Decimus Valerius Asiaticus (around 5 BC
[P.J. Sijpesteijn]
"Another οὐσία of Decimus Valerius Asiaticus in Egypt"
''Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik
The ''Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik'' (commonly abbreviated ZPE; "Journal of Papyrology and Epigraphy") is a peer-reviewed academic journal which contains articles that pertain to papyrology and epigraphy. It has been described as " ...
'', 79 (1989), p. 19347 AD,
[Alston, ''Aspects of Roman History AD 14-117'', p. 92][ el, Δέκιμος Οὐαλέριος Ἀσιατικός][) was a prominent ]Roman Senator
The Roman Senate ( la, Senātus Rōmānus) was a governing and advisory assembly in ancient Rome. It was one of the most enduring institutions in Roman history, being established in the first days of the city of Rome (traditionally founded in ...
[Wiseman, ''Talking to Virgil: A Miscellany'', p.75] of provincial origin.[ Asiaticus was twice ]consul
Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throu ...
: first in 35 as suffect consul with Aulus Gabinius Secundus as his colleague; second in 46 as ordinary consul with Marcus Junius Silanus as his colleague. He was the first man from Gaul to be admitted into the Roman Senate
The Roman Senate ( la, Senātus Rōmānus) was a governing and advisory assembly in ancient Rome. It was one of the most enduring institutions in Roman history, being established in the first days of the city of Rome (traditionally founded in ...
, as well as the first man from Gaul to attain the consulship.[Ronald Syme, ''Tacitus'' (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1958), p. 590]
Family background and early life
Information about his family is incomplete. Asiaticus was of Allobrogian origin; in the words of Ronald Syme
Sir Ronald Syme, (11 March 1903 – 4 September 1989) was a New Zealand-born historian and classicist. He was regarded as the greatest historian of ancient Rome since Theodor Mommsen and the most brilliant exponent of the history of the Roman ...
, "of native dynastic stock."[ An ancestor of Asiaticus received ]Roman citizenship
Citizenship in ancient Rome (Latin: ''civitas'') was a privileged political and legal status afforded to free individuals with respect to laws, property, and governance. Citizenship in Ancient Rome was complex and based upon many different laws, t ...
from Gaius Valerius Flaccus who was the Governor of Transalpine Gaul
Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...
in 80 BC and seems to have inherited Flaccus’ name. The names of either of his parents are not known; Asiaticus had a brother, but his name is not known.
Asiaticus was born in Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
in Gallia Narbonensis.[ At a young age he may have been sent to ]Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
to make a career. He was a cultivated man, renowned for his athleticism and he became close to the Julio-Claudian dynasty. He regularly attended the house of Antonia Minor, the mother of Emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
Claudius and grandmother of the emperor Caligula.[
]
Political career
Many of the details of his career are not known, beyond the fact that Asiaticus was a close friend of the imperial house. He acceded to his first consulship during the reign of Tiberius
Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was the second Roman emperor. He reigned from AD 14 until 37, succeeding his stepfather, the first Roman emperor Augustus. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC. His father ...
, an office he could only have achieved with the acquiescence, if not the act, of the emperor. Tiberius' successor Caligula was also a friend to Asiaticus, and may have granted him estates in Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
.[ Despite this, there were drawbacks in this relationship. Caligula confessed to committing adultery with Asiaticus' wife at a public drinking bout by complaining in front of Asiaticus about her performance in bed. Clearly offended and insulted, he developed a hatred of Caligula.
Despite this, Asiaticus was invited to sit with Caligula on 24 January 41 at the theatre an hour prior to his assassination. When news of the deed swept through Rome and the identity of the slayers was not yet known, based on Caligula's insult to him, Asiaticus was accused of participating in Caligula's death; he replied, "I wish I had been the man." Nevertheless, some modern historians suspect Asiaticus was an accomplice in Caligula's murder.][ However, Michael Swan has pointed out several reasons not to suspect he was a party to the act, such as Asiaticus' own denial. One point Swan raises is that after Caligula's death, when Asiaticus offered his name to the Senate to succeed Caligula, his candidacy was opposed by one of the known participants in the assassination, ]Lucius Annius Vinicianus
Lucius Annius Vinicianus (died AD 42) was a Roman Empire, Roman roman senate, senator during the Principate. He is best known for his involvement in the assassination of Caligula and a rebellion against Claudius.
