Aulus Terentius Varro Murena (died 24 BC) was a Roman general and politician of the 1st century BC.
Murena was the natural born son ofAulus Terentius Varro,[1] and adopted brother toLucius Licinius Varro Murena. He was well connected to the Augustan regime,[2] with his sister, Terentia, married toGaius Maecenas, the prominent adviser and friend of Augustus and patron of the arts,[3] while his half-brother,Gaius Proculeius, was an intimate friend ofAugustus during his rise to power.[4]
Augustus dispatched Murena to lead an expedition against theSalassi tribe of theAosta Valley region in the northwesternAlps in 25 BC.[5] TheSalassi had proved troublesome to Roman armies using theGreat St Bernard pass, which, as the shortest route from Italy to the UpperRhine river, had become strategically vital to the Romans since the completion ofJulius Caesar'sconquest of Gaul in 51 BC. The Salassi were utterly defeated and, according toStrabo, Murena deported and sold into slavery 44,000 tribespeople. According toCassius Dio, he sold only males of military age and only for an indenture-term of 20 years.[6] In 24 BC, Murena established a Roman colony of 3,000 settlers in the heart of Salassi country -Augusta Praetoria Salassorum (Aosta, Italy).[7]
Murena was nominated to beConsul, with Augustus, for the year 23 BC, but died shortly before his term in office began.[8] His replacement wasGnaeus Calpurnius Piso.[9] Shortly after Murena's death, his brother by adoption,Lucius Licinius Varro Murena, was accused of conspiring with Fannius Caepio against Augustus.[10]