Rusticus

a Roman architect of unknown age, who was a freedman of the imperial family, since he is designated AUG. L. on the sepulchral monument by which his name is known. (Spon, Miscellan. p. 225; R. Rochette, Lettre à M. Shorn, p. 400, 2d ed.) [P.S]

to whom Pliny addresses one of his letters (Ep. 9.29), is supposed by commentators to be the son of the Antistius Rusticus ticus mentioned below, but this is quite uncertain.

perished in Cappadocia. The piety of his wife Nigrina is celebrated by Martial (9.31).

[Rusticus, Junius, No. 2.]

a Roman historian, quoted on several occasions by Tacitus, who couples his name with that of Livy ("Livius veterum, Fabius Rusticus recentium eloquentissimi auctores," Agr. 10). He was a contemporary of Claudius and Nero, but we know nothing of the extent of his work, except that it related at all events the history of the latter emperor. (Comp. Tac. Ann. 13.20, 14.2, 15.61.)

1. Junius Rusticus, appointed in the reign of Tiberius, A. D. 29, to draw up the acta of the senate (Tac. Ann. 5.4).

2. L. Junius Arulenus Rusticus, more usually ally called Arulenus Rusticus, but sometimes also Junius Rusticus. Lipsius, however, has shown that his full name was L. Junius Arulenus Rusticus (ad Tac. Agr. 45). Rusticus was a friend and pupil of Paetus Thrasea, and, like the latter, an ardent admirer of the Stoic philosophy. He was tribune of the plebs B. C. 66, in which year Thrasea was condemned to death by the senate; and he would have placed his veto upon the senatusconsultum, had not Thrasea prevented him, as he would only have brought certain destruction upon himself without saving the life of his master. He was praetor in the civil wars after the death of Nero, A. D. 69, and was subsequently put to death by Domitian, because he wrote a panegyric upon Thrasea. Suetonius attributes to him a panegyric upon Helvidius Priscus likewise; but the latter work was composed by Herennius Senecio, as we learn both from Tacitus and Pliny [Senecio]. (Tac. Ann. 16.25, Hist. 3.80, Agr. 2; Suet. Dom. 10; D. C. 67.13; Plin. Ep.i . 5, 14, 3.11; Plut. de Curios. p. 522d.)

3. Q. Junius Rusticus, probably a son of No. 2, was consul A. D. 119 with the emperor Hadrian (Fasti). He is supposed by many commentators to be the consul Junius, of whom Juvenal speaks (Juv. 15.27).

4. Q. Junius Rusticus, probably a son of No. 3, and grandson of No. 2, was one of the teachers of the emperor M. Aurelius, and the most distinguished Stoic philosopher of his time. He received the greatest marks of honour from Aurelius, who constantly consulted him on all public and private matters, raised him twice to the consulship, and obtained from the senate after his death erection of statues to his honour. His name, however, appears only once in the consular Fasti, namely, in A. D. 162. (D. C. 71.35 ; Capitol. M. Antonin. Phil. 3; Antonin. 1.7, with the note of Gataker.)

A friend and pupil of Paetus Thrasea, and an ardent admirer of the Stoic philosophy. He was put to death by Domitian because he had written a panegyric upon Thrasea (Tac. Ann. xvi. 25; Hist. iii. 90). See Thrasea.