Gaius Julius Silanus

Gaius Julius Silanus was a Roman senator and general who held a series of offices in the emperor's service. He was suffect consul for the nundinium of January to April 92 as the colleague of Quintus Junius Arulenus Rusticus.[1] Silanus is known solely through inscriptions.

Ronald Syme speculates Silanus came from Tres Galliae, and adds that "the cognomen need have nothing to do with the aristocratic Junii Silani."[2] He was co-opted into the Arval Brethren on 22 January 86 to replace the recently deceased Gaius Vipstanus Apronianus.[3] While he was appointed magister in the year 87, he was absent from the records of the sodales for the rest of that year, and again from 89 to 91; Syme speculates Silanus was absent due to imperial appointment either to command a legion or to govern one of the eight imperial praetorian provinces.[4]

  1. ^ Paul Gallivan, "The Fasti for A. D. 70-96", Classical Quarterly, 31 (1981), pp. 191, 218
  2. ^ Syme, Some Arval Brethren, (Clarendon Press 1980), p. 53
  3. ^ Syme, Some Arval Brethren, pp. 18, 28
  4. ^ Syme, Some Arval Brethren, p. 28