Lucius Munatius Plancus

Lucius Munatius Plancus (born in -87 - died in -15) was a Roman senator, Consul in -42, and Censeur in -22 with Aemilius Lepidus Paullus. Same manner as Talleyrand eighteen centuries later, it is one of the typical historical examples men who succeeded in surviving dangerous circumstances by changing allegiance constantly.

The beginnings of its career are known little about, and we know little him. He was an officer of Jules César, during the Guerre of Gaules and the civil war against Pompée. When César was assassinated on March 15th -44, Munatius Plancus was the proconsul of the hairy Gaulle. The following year, it founded the Roman colonies of Lugdunum (Lyon) and Augusta Raurica (Augst) in 43 av. J.C, then it joined Marc Antoine.

In -42 it exerted the magistrature of Consul with Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. Towards -40 it became proconsul of Asia.

During forwardings of Marc Antoine in Arménie and Parthie, to avenge death for Crassus, he was proconsul of Syria. But when the countryside of Antoine against Parthes failed, it decided to rejoin Octave. According to Suétone, it is Munatius Plancus which suggested with Octave adopting the title d'" Auguste " , rather than Romulus like " second founder of Rome" (Suétone, Auguste, 7).

In -22, Auguste indicated Munatius Plancus and Aemilius Lepidus Paullus to fulfill the function of Censeur (Suétone, Auguste, 37). They were the last appointed critics, because their exercise was very discussed by all the political community of the time, mainly for illegitimacy and incompetence.

Auguste also made take part Munatius Plancus in his programme of rebuilding in Rome, where it restored the Temple of Saturn (Suétone, Auguste , 29)

Munatius Plancus is one of the Romains characters whose tomb remained and is identifiable, although its body for a long time disappeared. The Mausoleum of Munatius Plancus, a made tomb of a cylinder massive nowadays reconstituted well (and allotted wrongly to the Virgin Mary towards the end of the XIXe century), is located at Gaète in Italy, on a hill overhanging the sea, ensuring a permanent exposure in its honor.

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