Vedius Pollio

Publius Vedius Pollio († 15 BC ) was the son of a freedman and friend of the Roman Emperor Augustus.

Pollio, who perhaps came from Benevento, was elevated to knighthood and took a non- exact function to be determined in the province of Asia. He was known for its wealth and its luxury. His villa at Naples he called Pausilypon ( " end of suffering "). He inherited Augustus, who was on the property of Pollio's house in Rome built the portico Liviae.

From Pollio is reported that he wanted to punish a slave who dropped a valuable drinking vessel, with death. The punishment should be to throw it into a pond with man-eating fish ( lampreys ). The slave was the punishment only by escaped, he pleaded with the Emperor Augustus present for mercy. Thereupon the latter had used for him. This report is often cited as an example of the absolute power to punish the Roman slave-owners.

Swell

The narrative sources to Pollio are the historical works of Dio Cassius and Tacitus. In addition an inscription.