Junius Blesus

Family: Roman army · Role: commander of the Pannonian legions · First appears: Annals I (6)

Life events

A sedition seized three legions commanded by Junius Blesus.(Annals I (6) · 📍 Pannonia)
- “Thus stood affairs at Rome when a sedition seized the legions in Pannonia; without any fresh grounds, save that from a change of Princes, they meant to assume a warrant for licentiousness and tumult”
Junius Blesus granted the soldiers a temporary recess from their customary duties.(Annals I (6) · 📍 Pannonia)
- “Junius Blesus, who, upon notice of the death of Augustus and the accession of Tiberius, had granted the soldiers a recess from their wonted duties for some days”
Tiberius nominated M. Lepidus and Junius Blesus to choose a proconsul of Africa.(Annals III (7) · 📍 Africa)
- With: Tiberius M. Lepidus
- “and named them M. Lepidus and Junius Blesus, to choose either for Proconsul of Africa.”

enemies with Percennius “Thus stood affairs at Rome when a sedition seized the legions in Pannonia; without any fresh grounds, save that from a change of Princes, they meant to assume a warrant for licentiousness and tumult, and from a civil war hoped great earnings and acquisitions: they were three legions encamped together, all commanded by Junius Blesus, who, upon notice of the death of Augustus and the accession of Tiberius, had granted the soldiers a recess from their wonted duties for some days, as a time either of public mourning or festivity. From being idle they waxed wanton, quarrelsome, and turbulent; greedily listened to mutinous discourses; the most profligate amongst them had most credit with them, and at last they became passionate for a life of sloth and riot, utterly averse to all military discipline and every fatigue of the camp. In the camp was one Percennius; formerly a busy leader in the embroilments of the theatre, and now a common soldier; a fellow of a petulant, declaiming tongue, and by inflaming parties in the playhouse, well qualified to excite and infatuate a crowd. This incendiary practised upon the ignorant and unwary, such as were solicitous what might prove their future usage, now Augustus was dead. He engaged them in nightly confabulations, and by little and little incited them to violence and disorders”

employer: Tiberius “In it he affected to chide the fathers, ”
rivals with M. Lepidus “In it he affected to chide the fathers, ”
younger kin: Sejanus “Blesus was uncle to Sejanus, and therefore had the prevailing interest.”

Extracted from the original text of Tacitus — The Histories & The Annals (Books I-VI) & Agricola. Made with Rho MD.