Marcius Turbo Quintus Marcius Turbo was prefect of the Praetorian Guard and a close friend and military advisor to both emperor Trajan and Hadrian during the early 2nd century . Early life . Not much is known about the early life of Turbo . There are few records or references that provide reliable information regarding his life before he became a soldier . However , it is known that he was born in the late 1st century and came from a city in western Greece called Epidaurus , which was a place well known for its religious temples and healing centers . The first substantive record of Turbo appears in 113 AD , when he rose to prominence in the Roman military . However , he is thought to have been a Primipilus at some time . Career . The first record of Turbo appears in 113 , during the reign of Emperor Trajan . At this time , he was the commander of the " Classis Misenensis " , the most senior fleet of the Roman Navy and under the direct control of the Emperor . Under Turbo ’ s command , the fleet sailed to the east to take part in Trajan ' s invasion of the Parthian Empire sometime between 113 CE and 116 CE . Approximately at the same time , large portions of the Jewish population in the Empire rose in rebellion , uprisings taking place almost simultaneously in Judea , Egypt , Libya , Cyprus and parts of Mesopotamia . The grain supply from Egypt to Rome was threatened and with local authorities unable to quell the rebellion , Trajan sent Marcius Turbo , one of his best military men and closest confidants , to Egypt to deal with the situation . Turbo reestablished control over Egypt and eventually Cyprus . Turbo became the military Prefect of Egypt for several years while the province went through a process of rehabilitation . In 117 Trajan died and was succeeded by his adopted son Hadrian . From the beginning of Hadrian ’ s reign , Turbo was a close friend , adviser and confidant of Hadrian . After the Jewish revolt had been quelled , Turbo accompanied Hadrian to Mauretania in North Africa where they jointly led a military campaign against local rebels ; later Hadrian left Turbo in control of the area and campaign . As another example of how much Hadrian trusted Turbo , he put Turbo in charge of two provinces in North Africa , Mauretania Caesariensis and Mauretania Tingitana . After his tenure as governor , Turbo , at the request of Hadrian , accepted control of the Danubian Command , part of the Roman military ’ s presence in the eastern area of the Empire near the Danube River . Turbo was in charge of the Danubian Command till 123 . Just after this appointment , unrest broke out in the Roman province of Dacia . Turbo was immediately sent to Dacia and managed to stop any rebellion from materializing . Hadrian , in collaboration with Turbo , split Dacia into two regions in the hope of making the province more manageable and less rebellious . These two new regions were called Dacia Superior and Dacia Inferior . After his tenure as the leader of the Danubian command , Turbo went to Rome . Hadrian , famous for his long and extensive travels throughout the empire that helped to consolidate his own power and exhibit the strength of the Emperor , realized that he needed a reliable representative in Rome , so he could continue his extended travels in the Empire . Therefore , in 125 , Hadrian elevated Turbo to the position of Praefectus Praetorio , or Praetorian Prefect , the leader of the Praetorian Guard . He held this title until 134 . It is at this point that Turbo seems to disappear and no more records are found about him . It seems possible that Turbo , along with many others , fell out of favor with Hadrian later in his reign . However , it is also possible that Turbo died from natural causes , because there is no evidence of foul play . Significance and contemporary assessment . Without a doubt Turbo had an illustrious career that was made all the more noteworthy because he was from Greece and not Italy . Up to this point in time , the high positions of the Roman Government were still reserved for the men of noble and aristocratic families of Roman heritage . However , Turbo ’ s life shows that the general trend in the Empire was towards an egalitarian society where one ’ s knowledge , skills and accomplishments were just as important as one ’ s family and ancestors . The Roman historian Cassius Dio described Turbo as “ loyal , assiduous and vigilant . ” Bibliography / End Notes . Syme , Ronald . Guard Prefects of Trajan and Hadrian . Vol . 70 . Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies . 64 - 80 . Smallwood , Mary E . Palestine A . D . 115 - 118 . 4th ed . Vol . 11 . Franz Steiner Verlag . 500 - 10 . Syme , Ronald . The Wrong Marcius Turbo . 1st ed . Vol . 51 . Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies , 1962 . 87 - 96 . Wade , Donald W . Some Governors of Dacia : A Rearrangement . 2nd ed . Vol . 64 . Chicago , IL : The University of Chicago P , 1969 . 105 - 07 . " Trajan ( c . 53 - 117 ) . " DISCovering Biography . Online ed . Detroit : Gale , 2003 . Student Resource Center - Gold . Gale . Sacred Heart Preparatory ( BAISL ) . 26 Nov . 2008 http : / / find . galegroup . com / ips / start . do ? prodId = IPS " Hadrian , Emperor of Rome ( 76 - 138 ) . " DISCovering World History . Online ed . Detroit : Gale , 2003 . Student Resource Center - Gold . Gale . Sacred Heart Preparatory ( BAISL ) . 26 Nov . 2008 < http : / / find . galegroup . com / ips / start . do ? prodId = IPS > .