Rubellius Plautus^[a] (33–62 AD) was a Roman noble and a political rival of EmperorNero. Through his motherJulia, he was a relative of theJulio-Claudian dynasty. He was the grandson ofDrusus (only son of Tiberius Caesar), and the great-grandson ofTiberius and his brotherDrusus. Through his great-grandmothersVipsania Agrippina andAntonia Minor, he was also descended fromMarcus Vipsanius Agrippa andMark Antony. He was descended from Augustus' sisterOctavia Minor, herself a grand-niece ofJulius Caesar.

Plautus' father wasGaius Rubellius Blandus. Blandus' family originated from Tibur (modernTivoli) and were of theEquestrian Class. His father died in 38. His mother was the only daughter of Drusus, and had previously been married to her cousinNero Julius Caesar, without issue. Plautus derived his cognomen from his great grandfather Lucius Sergius Plautus, and may have used hisnomen gentiliciumSergius as his ownpraenomen as a lead pipe is attested with the name "Sergius Rubellius Plautus", but this person may have been his son.^[1]

Between 43 and 45, his mother Julia became an innocent victim to the intrigues of EmpressValeria Messalina. One possibility is that the young Plautus was seen by Messalina as a rival to her sonBritannicus.EmperorClaudius (who was husband to Messalina, father to Brittanicus and maternal uncle to Julia) did not secure anylegal defense for his niece. Consequently, Julia was executed. However Julia was considered to be avirtuous person by those who knew her.

Plautus married Antistia Pollitta, daughter toLucius Antistius Vetus. His father-in-law served asConsul in 55,Legatus ofGermania Superior in 55–56, andProconsul ofAsia in 64–65. Plautus was considered a loving husband and father. The names of his children, however, are not known. (None of them survived Nero's purges in 66).

Plautus appears to have been a follower ofStoicism. According toTacitus, Tigellinus wrote to Nero: "Plautus again, with his great wealth, does not so much as affect a love of repose, but he flaunts before us his imitations of the old Romans, and assumes the self-consciousness of the Stoics along with a philosophy, which makes men restless, and eager for a busy life."^[2] When he was exiled from Rome by Nero, Plautus was accompanied by the famous Stoic teacherMusonius Rufus.^[3] He was associated with a group of Stoics who criticized the perceived tyranny and autocratic rule of certain emperors, referred to today as theStoic Opposition.

In 55, Junia Silana, sister ofCaligula's first wifeJunia Claudilla, a rival of EmpressAgrippina the Younger and the ex-wife of Messalina's loverGaius Silius, accused Agrippina of plotting to overthrowNero to place Plautus on the throne.Nero took no action at the time, but over time, Nero's relationship with Silana warmed while his relationship with his mother soured. After a comet appeared in 60, public gossip renewed rumors of Nero's fall and Plautus' rise. Nero exiled Plautus in 60 to his estate in Asia with his family.

In 62, after rumors that Plautus was in negotiations with the eastern generalGnaeus Domitius Corbulo over rebellion, Plautus was executed by Nero. When hishead was given to Nero by afreedman, Nero mocked how frightening the long nose of Plautus was.

In 66, his widow, children and father-in-law were executed, victims of the increasing brutality of Nero.Tacitus states Plautus was old fashioned in tastes, his bearing austere and he lived asecluded life. He was greatly respected by his peers, and the execution of his family was cause for consternation among those who knew him.

• Holiday, Ryan; Hanselman, Stephen (2020). "Gaius Rubellius Platus the Man Who Would Not Be King".Lives of the Stoics. New York: Portfolio/Penguin. pp. 212–217.ISBN 978-0525541875.

• 33 births
• 62 deaths
• 1st-century Romans
• Julio-Claudian dynasty
• Rubellii

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• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata