Lucius Flavius Silva

Lucius Flavius ​​Silva Nonius Bassus was a Roman senator and commander of the 1st century AD

An inscription of Urbs Salvia talks about his career ( cursus honorum ). Accordingly, he was Tresvir capitalis, military tribune of the Legio IIII Scythica, quaestor, tribune of the Legio XXI Rapax and the legate. From Vespasian and Titus, he was accepted during their censorship among the patricians and received the rank of a former praetor awarded.

He was from about 73 ( the dating is controversial in research ) to about 80 legatus Augusti pro praetore ( governor ) of Judea. According to the description of Josephus, he captured the fortress of Masada, ending the Jewish rebellion. His name was reconstructed by Tibor Grüll in a fragmentary inscription from the area of the Jerusalem Temple Mount, which documents the establishment of an honorary certificate for a Roman emperor. However, Hannah M. Cotton and Werner Eck showed that the addition of the name of Flavius ​​Silva is unjustified in this inscription and the arch was not built until much later.

Flavius ​​Silva was a member of the college of pontiffs. In the year 81 he was full consul. Flavius ​​Silva was patron of Urbs Salvia in Picenum, presumably the home of his family, where he held the honorary office of praetor twice quinquennalis. In his name and that of his mother and his wife, whose names have been preserved only in fragments, he had there built an amphitheater. He may have been related to the also built in Urbs Salvia Gaius Salvius Liberalis Nonius Bassus.

Flavius ​​Silva is also the main person of two historical novels of the writer Ernest K. Gann and then turned miniseries Masada (played by Peter O'Toole ).