Family
Vinicianus was probably the ...
.
Whether or not Asiaticus was involved in Caligula's death, contemporaries such as Sosibius
Sosibius ( el, Σωσίβιoς; lived 3rd century BC) was the chief minister of Ptolemy Philopator (221–204 BC), king of Egypt. Nothing is known of his origin or parentage, though he may have been a son of Sosibius of Tarentum; nor have we any ac ...
suspected he was involved. This was doubtlessly the basis for Claudius' antipathy towards Asiaticus. Although Asiaticus accompanied Claudius in 43 on his campaign in Britain, it was arguably because Claudius mistrusted him and wanted Asiaticus where he could keep an eye on him. In a speech to the Senate, where Claudius defended the adlection of Gaulish men into the Senate, he obliquely disparaged Asiaticus, refusing to mention his name:
Purchase of the Gardens of Lucullus and downfall
Sometime after his second consulship, as Asiaticus was a well-connected man of immense wealth,[ he had used some of his fortune to acquire and to redevelop one of Rome's most magnificent private properties, the ]pleasure gardens
A pleasure garden is a park or garden that is open to the public for recreation and entertainment. Pleasure gardens differ from other public gardens by serving as venues for entertainment, variously featuring such attractions as concert halls, ...
of Lucius Licinius Lucullus, a famous general, politician and glutton of the 1st century BC.[ In 47, the notorious Senator ]Publius Suillius Rufus
Publius may refer to:
Roman name
* Publius (praenomen)
* Ancient Romans with the name:
** Publius Valerius Publicola (died 503 BC), Roman consul, co-founder of the Republic
**Publius Clodius Pulcher (c. 93 BC – 52 BC), Republican politician
* ...
, brought capital charges against Asiaticus before the Senate. Among those charges was adultery with Poppaea Sabina the Elder
Poppaea Sabina the Elder (c. 10 – c. 47 AD) was an aristocratic woman who lived during the Principate. During her lifetime she was famed for her beauty, but as Ronald Syme writes, her "fame and follies have been all but extinguished by her homony ...
, mother of the empress Poppaea Sabina
Poppaea Sabina (AD 30 – 65), also known as Ollia, was a Roman empress as the second wife of the Emperor Nero. She had also been wife to the future emperor Otho. The historians of antiquity describe her as a beautiful woman who used intrigues ...
.
The charges brought against Asiaticus were the result of a convoluted sexual conspiracy plotted by Claudius’ third wife, the empress Valeria Messalina
Valeria Messalina (; ) was the third wife of Roman emperor Claudius. She was a paternal cousin of Emperor Nero, a second cousin of Emperor Caligula, and a great-grandniece of Emperor Augustus. A powerful and influential woman with a reputatio ...
, so she could seize Asiaticus’ gardens.[ Through the connivance of Messalina, Claudius condemned Asiaticus to death.][ Although Asiaticus enjoyed the public's favour, he could not easily be seen as a threat to Claudius or Messalina.][ Asiaticus went to his death calmly, making arrangements for his funeral. He committed suicide by opening his veins.][ Asiaticus was survived by his wife and his son.
]
Descendants
Some historians have concluded that Asiaticus married Lollia Saturnina
Lollia Saturnina (c.10-41) was a Roman noble woman who lived in the Roman Empire in the 1st century. She was the sister of the Roman empress Lollia Paulina and was a mistress of the Roman emperor Caligula.Seneca the Younger, ''De Constantia sapie ...
,[ a woman surmised was the sister of ]Lollia Paulina
Lollia Paulina, also known as Lollia Paullina[emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...]
