Career
He belonged to one of Rome"s most distinguished Senatorial families, whose members included Calpurnia Pisonis, third wife of Julius Caesar. Piso was a man of violent temper, without an idea of obedience, and a natural arrogance. He saw himself as superior to the children of Tiberius.
Piso was married to Plancina, a woman of noble rank and wealth.
This, combined with Piso"s natural character, inflamed his ambition. In AD 17 Tiberius appointed him governor of Syria (with an army of 4 legions).
Some Roman sources of the period suggest that Tiberius gave Piso secret instructions to thwart and control Germanicus, who had been sent to supervise all Eastern provinces. Piso and Germanicus clashed on several occasions and, in AD 19, Piso had to leave the province.
As the death of Germanicus occurred during the same year most people suspected Piso of having poisoned him (although no definite proof was available).
Piso committed suicide, though it was rumoured that Tiberius, fearing incriminating disclosures, had put him to death. He was played by John Phillips in the Independent Television series The Caesars and by Stratford Johns in the British Broadcasting Corporation television serial I, Claudius.