Sallustius Lucullus

Sallustius Lucullus – Governor of Britannia during the period 83/4AD to 96

… He [Domitian] put to death … ; Sallustius Lucullus, governor of Britain, for allowing some lances of a new pattern to be called Lucullean, after his own name ; … Suetonius Domitian X.3

To governor Sallustius Lucullus was given the task of consolidation after the rapid gains of his predecessor Agricola’s militaristic administration. His task was complicated when Legio II Adiutrix was removed from Britain by Domitian to support his wars in Dacia sometime in 86 or 87, and it soon became aparrent that the extended province could not be held with the forces at his disposal. Hence, the Agricolan fortress at Inchtuthil on the Tay was abandoned and the Twentieth Legion pulled out of Scotland to occupy the recently-vacated fortress at Chester. Without legionary support the majority of the auxiliary forces also had to be withdrawn, certainly from the northern highlands, perhaps also from most of the southern lowlands, and, apart from a few remote outpost forts such as Newstead and Dalswinton, where considerable reconstruction is known to have taken place, it would appear that most of Agricola’s gains were given up.

Sallustius Lucullus – Epigraphic Evidence

It appears likely, given the lack of evidence to the contrary, that Lucullus was held in the post of governor for a number of years. He was recalled by Domitian and executed perhaps in 90AD, the identity of his immediate successor being uncertain. The lack of building inscriptions honouring the administration of this man is not surprising, since during his governorship perhaps one-third of the Roman province of Britannia was quietly surrendered to the barbarians.

There is, however, a stone recovered from Chichester in West Sussex (RIB 90; altarstone), the text of which reads GENIO S LVCVLLVS AMMINI FIL D S P, which may be associated with governor Sallustius Lucullus, though this is unlikely.