Caligula.[Freisenbruch, ''The First Ladies of Rome: The Women Behind the Caesars'', p. 131] However, Bernard Kavanagh has argued not only that it is more likely that Saturnina was not Asiaticus' wife, but the wife of his son, but also that, as a consequence, Lollia Saturnina was likely the niece of Lollia Paulina.
Regardless of the identity of his wife, an inscription found at Tibur
Tivoli ( , ; la, Tibur) is a town and in Lazio, central Italy, north-east of Rome, at the falls of the Aniene river where it issues from the Sabine hills. The city offers a wide view over the Roman Campagna.
History
Gaius Julius Solinu ...
provides information about the identity of his son, Decimus Valerius Asiaticus
Decimus Valerius Asiaticus (around 5 BCP.J. Sijpesteijn"Another οὐσία of Decimus Valerius Asiaticus in Egypt" ''Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik'', 79 (1989), p. 19347 AD,Alston, ''Aspects of Roman History AD 14-117'', p. 92 el, ...
, and grandson, Marcus Lollius Paulinus Decimus Valerius Asiaticus Saturninus
Marcus Lollius Paullinus Decimus Valerius Asiaticus Saturninus (69/70 – after 134) was a prominentJosephus, ''Death of an Emperor'', p. 72 Roman Senator who was a powerful figure in the second half of the 1st century and first half of the 2nd ce ...
. It is possible that Asiaticus had other children.
Land, property and benefactions
Asiaticus invested the major part of his money in real property.[ According to inscriptional evidence, he owned properties in ]Gaul
Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...
,[ ]Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
, and Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
.[ We know he specifically owned estates in the Egyptian towns of Euhemeria and ]Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
.[
Within three years of his death, Asiaticus' properties were confiscated by the state.][
In Vienna, Asiaticus and his brother financed construction designed to beautify the city.][ An inscription found in North Vienna marks the tomb of the ''Scaenici Asiaticiani'', a comedy troupe which owed its existence to a certain Asiaticus, perhaps Decimus Valerius Asiaticus or his father. According to another inscription, one of the freedmen of Asiaticus was known to have become a very wealthy man,] and probably owned properties in Lugdunum
Lugdunum (also spelled Lugudunum, ; modern Lyon, France) was an important Roman city in Gaul, established on the current site of Lyon. The Roman city was founded in 43 BC by Lucius Munatius Plancus, but continued an existing Gallic settle ...
.
See also
* Lyon Tablet
The Lyon Tablet is an ancient bronze tablet that bears the transcript of a speech given by the Roman emperor Claudius. The surviving bottom portion of the tablet was discovered in 1528 by a draper in his vineyard on Croix-Rousse Hill (on the sit ...
References
Sources
*Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historians by modern scholars.
The surviving portions of his two major works—the ...
, The Annals of Imperial Rome
* Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, Claudius
*Seneca the Younger
Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger (; 65 AD), usually known mononymously as Seneca, was a Stoic philosopher of Ancient Rome, a statesman, dramatist, and, in one work, satirist, from the post-Augustan age of Latin literature.
Seneca was born in ...
, ''De Constantia sapientis''
*T.P. Wiseman, ''Talking to Virgil: A Miscellany'', University of Exeter Press, 1992
*R. Alston, ''Aspects of Roman History AD 14-117'', Routledge, 2002
*A. Freisenbruch, ''The First Ladies of Rome: The Women Behind the Caesars'' (Google eBook), Random House, 2011
Decimus Valerius Asiaticus, Un Notable Gallo-Romain de Vienna au Ier Siecle Apres JC
(Internet Archive copy; original page unavailable) "Decimus Valerius Asiaticus: A notable Gallo-Roman from Vienna in the 1st century" (in French)
The Roman World: Gallia Narbonensis's Urbs of Vienna
{{DEFAULTSORT:Valerius Asiaticus, Decimus
1st-century BC Gallo-Roman people
1st-century Gallo-Roman people
Imperial Roman consuls
Ancient Roman politicians who committed suicide
0s BC births
47 deaths
Year of birth uncertain
Valerii
Allobroges
People from Gallia Narbonensis