Gaius Salvius Liberalis (history)

Gaius Salvius Liberalis Nonius Bassus (fl. 80s CE) was a Roman senator and general, who held civil office in Britain and was a member of the Arval Brethren.

Gaius Salvius Liberalis is known to have come from Urbs Salvia in Picenum. According to Ronald Syme, he may have been first cousin to the consul Lucius Flavius Silva Nonius Bassus. However, Olli Salomies provides some evidence against this, most notably an inscription that indicates his mother's name was Ann[ia(?)]. An inscription recovered from Urbs Salvia supplies his father's praenomen, Gaius; more importantly it provides details of his cursus honorum.

The first office listed is the record of holding the chief magistracy of his home town in four census years; Anthony Birley explains this would extend 15 years from the first to the last tenure of this office. Next was his adlection into the Roman Senate as an ex-praetor, although another line of the inscription states he was adlected as an ex-tribune; from this, and in analogy of the career of Gaius Caristanius Fronto, Birley deduces Salvius Liberalis "probably also held equestrian military appointments and had been on the right side in the year 69."

He was co-opted into the Arval Brethren 1 March 78, replacing the deceased Gaius Salonius Matidius Patruinus; however, Salvius Liberalis was absent from the Arval ceremonies, returning by 30 October 81. Syme dates his tenure as juridicius Augustorum in Britain to 78-81, while H. Peterson argues that Salvius was commander of the Legio V Macedonica from May 78 to 24 June 79 or slightly later, becoming juridicius between those dates. Birley proposes yet a third chronology, dating his command of V Macedonica prior to his co-option into the Arval Brethren, in which case "if the priesthood was in some sense a reward for meritorious service as a legionary legate, it would be intelligible that it should be mentioned after it." Salvius Liberalis would then have held command of V Macedonica from 74 to 78, and served as juridicius from 78 to 81.

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