Tigellinus

Ofonius Tigellinus (* in Agrigento; † 69) was praetorian prefect and favorite of the Roman Emperor Nero. He was modest, possibly of Greek origin.

Life

During the reign of Caligula Tigellinus was because of adultery with Julia Livilla, the emperor's sister, banished to Greece (39 ), but by Claudius in the year 41 called back.

As he was going through an inheritance to wealth, he bought land in Apulia and Calabria, and dealt with the breeding of racehorses. This enabled him to win the favor of Nero, where he helped in the subsequent period in his vices and cruelties and he incited also.

Tigellinus was only made ​​the prefect of the Vigiles and then in the year 62 to the prefect of the Praetorian Guard. He was involved in the murder of Nero's wife Octavia. He managed to push the philosopher Seneca in his role as advisor to the emperor. In the year 64 he was suspected to have set the fire in connection with the great fire of Rome, which, after it had already been deleted, again erupted in his gardens.

In the year 65, during the investigations on the failed conspiracy of Piso, he and Poppaea formed a kind of State; Tigellinus received the awards of a triumphant ( ornamenta triumphalia ). In the long journey across Greece, Nero undertook in the year 66, Tigellinus was among attendants of the Roman monarch. When it became Nero's downfall left him Tigellinus and brought together with Nymphidius Sabinus the Praetorian Guard also to drop him.

Under Galba he was forced to relinquish his command, but he succeeded by lavish gifts to Vinius, the favorite of the Emperor and his daughter to save his life. Otho, however, certain on his accession, that someone who was so universally detested by the people, must be removed. Tigellinus learned in the bathrooms of Sinuessa that he should die, and cut his throat after he had only a little effort for a postponement.

Tigellinus had a daughter, the wife of the Roman senator Cossutianus Capito was.