Valerius Festus

Family: Roman · Role: military legate · First appears: Histories II.96-100

Life events

• Valerius Festus secretly communicated with Vespasian while publicly acknowledging Vitellius.(Histories II.96-100)
  • With: Vitellius Vespasian
  • “In his official letters and edicts he still acknowledged Vitellius, while in secret communication with Vespasian and ready to support whichever party proved successful.”
• Valerius Festus’s horsemen broke into Piso’s house and killed him, identified by Baebius Massa.(Histories IV.47-50 · 📍 Africa)
  • With: Baebius Massa Lucius Piso
  • “However, Piso himself was killed very soon after, for there was one man among them who knew him, and that was Baebius Massa”
• Valerius Festus put Caetronius Pisanus in irons, accusing him of complicity with Piso.(Histories IV.47-50)
  • With: Caetronius Pisanus
  • “He had the camp-prefect, Caetronius Pisanus, put in irons, alleging that he was one of Piso's accomplices”

Histories II.96-100

• friends with Vespasian “In his official letters and edicts he still acknowledged Vitellius, while in secret communication with Vespasian and ready to support whichever party proved successful.”

Histories IV.47-50

• with Vitellius (The text states that Festus was related by kinship to Vitellius.) “Valerius Festus, an extravagant young man, immoderately ambitious, whose kinship with Vitellius had given him some anxiety.”
• enemies with Lucius Piso (Festus ordered men to murder Piso.) “When the news of the popular excitement and the centurion's execution reached the ears of Festus, considerably exaggerated and with the usual admixture of falsehood, he at once sent off a party of horsemen to murder Piso.”
• enemies with Caetronius Pisanus (Festus imprisoned Caetronius Pisanus out of personal dislike.) “He had the camp-prefect, Caetronius Pisanus, put in irons, alleging that he was one of Piso's accomplices, though his real motive was personal dislike.”
• elder kin: Vitellius (The text states kinship with Vitellius; Vitellius is treated as the elder relative because Festus is explicitly called young.) “Valerius Festus, an extravagant young man, immoderately ambitious, whose kinship with Vitellius had given him some anxiety.”

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Extracted from the original text of Tacitus — The Histories & The Annals (Books I-VI) & Agricola. Made with Rho MD.