Aulus Vitellius

Also known as: Aulus · Family: Vitellius · Role: son; consul · First appears: Vitellius 2

Aulus Vitellius was the son of Lucius Vitellius and Sextilia, and one of four brothers with the same cognomen, alongside Quintus Vitellius, Publius Vitellius, and Lucius Vitellius. He was born on 24 September, or, according to another account, on 7 September, during the consulship of Drusus Caesar and Norbanus Flaccus.

He spent his youth among Tiberius’s catamites at Capri and was repeatedly stigmatized as “Spintria”; he was also supposed to have advanced his father by gratifying the emperor’s lust. In the same year that Lucius Vitellius became consul, Aulus also became consul, and he later died while holding that office jointly with Domitius, the father of Nero Caesar. His mother was distressed when he was sent to the legions and when he was proclaimed emperor.

Relationship record

Life events

Aulus Vitellius died while holding the consulship.(Vitellius 2)
- “Aulus died in the enjoyment of the consulship, which office he bore jointly with Domitius, the father of Nero Caesar.”
Aulus Vitellius was born.(Vitellius 3)
- “The emperor Aulus Vitellius, the son of this Lucius, was born upon the eighth of the calends of October [24th September]”
Aulus Vitellius and Lucius Vitellius both became consuls.(Vitellius 3)
- With: Lucius Vitellius
- “He had lived to see them both consuls, the same year and during the whole year also”
Aulus Vitellius was sent to the legions.(Vitellius 3)
- “His mother, upon his being sent to the legions”
Aulus Vitellius was proclaimed emperor.(Vitellius 3)
- “and also upon his being proclaimed emperor”

Vitellius 2

parent: Publius Vitellius (elder) “He left behind him four sons, all men of very high station, who had the same cognomen, but the different praenomina of Aulus, Quintus, Publius, and Lucius.”
siblings with Quintus Vitellius “He left behind him four sons, all men of very high station, who had the same cognomen, but the different praenomina of Aulus, Quintus, Publius, and Lucius.”
siblings with Publius Vitellius (younger) “He left behind him four sons, all men of very high station, who had the same cognomen, but the different praenomina of Aulus, Quintus, Publius, and Lucius.”
siblings with Lucius Vitellius “He left behind him four sons, all men of very high station, who had the same cognomen, but the different praenomina of Aulus, Quintus, Publius, and Lucius.”

Vitellius 3

parent: Lucius Vitellius “The emperor Aulus Vitellius, the son of this Lucius, was born upon the eighth of the calends of October [24th September], or, as some say, upon the seventh of the ides of September [7th September], in the consulship of Drusus Caesar and Norbanus Flaccus.”
parent: Sextilia “leaving behind him two sons, whom he had by a most excellent and respectable wife, Sextilia. He had lived to see them both consuls, the same year and during the whole year also; the younger succeeding the elder for the last six months. The senate honoured him after his decease with a funeral at the public expense, and with a statue in the Rostra, which had this inscription upon the base: ‘One who was steadfast in his loyalty to his prince.’ The emperor Aulus Vitellius, the son of this Lucius, was born upon the eighth of the calends of October [24th September], or, as some say, upon the seventh of the ides of September [7th September], in the consulship of Drusus Caesar and Norbanus Flaccus. His parents were so terrified with the predictions of astrologers upon the calculation of his nativity”
with Tiberius (Aulus Vitellius was sexually associated with Tiberius's catamites.) “He spent his youth amongst the catamites of Tiberius at Capri”
with Lucius Vitellius (Aulus was supposed to have occasioned his father's advancement.) “was supposed to have been the occasion of his father’s advancement, by consenting to gratify the emperor’s unnatural lust”
with Tiberius (Sexual association.) “He spent his youth amongst the catamites of Tiberius at Capri, was himself constantly stigmatized with the name of Spintria, and was supposed to have been the occasion of his father’s advancement, by consenting to gratify the emperor’s unnatural lust.”

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Extracted from the original text of The Lives of the Twelve Caesars. Made with Rho MD.