Publius Afranius Potitus

Publius Afranius Potitus was a Roman plebeian who, during an illness of Emperor Caligula, vowed to sacrifice his own life if the emperor recovered, expecting, instead, to be rewarded for apparent devotion.¹ However, when Caligula recovered and Afranius was unwilling to fulfill his vow, the emperor had him dressed as a sacrificial victim, paraded through the streets, and then hurled down from the eminence (Latin: ex aggere) near the Colline gate.²³

References

Smith, William (1870), "Potitus, P. Afranius", in Smith, William (ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. 3, Boston, p. 514, ISBN 1-84511-002-1 {{citation}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Cassius Dio, lix. 8
Suetonius, Caligula 27

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1870). "Potitus, P. Afranius". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.

[1] Smith, William (1870), "Potitus, P. Afranius", in Smith, William (ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. 3, Boston, p. 514, ISBN 1-84511-002-1 {{citation}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[2] Cassius Dio, lix. 8

[3] Suetonius, Caligula 27

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