ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the evidence for Plancus' ancestors and immediate family, the important friendship with Cicero, shift Munatian gens' homeland to the area of Formiae-Caieta, and make a case that the Aemilii Lepidi were among their patrons. A transposition of Plancus' home and reinterpretation of scattered evidence yields a workable hypothesis that the family was from southern Latium and his tribe the Aemilia. The inscription over the doorway of Plancus' tomb at Caieta states that he was the fourth consecutive generation to have the praenomen Lucius, and the tria nomina indicate that they were all Roman citizens. Roman senators sought to expand their political amicitiae by promoting the political ambitions of the new citizens and in rare cases introducing them into the Senate. Tibur was only incorporated into Roman state as part of the comprehensive enfranchisement at the end of the Social War in 90–88. By this time a number of wealthy Romans had luxury villas in the vicinity.
