Publius Plautius Rufus

Publius Plautius Rufus flourished during the first century, during the Principate of Augustus.

Biography Possibly the son of twice-praetor Gaius Plautius Rufus, Publius Plautius Rufus is mentioned in connection with two conspiracies in the ancient histories.

In the year AD 6, Cassius Dio writes that, due to the discontent of the people due to fire, famine and the new military tax, a pamphletting campaign was launched in the city. This was traceable to 'Publius Rufus,' though it was soon found that others were using his name falsely and seditiously, and Plautius was found to be not guilty of the crime. Then, in the year AD 8, Suetonius writes of a further, non-specific conspiracy which was said to involve 'Plautius Rufus' and Lucius Aemilius Paullus (consul 1), husband of Augustus' granddaughter, Julia the Younger. Plautius Rufus' name is thus restored by combining these two mentions.

However, there is no scholarly agreement that these two incidents, nor these two names, are related. Alternative theories have been posited: it is possible that his name should be rendered Plotius Rufus, the triumvir monetalis in BC 16-15 or that these two incidents may refer to two different men. The modern historian Birch speculates that Plautius Rufus may have been closely linked with Agrippa Postumus and may have been the man who was deprived of a consulship in AD 5 due to his links with Julia the Younger.