Lucius Valerius Catullus Messalinus was a

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

during the

Flavian dynasty The Flavian dynasty ruled the Roman Empire between AD 69 and 96, encompassing the reigns of Vespasian (69–79), and his two sons Titus (79–81) and Domitian (81–96). The Flavians rose to power during the civil war of 69, known as ...

, and is best known as the most hated and ruthless ''

delator Delator (plural: ''delatores'', feminine: ''delatrix'') is Latin for a denouncer, one who indicates to a court another as having committed a punishable deed. Secular Roman law In Roman history, it was properly one who gave notice (''deferre'') t ...

'' or informer of his age. He was feared all the more due to his blindness.Brian W. Jones, ''The Emperor Domitian'' (London: Routledge, 1993), p. 57

Bartolomeo Borghesi Bartolomeo (also Bartolommeo) Borghesi (11 July 178116 April 1860) was an Italian antiquarian who was a key figure in establishing the science of numismatics. He was born at Savignano, near Rimini, and studied at Bologna and Rome. Having weake ...

supposed Messalinus was the son of Statilia Messalina, third wife of

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 un ...

, but by a previous marriage. However, as

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 ...

pointed out, that "would make her older than

Otho Marcus Otho (; born Marcus Salvius Otho; 28 April 32 – 16 April 69) was the seventh Roman emperor, ruling for three months from 15 January to 16 April 69. He was the second emperor of the Year of the Four Emperors. A member of a noble Etru ...

(who was born in 32), and bring her close in age to

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 in his stemma of the descendants of

Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus (64 BC – AD 8 or c. 12) was a Roman general, author, and patron of literature and art. Family Corvinus was the son of the consul in 61 BC, Marcus Valerius Messalla Niger,Syme, R., ''Augustan Aristocracy'', ...

, Syme makes Statilia and Catullus Messalinus sister and brother. However, Rutledge identifies the parents of Messalinus as Valerius Catullus and Statilia Messalina. It is unclear how he is related to the suffect consul of AD 31,

Sextus Tedius Valerius Catullus Sextus Tedius Valerius Catullus was a Roman Empire, Roman Roman senate, senator active during the Principate. He was suffect consul from May through November AD 31 as the colleague of Faustus Cornelius Sulla Lucullus. As consul he was usually known ...

, the only other consular Valerius Catullus. Messalinus 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 throug ...

. The first time was as ''consul ordinarius'' in AD 73, when he was the colleague of the emperor

Domitian Domitian (; la, Domitianus; 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was a Roman emperor who reigned from 81 to 96. The son of Vespasian and the younger brother of Titus, his two predecessors on the throne, he was the last member of the Flavi ...

; Steven Rutledge observes this was "an exceptional honor, since of the twenty-four ordinary consulships held between 70 and 81, all but six were held by Vespasian and his sons."Rutledge, ''Imperial Inquisitions: Prosecutors and informants from Tiberius to Domitian'' (London: Routledge, 2001), p. 274 The second time was as ''consul suffectus'' with

Quintus Julius Cordinus Gaius Rutilius Gallicus Quintus Julius Cordinus Gaius Rutilius Gallicus was a Roman senator who held several posts in the emperor's service. He was twice suffect consul: for the first time in the ''nundinium'' of September to October 70 AD; and the second time in 85 wi ...

for the ''

nundinium Nundinium was a Latin word derived from the word '' nundinum'', which referred to the cycle of days observed by the Romans. During the Roman Empire, ''nundinium'' came to mean the duration of a single consulship among several in a calendar year. S ...

'' of March to April 85. That Messalinus held the consulate twice despite his blindness is a unique achievement: Richard Talbert notes that blindness would disqualify a man from membership in the Senate, let alone deprive him of seeking further office. Talbert cites the jurist

Ulpian Ulpian (; la, Gnaeus Domitius Annius Ulpianus; c. 170223? 228?) was a Roman jurist born in Tyre. He was considered one of the great legal authorities of his time and was one of the five jurists upon whom decisions were to be based according to ...

's opinion on this, as well as

Dio Cassius Lucius Cassius Dio (), also known as Dio Cassius ( ), was a Roman historian and senator of maternal Greek origin. He published 80 volumes of the history on ancient Rome, beginning with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy. The volumes documented the ...

' statement that in 13 BC

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...

would not consider anyone who was disabled for the Senate. Messalinus must have proven his worth to Domitian for the emperor to make these exceptions. The names of none of the targets of his accusations or prosecutions have come down to us. Until August 93, Messalinus did not make any accusations in the Senate, instead playing a role behind the scenes in the ''consilium'' of the emperor

;

Tacitus Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historiography, Roman historians by modern scholars. The surviving portions of his t ...

writes how the "noisy counsels of Messalinus were not heard beyond the walls of Alba." Nonetheless, he is not known to have held any other official posts. Messalinus had died by AD 97, the date of a dinner party hosted by emperor

Nerva Nerva (; originally Marcus Cocceius Nerva; 8 November 30 – 27 January 98) was Roman emperor from 96 to 98. Nerva became emperor when aged almost 66, after a lifetime of imperial service under Nero and the succeeding rulers of the Flavian dy ...

, the successor of Domitian, where he asked, "If he had gone on living, what do you think would have become of him?"

Pliny the Younger Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, born Gaius Caecilius or Gaius Caecilius Cilo (61 – c. 113), better known as Pliny the Younger (), was a lawyer, author, and magistrate of Ancient Rome. Pliny's uncle, Pliny the Elder, helped raise and educate ...

, ''Epistulae'', IV.22.4-6

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Valerius Catullus Messalinus, Lucius 90s deaths 1st-century Romans Ancient Roman politicians Blind politicians Imperial Roman consuls Senators of the Roman Empire Catullus Messalinus, Lucius Ancient Roman delatores