Marcus Nonius Macrinus

2nd century Roman senator, general and proconsul

Inscription (CIL V, 4343)

Marcus Nonius Macrinus was a Roman senator and general during the reigns of the Emperors Antoninus Pius, Lucius Verus, and Marcus Aurelius. Macrinus was suffect consul in the nundinium of April-June 154 as the colleague of [Prifernius ?] Paetus.

According to his tomb's inscriptions, he was originally from Brescia (Brixia). He was an advisor to Marcus Aurelius.[1] Nonius Macrinus served as legate of Pannonia Inferior (c. 152-c. 154),[2] Pannonia Superior, (c. 159-c. 162) and proconsul of the Roman province of Asia (170/171).[3]

## Family

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His wife may have been named Arria (as well as having a second nomen which may have been Flavia or Manlia) based on inscriptions.[4]

## Tomb

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In October 2008, Nonius Macrinus' tomb was discovered by archaeologists on the banks of the river Tiber, near the Via Flaminia north of Rome.[5][6] In December 2012, in light of a lack of reconstruction funding, his tomb was reburied in order to preserve its fragile marble.[7]

## In popular culture

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Macrinus' life inspired Russell Crowe's character Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 feature film Gladiator.[8] Marcus Nonius Macrinus and the fictitious Maximus Decimus Meridius are placed within the same time period. Further, both Marcus and the fictitious Maximus are liked and well known by Marcus Aurelius. However, Marcus Nonius Macrinus went on to enjoy a successful career and died a wealthy man. In contrast, the character Maximus Decimus Meridius loses his family and is sold into slavery.

## References

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1. ^ "'Gladiator' tomb is found in Rome". BBC News. 2008-10-17. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
2. ^ Werner Eck, "Die Fasti consulares der Regierungszeit des Antoninus Pius, eine Bestandsaufnahme seit Géza Alföldys Konsulat und Senatorenstand" in Studia epigraphica in memoriam Géza Alföldy, hg. W. Eck, B. Feher, and P. Kovács (Bonn, 2013), p. 77
3. ^ Géza Alföldy, Konsulat und Senatorenstand unter der Antoninen (Bonn: Rudolf Habelt Verlag, 1977), p. 236
4. ^ Borg, Barbara (2019). Roman Tombs and the Art of Commemoration: Contextual Approaches to Funerary Customs in the Second Century CE. Cambridge University Press. p. 35\. ISBN 9781108472838.
5. ^ "Tomb of Real 'Gladiator' Found in Rome". Fox News. 2008-10-17. Archived from the original on October 19, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
6. ^ "Tomb of 'Gladiator' Roman general unearthed". CBC News. 2008-10-19. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
7. ^ "Tomb of Roman general who inspired Gladiator reburied". PreHist.org - Preserving History. 2012-12-06. Archived from the original on 2013-09-27. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
8. ^ Owen, Richard (2008-10-17). "Tomb of the real 'Gladiator' discovered in Italy". The Times. Archived from the original on September 18, 2011. Retrieved 2008-10-17.

## External links

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* Lost tomb of 'Gladiator' real life Roman inspiration found at Wikinews

Political offices

Preceded by

Lucius Verus,
and Titus Sextius Lateranus

as consules ordinarii  |  Suffect consul of the Roman Empire
154
with Prifernius Paetus | Succeeded by

Marcus Valerius Etruscus,
and Lucius Aemilius Juncus

as consules suffecti