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Marcus Valerius Messalla Messallinus


Marcus Valerius Messalla Messallinus (also spelt as Messalinus, c.36 BC – after 21) was a Roman senator who had a distinguished career.

Messallinus was born and raised in Rome. He was oldest son of the famous Roman Senator, orator and literacy patron Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus whom he resembled in character, from wife Calpurnia. Messallinus had two sisters Valeria Messalina who married the Roman Senator Titus Statilius Taurus III, another sister called Valeria who married the Roman consul Marcus Lollius. From his father’s second marriage, his younger paternal half-brother was the Roman Senator Marcus Aurelius Cotta Maximus Messalinus. Messallinus was the great-uncle of Roman empress Lollia Paulina who was the third wife of Roman emperor Caligula and a relation to Roman empress Statilia Messalina, the third wife of Roman emperor Nero.

In 21 BC, Messallinus was chosen as one of the Priests in charge of the Sibylline Books. He served as a consul in 3 BC.

In 6, Messallinus served as a governor in Illyricum. During his time in Illyricum, he served with Tiberius with distinction in a campaign against the Pannonians and Dalmatians in the uprising of the Great Illyrian Revolt with the Legio XX Valeria Victrix. Messallinus with the half-filled Legio XX Valeria Victrix, defeated the Pannonii led by Bato the Daesitiate and prevented spread of the uprising. For his defeat over Bato, Messallinus was rewarded with a triumphal decoration (ornamenta triumphalia) and a place in the procession during Tiberius’ Pannonian triumph in 12, four years after the death of his father.


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