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- This page is on Lucius Vitellius, the father of the emperor Vitellius.
For his other son, the emperor's brother, see Lucius Vitellius the younger.
Lucius Vitellius Veteris (the elder) (before 5 BC-51) was the youngest of four sons of quaestor Publius Vitellius and the only one of them not to die through politics. Under Emperor Tiberius, he was consul in 34 and governor of Syria in 35. He supported Emperor Caligula and was a favorite of Emperor Claudius' wife Empress Valeria Messalina. During Claudius' reign he was consul twice more and governed Rome while the Roman Emperor was absent on his invasion of Britain. Around the time that Claudius married Agrippina the Younger in 49 Vitellius, served as a Roman censor.
He wielded great influence and was known for his outstanding character, though at one point a Roman Senator accused him of treason. He died of paralysis in 51. Lucius received a state funeral and had a statue on the rostra ‘steadfast loyal to the Emperor’.
Lucius married a Roman woman called Sextilia, a reputable woman from a distinguished family. She gave birth to two sons and they were:
Sources:
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This article or section includes a list of references or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. You can improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. |
- Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, Vitellius
- Tacitus, The Annals of Imperial Rome.
External links
- Lucius Vitellius entry in historical sourcebook by Mahlon H. Smith
- Livius.org: Lucius Vitellius
