Quintus Aemilius Saturninus

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Quintus Aemilius Saturninus (died AD 200) was an ancient Roman member of the equites class, who held several positions under the emperors Commodus and Septimius Severus. These included Prefect of Roman Egypt (197–200),[1] and Praetorian prefect (200).

As governor of Egypt his primary concern was to safeguard the harvest and delivery of grain to the populace of Rome, but surviving documents from his administration show his responsibilities extended further. Several are a series of petitions from Gemellus Horion, a resident of Karanis, dated to 197 wherein he complains that two brothers Julius and Sotas prevented him from harvesting land he had inherited from his sister; their efforts included breaking all of the doors of Gemellus' house.[2]

Saturninus had a violent end to his life. The contemporary praetorian prefect, Gaius Fulvius Plautianus, took exception to having a colleague and not long after Aemilius Saturninus was appointed, Plautianus had him killed.[3]

References

  1. ^ Guido Bastianini, "Lista dei prefetti d'Egitto dal 30a al 299a", Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik, 17 (1975), p. 304
  2. ^ O. Mich. II 422-425; text and translation with notes in H.C. Youtie, et alia, Papyri and ostraca from Karanis; Michigan papyri, vol. VI Part II, Ostraca, (Ann Arbor : The University of Michigan Press, 1944-51), pp. 117 130
  3. ^ Anthony Birley, Septimius Severus, The African Emperor, revised edition (New Haven: Yale University, 1988), p. 137
Political offices
Preceded by Prefect of Aegyptus
197–200
Succeeded by