Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus (consul 15 BC)



Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus (PW 99) (48 BC - 32 AD) was a prominent Roman senator of the early principate. He was the son of Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus and brother of Calpurnia Pisonis, wife of Julius Caesar. He became a confidante of the emperors Augustus and Tiberius. His tenure as a pontifex was sometimes used by contemporary Romans to differentiate him from his contemporary, Lucius Calpurnius Piso the Augur.

Piso was made consul in 15 BC, probably shortly thereafter engaged in Mediolanum as a proconsul (Suet. De rhet. 6). Cassius Dio refers to him as governor of Pamphylia in the years 13-11 BC; his province probably included Galatia. In 11 BC, he was sent to Thrace as legatus pro praetore to put down a revolt. For his successes there, the Senate honoured him with the ornamenta triumphalia (Cass. Dio 54.34.7; Tac. Ann. 6.10).

He may have also been proconsul of Asia and legate of Syria, but this is disputed. From AD 13-32 he was praefectus urbi, and he was a trusted advisor of both Augustus and Tiberius. He was a member of the pontifical college and the Arval Brethren. He died in AD 32 and was honoured with a state funeral (Tac. Ann. 6.10).

Piso's achievements and independence were highly regarded. Horace dedicated his Ars Poëtica to him (cf. Carmen 2.12). Antipater of Thessalonica dedicated many epigrams to him.