Publius Petronius Turpilianus facts for kids
Publius Petronius Turpilianus was an important Roman senator who held several key jobs in the middle of the 1st century AD. His most famous role was being the governor of Britain. He served as a consul (one of the two highest officials in Rome) in the year 61 AD, alongside Lucius Junius Caesennius Paetus.
Publius Petronius Turpilianus was the son of Publius Petronius. His mother, Plautia, was the sister of Aulus Plautius, who was famous for conquering Britain and becoming its first governor.
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Life and Career
Becoming Consul and Governor
In 61 AD, Publius Petronius Turpilianus became a consul. This was a very important position in the Roman government. Later that same year, he left his role as consul and was sent to Britain to be its new governor. He took over from Gaius Suetonius Paulinus. Suetonius had been removed from his job after the big rebellion led by Boudica, a queen who fought against Roman rule.
Governing Britain
After the rebellion, the previous governor had been very harsh. Petronius, however, chose a different path. He was much more peaceful and tried to make things better by being fair and understanding. He didn't lead many military fights. In 63 AD, he was replaced as governor by Marcus Trebellius Maximus.
Role in Rome
After leaving Britain, Petronius returned to Rome. There, he was given a new important job: curator aquarum. This meant he was in charge of making sure Rome's amazing aqueducts (channels that carried water) worked well and supplied water to the city.
Loyalty and Death
In 65 AD, Petronius was honored with a triumph. A triumph was a huge parade and celebration given to Roman generals for great victories. He received this honor because he was very loyal to the emperor Nero.
However, things changed after Nero died in 68 AD. A new emperor, Servius Sulpicius Galba, took power. As Galba traveled to Rome, he ordered Petronius to be executed. This happened because Petronius had been a trusted commander under the previous emperor, Nero.
