A soldier who was prominent in the reign of Tiberius, the Roman emperor shown in the image above, was Velleius Paterculus who became the court historian of Tiberius. Neither an image of the soldier nor a statue seems to have remained, only a story. He was said to be one of the most successful historical abridgers of all time. At least all time up until about 2000 years ago. In 21st century careers he may be thought of as a history book author.
But he was born into a low period of history, turns out. His story tells of him as being of the generation that became the products of the dread ‘period of marked decline’. We don't have a label, a name for this unfortunate ancient generation, such as 'boomers' , but the passing of time does chastise their period with scorn.
“ The brilliant literary era which began with the prose of Cicero and attained its greatest splendor in the poetry of the Augustan age was followed by a period of marked decline. Lack of scholarly independence and dearth of creative geuius due to the natural reaction from the intellectual life of the preceding age and in part also to the chilling atmosphère of the empire, characterized the reign of Augustus' successor.” [Tiberius]. -Frank Ernest Rockwood
As we read the record we can see there is always a clue in the story, even his story. Velleius was not a contempory of any great names of Roman literature. But his story as a part of the history is interesting none the less, and apparently so was his history book, Historiae Romanae.
Velleius belongs to that age whose "strange alchemy transmuted the gold of the language in silver”. - Frank Ernest Rockwood
His first name, his praenomen, was seemingly unknown however there was one, and only one, ancient writer who did refer to him as Marcus. Velleius must be his nomen, his second name, and Paterculus his cognomen. If he had a fourth that we don't know of it would have been his agnomen.
By historical record of Frank Ernest Rockwood, Velleius Paterculus was descended from a Campanian family and was born, according to the commonly accepted date, in the year 19 b.c. — the year the ancient great Roman poet Vergil died. [Virgil]. Where Velleius was born and details on his early life are also unknown -as of my late 19th century source.
I don't know if it was actually recorded or if this was simply an establish custom, but it is said that at age 14 Velleius took up the toga virilis. This is the shift in clothing from a boy in a purple or colored fabric to the white and likely wool cloth of a man. By age 17 or there about, he is said to have started his military service, and that he travelled extensively while in the military and eventually with Tiberuis, the emperor, to Germany.
As a little side note I did notice that toga virillis is distinctly similar to Vril, of Bulwar Lytton's novel The Coming Race. Also published later as Vril, The Power of The Coming Race.-Just an aside.
At the end of his time of service in the year 14 B.C.E, Velleius became appointed a praetorean, a magistrate or judge who administers to the law of the land. After his life in the role of his praetorship not much is known, only that he completed his book of history in the year 30 A.D. The how or when he dies is unknown, but of course there are stories.
There is no record of why Velleius turned to writing history or how his knowledge was acquired. The title of his work as known in our era is Historiae Romanae and is a written outline or an abridgment of Roman history, not a complete history. But then, is it ever?
Velleius goes back in his introduction to the times immediately following the Trojan war. Then come in quick succession the changes in Greece, the settlements in the East, the founding of Carthage, the origin of Rome, and the establishment of Grecian colonies in Italy. Of the last he has given the clearest account that we hâve from any ancient writer. The first book closes with the fall of Carthage and Corinth, 146 b.c. In the second he continues his rapid survey of Roman history, only occasionally checking his swift course when a prominent character or a great event requires more than a passing notice. As he approaches his own period and writes of Caesar and Pompey, of Augustus and Tiberius, his narrative assumes more generous proportions. - Frank Ernest Rockwood
It is possible that the history of Velleius was not entirely for historical purpose. He wrote of the important events but elaborated upon the characters and changing scenes, or at least this is what we are told. He may have propped up the “ leading traits ” of the most eminent Romans, as Pompey, Caesar, Brutus, and in this way he made his work interesting. It is reported that the credibility of Velleius as a historian has been seriously called in to question. Some deemed him untrustworthy as a recorder of events and truthfulness. Some defend him as not so guilty as accused, but admit he did have some faults.
In matters of factual errors he has been found to have been incorrect with records pertaining to dates, depending on the source. He did conform to the leading points in Roman history but he did not claim to investigate his work, he more sought to write the abridged and readable outline, sort of what I am doing here I guess.
Some people believed his intention was to fully complete the work later in life, not just the outline published, but he seems to have died around age 50 so we won't know I guess.
Images above are remarks from Lemprieres Classical Dictionary published 1890
This summary article or mine was sourced primarily from the introduction written by Frank E Rockwood in 1893 for the book shown here below.
ANTIQUITIES HISTORY SCHOOLERS. PEOPLE. TIME TRAVELLER
The Lempiere's dictionary may be found and downloaded from the Library of Congress .
