Plaeto'rius
5. M.
Plaetorius, was the accuser, in B. C. 69, of M. Fonteius, whom Cicero defended [FONTEIUS, No. 5]. About the same time he was curule aedile with C. Flaminius, and it was before these aediles that Cicero defended D. Matrinius. In B. C. 67 he was praetor with the same colleague as he had in his aedileship. In B. C. 51 he was condemned (
incendio Plaetoriano, i. e.
dacnatione, Cic. Att. 5.20.8), but we do not know for what offence. We find him a neighbour of Atticus in B. C. 44, and this is the last that we hear of hin (
Cic. Font. 12,
pro Cluent. 45, 53,
ad Att. 15.17).
The following coins, struck by M. Plaetorius, a curule aedile, probably refer to the above-mentioned Plaetorius, as we know of no other Plaetorius who held this office. From these we learn that he was the son of Marcus, and that he bore the cognomen Cestianus.
The first coin bears on the obverse a woman's head covered with a helmet, with the legend CESTIANVS S. C., and on the reverse an eagle standing on a thunderbolt, with the legend M. PLAETORIVS M. F. AED. CVR. The second coin represents on the obverse the head of Cybele, covered with a turreted coronet, with the legend CESTIANVS, and on the reverse a sella curulis, with the legend M. PLAETORIVS AED. CVR. EX S. C. The third coin has on the obverse the head of a youthful female, and on the reverse the bust of the goddess Sors, with the legend M. PLAETORI. CEST. S. C.; but as it bears no reference to the nedileship of Plaetorius, it may belong to a different person.
The eagle and the head of Cybele on the first and second coins have reference to the games sacred to Jupiter and to Cybele, the exhibition of which belonged to the aediles.
