Decimus Valerius Asiaticus (35 – after 69 AD) was a Roman Senator who served as a Legatus of Gallia Belgica. [1]
Family background and early life
Asiaticus was of praetorian rank. [1] He was the son of the Roman Senator, consul Decimus Valerius Asiaticus [2] and Lollia Saturnina. There is a possibility he may have had siblings. He and his family had their origins in Vienna, [3] Gallia Narbonensis.
The father of Asiaticus was of Allobrogian origin [4] and his political career was a contemporary of the rule of the Roman emperors Tiberius, Caligula and Claudius. His father was a respected, [5] wealthy, and prominent Roman Senator. [6] The elder Asiaticus in 35 served as a suffect consul and again in 46, served as an ordinary consul. [7] He was the first man from Gaul to attain the consulship [8] and became the first man from Gaul to be admitted into the Roman Senate. [9]
The mother of Asiaticus was the social and beautiful Lollia Saturnina, [10] whose younger sister Lollia Paulina was a Roman empress and the third wife of the Roman emperor Caligula. [11] Saturnina was the first daughter of Marcus Lollius and the noble woman Volusia Saturnina, [12] who was first cousin to the Roman emperor Tiberius. The father of Asiaticus was murdered on the orders of the Roman empress Valeria Messalina in 47 [5] and the junior Asiaticus was later raised by his mother.
Political career
After serving as a Legatus of Gallia Belgica, [1] he became the Roman governor of that province [3] in the reign of the Roman emperor Nero. [13] In early 69 when Aulus Vitellius became Roman emperor, he was finding governors and commanders in the provinces as supporters for his emperorship who were genuinely enthusiastic. [14] Among those supporters was Asiaticus. [14] When Vitellius was in the city of Lugdunum in Gaul, proclaiming his son and daughter as heirs from his wife Galeria Fundana, Vitellius betrothed his daughter Vitellia to Asiaticus. [3] Asiaticus and Vitellia had married in the reign of Vitellius. [3]
He had become powerful through wealth and the skilful exploitation of imperial patronage. [13] The alliance with Asiaticus and Vitellius was perhaps an attempt to reconcile the communities in Gaul with the Roman state. [1] Asiaticus was unable to give Vitellius much support when the Roman army commanders appointed Vespasian as an alternative successor to Vitellius. [1]
When Vespasian became Roman emperor in the second half of 69, Asiaticus was appointed for a consulship in 70. [3] Before he could serve his consulship in early 70, Asiaticus died. [15]
Asiaticus was survived by Vitellia and their son Marcus Lollius Paulinus Decimus Valerius Asiaticus Saturninus. [16] Later in 70, Vespasian arranged for Vitellia to remarry another unnamed groom. [15] Her second marriage was a splendid match for her and Vespasian provided for her the dowry and clothing. [15]
References
- ^ a b c d e Bowman, The Cambridge Ancient History, Volume 10, p. 273
- ^ "The Roman World: Gallia Narbonensis's Urbs of Vienna". Archived from the original on 2013-12-19. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
- ^ a b c d e Morgan, 69 AD: The Year of Four Emperors, p. 149
- ^ Decimus Valerius Asiaticus: A notable Gallo-Roman from Vienna in the 1st century, translated from French to English
- ^ a b Alston, Aspects of Roman History AD 14-117, p. 92
- ^ Wiseman, Talking to Virgil: A Miscellany, p.75
- ^ P.J. Sijpesteijn, "Another οὑσἱᾳ of D.Valerius Asiaticus in Egypt", Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik, 79 (1989), p. 194
- ^ Freisenbruch, The First Ladies of Rome: The Women Behind the Caesars, p.131
- ^ Decimus Valerius Asiaticus: A notable Gallo-Roman from Vienna in the 1st century, translated from French to English
- ^ Wiseman, Talking to Virgil: A Miscellany, p. 75
- ^ Freisenbruch, The First Ladies of Rome: The Women Behind the Caesars, p. 131
- ^ Lollius by D.C. O’Driscoll
- ^ a b Wightman, Gallia Belgica, p. 61
- ^ a b Morgan, 69 AD: The Year of Four Emperors, p. 81
- ^ a b c Epilogue: The Fall of the Vitellii - Vitellia?, daughter Archived 2014-01-11 at archive.today
- ^ Bowman, The Cambridge Ancient History, Volume 10, p. 217
Sources
- The Roman World: Gallia Narbonensis's Urbs of Vienna
- Decimus Valerius Asiaticus: A notable Gallo-Roman from Vienna in the 1st century, translated from French to English
- article of Decimus Valerius Asiaticus by P.J. Sijpesteijn of University of Amsterdam, 1989
- Marcus Lollius’ article at Livius.org Archived 2013-10-30 at the Wayback Machine
- Genealogy of M. Lollius by D.C. O’Driscoll
- Epilogue: The Fall of the Vitellii - Vitellia?, daughter
- E.M. Wightman, Gallia Belgica, University of California Press, 1985
- T.P. Wiseman, Talking to Virgil: A Miscellany, University of Exeter Press, 1992
- A.K. Bowman, E. Champlin & A. Lintott, The Cambridge Ancient History, Volume 10, Cambridge University Press, 1996
- R. Alston, Aspects of Roman History AD 14-117, Routledge, 2002
- G. Morgan, 69 AD: The Year of Four Emperors, Oxford University Press, 2005
- A. Freisenbruch, The First Ladies of Rome: The Women Behind the Caesars (Google eBook), Random House, 2011
Decimus Valerius Asiaticus (35 – after 69 AD) was a Roman Senator who served as a Legatus of Gallia Belgica. [1]
Family background and early life
Asiaticus was of praetorian rank. [1] He was the son of the Roman Senator, consul Decimus Valerius Asiaticus [2] and Lollia Saturnina. There is a possibility he may have had siblings. He and his family had their origins in Vienna, [3] Gallia Narbonensis.
