politics in the Early Empire. Yale University Press. pp. 122f. ISBN 978-0-300-07856-5.
- ^ Tacitus, Annals XIV. 51.1
- ^ Cassius Dio 62.13.2–3
- ^ Sueton, Nero 35.5.
- ^ Tacitus, Annals XIV.51.1.
- ^ Boris Rankov (1994). The Praetorian Guard. Osprey Publishing. p. 11. ISBN 978-1-85532-361-2. Archived from the original on 14 February 2016.
- ^ Tom Holland. Dynasty. p. 400.