C. Valerius Procillus

Also known as: Caius Valerius Procillus · Family: Roman · Role: chief of the province of Gaul · First appears: The Gallic War, Book I, 19–25

In Book I of the Gallic War, Caesar describes C. Valerius Procillus as his intimate friend and a man of high standing in Gaul. When Caesar sent him to Ariovistus as an envoy, Procillus was chosen for his courage, loyalty and knowledge of the Gallic language; his father was C. Valerius Caburus.

Two days after Ariovistus seized Caesar’s envoys and cast them into chains, Procillus was dragged away, bound with a triple chain. Caesar found and rescued him while pursuing the enemy, restoring him to safety.

Relationship record

Life events

• Ariovistus seized Caesar’s envoys and cast them into chains.(The Gallic War, Book I, 47–54)
  • With: Ariovistus M. Mettius
  • “He stopped them when attempting to speak, and cast them into chains.”
• Caesar rescued C. Valerius Procillus from his captors and restored him to safety.(The Gallic War, Book I, 47–54)
  • With: Caesar
  • “C. Valerius Procillus, as he was being dragged by his guards in the flight, bound with a triple chain, fell into the hands of Caesar himself, as he was pursuing the enemy with his cavalry.”

The Gallic War, Book I, 19–25

• friends with Caesar “an intimate friend of his”

The Gallic War, Book I, 47–54

• commander: Caesar “It seemed therefore most proper to send to him C. Valerius Procillus, the son of C. Valerius Caburus, a young man of the highest courage and accomplishments (whose father had been presented with the freedom of the city by C. Valerius Flaccus), both on account of his fidelity and on account of his knowledge of the Gallic language, which Ariovistus, by long practice, now spoke fluently; and because in his case the Germans would have no motive for committing violence; and as his colleague M. Mettius, who had shared the hospitality of Ariovistus.”
• enemies with Ariovistus “He stopped them when attempting to speak, and cast them into chains.”
• parent: C. Valerius Caburus “It seemed therefore most proper to send to him C. Valerius Procillus, the son of C. Valerius Caburus, a young man of the highest courage and accomplishments (whose father had been presented with the freedom of the city by C. Valerius Flaccus), both on account of his fidelity and on account of his knowledge of the Gallic language, which Ariovistus, by long practice, now spoke fluently; and because in his case the Germans would have no motive for committing violence; and as his colleague M. Mettius, who had shared the hospitality of Ariovistus.”
• friends with Caesar “This circumstance indeed afforded Caesar no less pleasure than the victory itself; because he saw a man of the first rank in the province of Gaul, his intimate acquaintance and friend, rescued from the hand of the enemy, and restored to him, and that fortune had not diminished aught of the joy and exultation of that day by his destruction.”
• patron: Caesar “This circumstance indeed afforded Caesar no less pleasure than the victory itself; because he saw a man of the first rank in the province of Gaul, his intimate acquaintance and friend, rescued from the hand of the enemy, and restored to him, and that fortune had not diminished aught of the joy and exultation of that day by his destruction.”

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Extracted from the original text of Caesar's Commentaries — The Gallic War and The Civil War. Made with Rho MD.