The father of Asiaticus was of Allobrogian origin [4] and his political career was a contemporary of the rule of the Roman emperors Tiberius, Caligula and Claudius. His father was a respected, [5] wealthy, and prominent Roman Senator. [6] The elder Asiaticus in 35 served as a suffect consul and again in 46, served as an ordinary consul. [7] He was the first man from Gaul to attain the consulship [8] and became the first man from Gaul to be admitted into the Roman Senate. [9]
The mother of Asiaticus was the social and beautiful Lollia Saturnina, [10] whose younger sister Lollia Paulina was a Roman empress and the third wife of the Roman emperor Caligula. [11] Saturnina was the first daughter of Marcus Lollius and the noble woman Volusia Saturnina, [12] who was first cousin to the Roman emperor Tiberius. The father of Asiaticus was murdered on the orders of the Roman empress Valeria Messalina in 47 [5] and the junior Asiaticus was later raised by his mother.
Political career
After serving as a Legatus of Gallia Belgica, [1] he became the Roman governor of that province [3] in the reign of the Roman emperor Nero. [13] In early 69 when Aulus Vitellius became Roman emperor, he was finding governors and commanders in the provinces as supporters for his emperorship who were genuinely enthusiastic. [14] Among those supporters was Asiaticus. [14] When Vitellius was in the city of Lugdunum in Gaul, proclaiming his son and daughter as heirs from his wife Galeria Fundana, Vitellius betrothed his daughter Vitellia to Asiaticus. [3] Asiaticus and Vitellia had married in the reign of Vitellius. [3]
He had become powerful through wealth and the skilful exploitation of imperial patronage. [13] The alliance with Asiaticus and Vitellius was perhaps an attempt to reconcile the communities in Gaul with the Roman state. [1] Asiaticus was unable to give Vitellius much support when the Roman army commanders appointed Vespasian as an alternative successor to Vitellius. [1]
When Vespasian became Roman emperor in the second half of 69, Asiaticus was appointed for a consulship in 70. [3] Before he could serve his consulship in early 70, Asiaticus died. [15]
Asiaticus was survived by Vitellia and their son Marcus Lollius Paulinus Decimus Valerius Asiaticus Saturninus. [16] Later in 70, Vespasian arranged for Vitellia to remarry another unnamed groom. [15] Her second marriage was a splendid match for her and Vespasian provided for her the dowry and clothing. [15]
References
- ^ a b c d e Bowman, The Cambridge Ancient History, Volume 10, p. 273
- ^ "The Roman World: Gallia Narbonensis's Urbs of Vienna". Archived from the original on 2013-12-19. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
- ^ a b c d e Morgan, 69 AD: The Year of Four Emperors, p. 149
- ^ Decimus Valerius Asiaticus: A notable Gallo-Roman from Vienna in the 1st century, translated from French to English
- ^ a b Alston, Aspects of Roman History AD 14-117, p. 92
- ^ Wiseman, Talking to Virgil: A Miscellany, p.75
- ^ P.J. Sijpesteijn, "Another οὑσἱᾳ of D.Valerius Asiaticus in Egypt", Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik, 79 (1989), p. 194
- ^ Freisenbruch, The First Ladies of Rome: The Women Behind the Caesars, p.131
- ^ Decimus Valerius Asiaticus: A notable Gallo-Roman from Vienna in the 1st century, translated from French to English
- ^ Wiseman, Talking to Virgil: A Miscellany, p. 75
- ^ Freisenbruch, The First Ladies of Rome: The Women Behind the Caesars, p. 131
- ^ Lollius by D.C. O’Driscoll
- ^ a b Wightman, Gallia Belgica, p. 61
- ^ a b Morgan, 69 AD: The Year of Four Emperors, p. 81
- ^ a b c Epilogue: The Fall of the Vitellii - Vitellia?, daughter Archived 2014-01-11 at archive.today
- ^ Bowman, The Cambridge Ancient History, Volume 10, p. 217
Sources
- The Roman World: Gallia Narbonensis's Urbs of Vienna
- Decimus Valerius Asiaticus: A notable Gallo-Roman from Vienna in the 1st century, translated from French to English
- article of Decimus Valerius Asiaticus by P.J. Sijpesteijn of University of Amsterdam, 1989
- Marcus Lollius’ article at Livius.org Archived 2013-10-30 at the Wayback Machine
- Genealogy of M. Lollius by D.C. O’Driscoll
- Epilogue: The Fall of the Vitellii - Vitellia?, daughter
- E.M. Wightman, Gallia Belgica, University of California Press, 1985
- T.P. Wiseman, Talking to Virgil: A Miscellany, University of Exeter Press, 1992
- A.K. Bowman, E. Champlin & A. Lintott, The Cambridge Ancient History, Volume 10, Cambridge University Press, 1996
- R. Alston, Aspects of Roman History AD 14-117, Routledge, 2002
- G. Morgan, 69 AD: The Year of Four Emperors, Oxford University Press, 2005
- A. Freisenbruch, The First Ladies of Rome: The Women Behind the Caesars (Google eBook), Random House, 2011