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Books were moved from the Temple of Jupiter to Apollo's private shrine. Finally, in 17 B.C., at the Ludi
Saeculares (the Secular Game, see LUDI) an ancient festival, prayers were offered to the gods, and
Augustus added prayers to Apollo, concretizing the deity's role in the religio-political affairs of the
Empire. In 67 A.D., as a result of a personal vexation over some divinational insult, Emperor NERO
abolished the oracles of Apollo. See also ASTROLOGY; AUGURS AND AUGURY; GODS AND
GODDESSES OF ROME.
¤ APOLLODORUS (fl. early 2nd century A.D.) Architect responsible for the construction of many of
Emperor TRAJAN'S great works, including the FORUM, the ODEUM and the gymnasium. Upon the
accession of Hadrian in 117, Apollodorus' fate would change. The architect had offended Hadrian in the
past. According to Dio, when Trajan and Apollodorus were once in consultation on a matter, Hadrian
interrupted and was rudely cut short by Apollodorus. Later Hadrian sent him the plans of the Temple of
Venus and Roma, after that shrine was completed, demonstrating the fact that such great structures could
be erected without Apollodorus' aid. In response, Apollodorus criticized the location of the temple, the
height of its statues and the organizational style. Outraged, Hadrian had him murdered in 129.
¤ APOLLONIUS OF TYANA (fl. 1st century A.D.) One of the leading mystical Pythagoreans of his
time. Among his many attested miracles, which included healings and resurrections, was the famous
vision in 95 A.D. of the assassination of DOMITIAN. While in Ephesus, he called together all of the
townspeople and claimed that Stephanus, one of Domitian's assassins, had done a great deed in smiting the
tyrant. This vision supposedly took place at the exact moment that the murder was taking place in
Rome. Emperor CARACALLA admired Apollonius for his magical skills and erected a shrine to him. St.
Augustine went to great lengths during the 5th century to refute the claim that Apollonius was similar to
Christ. Philostratus wrote his biography circa 220.
¤ APPIAN WAY See VIAE.
¤ APRONIUS, LUCIUS (fl. early 1st century A.D.) Roman proconsul and imperial legate, whose
military exploits in Africa were notable. In 20 A.D., while serving as proconsul in Africa, Apronius
attacked and bested the rebel TACFARINAS, avenging the defeat of the general Furius Camillus the
previous summer. He took harsh measures to maintain discipline, including the use of lots to single out
every tenth man for death, in disgraced units of the army. In the war with Tacfarinas, Apronius used his
own son, Caesianus, to finish off the Numidians (see NUMIDIA). In 28, the proconsul served as
propraetor of Lower Germany (Germania Inferior). He succeeded in driving off a Frisii invasion only after
a terrible loss. The embarrassment, normally enough to finish any career, went virtually unnoticed by the
Senate, which was preoccupied with the machinations of SEJANUS.
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