PI'SO. A Roman family of the plebeian gems Calpurnia. The agnomina of the family were Frugi and Cresonius. Its more important mem bers are named below: Lucius CALPURNIUS Piso FRUGI, in B.C. 149, as tribune of the plebs, brought up the first law against extortion (Lex Calpurnia de 1?epetundis); in 133 was consul. and fought in the Servile War in Sicily, and was censor in 120. He opposed the reforms of the Gracehi. Be is best known as author of an annalistic history of Rome down to his own time, of which a few fragments are publish ed in Peter's Historicorum Roinanorum Re liquia', yobs i. (Leipzig, 1870).—Lucius CAL MIN IUS PI SO C.ESONIN US was the father-in-law of Julius Caesar, and in 5S became consul as a tool of the triumvir. Ile supported Clodius against Cicero, banished the latter, and was twice vehemently attacked by him for vicious administration of the Province of Macedonia. ]having become censor in 50. Piso attempted to mediate between Ca-sar and the aristocratic party. hut was unsuccessful, and failing to join Cesar in the Civil War, now won Cicero's hearty approbation. After Ca-sar's murder Piso seems to have sided with Antony.—His son,
who bore the same name (me. 43-A.D. 32), was high in the favor of Augustus and Tiberius; held the consulship (n.c. 15), and as prefect of the city (A.D. 17) was highly praised by Velleius Pa terculus.—GN-EtTs CALPURNIUS PISO was consul with Tiberius (n.c. 7), and became his tool to check and harass Germanicus in the East, re ceiving the command of Syria (A.D. IS). He and his wife, Plancina, were suspected of poison ing Germanicus; Piso was abandoned by Ti berius, on whose orders he had acted, and in A.D. 20 committed suicide.—GAIUti CALPURNIUS PI SO, a brilliant and popular young man, was robbed (A.D. 37) of his newly married wife by Caligula and banished by that Emperor. tinder Nero he joined a conspiracy to murder the tyrant ; on its discovery he opened his veins and died. He may be the Piso addressed in the panegyric De Lamle Pisonis.—The last Piso to attain fame was LUCIUS CALPUTNIUS ]'ISO LICINIANUS, an adopted member of the family, who was named by Gallia as his suc cessor to the Empire, and was killed when Otho came to the throne (A.D. 69).