Lucius Venuleius Montanus Apronianus

Lucius Venuleius Montanus Apronianus was a Roman senator of the first century. He was suffect consul for the nundinium of January-April AD 92 with Qunintus Volusius Saturninus, replacing the emperor Domitian.[1]

The Venuleii were, in the words of Ronald Syme, "an eminent and opulent family at Pisae".[2] Syme speculated that Apronianus' father might have been Lucius Montanus, proconsul of Bithynia et Pontus in the early years of Nero's reign;[3] his speculation was confirmed by the proper understanding of a set of inscriptions from Pisa, which provided the name of Apronianus' father as Montanus, and his mother's name as Laetilla.[4] As Apronianus was co-opted into the Arval Brethren in 80, it makes him unique in his generation for being the only known member of that priesthood whose father was a senator.[2]

In a paper published in 1968, Syme suggested that he may be identified as the otherwise unknown Montanus, to whom Pliny the Younger wrote two letters (Epistulae VII.29, VIII.6) complaining about an inscription set up by the Senate praising Pallas, the freedman of Claudius, whom they both detested.[5]

Apronianus may be the proconsul of Achaea of 89/90, attested in an inscription where the name is lost: according to the Acta Arvalia, he was absent from their ceremonies from June 90 to November 91.[6] He may also have been adlected into the patrician class by Vespasian.[7]

His wife's name is known to have been Celerina; it is not known if he had any children. Although Syme believed Lucius Venuleius Apronianus Octavius Priscus, consul 123, was possibly his son,[7] Schied has shown that this is not likely.[4]