Aulus Didius Gallus Fabricius Veiento
Encyclopedia
Aulus Didius Gallus Fabricius Veiento was a Roman
politician and an adept in the art of political survival. In AD 62
, early in Nero
's reign, he was impeached, while Praetor
, as the author of Codicilli, mock wills which libelled priests and senators. During Domitian
's reign he was active as a delator
(informer), while according to Pliny the Younger
(Letters, 4.22.4) his appearance as a guest at the table of the emperor Nerva
enraged the more respectable guests mentioned in Juvenal, Satire 4, line 127:
which translates as:
The 'monster' to which Juvenal makes Veiento refer was a turbot of unusual size.
A votive inscription of Trajanic date records Veiento's satisfaction of a vow to the goddess, Nemetona, in Moguntiacum (Mainz). The inscription (Dessau 1010) reads as follows:
which translates as:
"A(ulus) Didius Gallus [F]abricius Veiento, three times a consul, Member of the Board of Fifteen for Conducting the Sacred Rites, Member of the College of Augustales, Member of the College of Flaviales, Member of the College of Titiales, and his Attica willingly satisfied their vow to Nemetona, who deserved it." According to Dessau, Mommsen conjectured that Veiento had gone to Moguntiacum and performed the right to Nemetona when serving as one of the legates who brought the news of his adoption to Trajan in 97.
He was probably the son or grandson of Aulus Didius Gallus
, who was consul
in 36
and governor of Britain
from 52
to 57
.
He is used to good effect in stage 37 of the Cambridge Schools Classics Project as a 'factional' character in Domitian's council discussing Agricola's position in Britain, and so is slightly known by the many thousands who have studied this course over the last forty-plus years.
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
politician and an adept in the art of political survival. In AD 62
62
Year 62 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Marius and Asinius...
, early in Nero
Nero
Nero , was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68, and the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Nero was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius to become his heir and successor, and succeeded to the throne in 54 following Claudius' death....
's reign, he was impeached, while Praetor
Praetor
Praetor was a title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to men acting in one of two official capacities: the commander of an army, usually in the field, or the named commander before mustering the army; and an elected magistratus assigned varied duties...
, as the author of Codicilli, mock wills which libelled priests and senators. During Domitian
Domitian
Domitian was Roman Emperor from 81 to 96. Domitian was the third and last emperor of the Flavian dynasty.Domitian's youth and early career were largely spent in the shadow of his brother Titus, who gained military renown during the First Jewish-Roman War...
's reign he was active as a delator
Delator
Delator is Latin for a denouncer, i.e. who indicates to a court another as having committed a punishable deed.-Secular Roman law:...
(informer), while according to Pliny the Younger
Pliny the Younger
Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, born Gaius Caecilius or Gaius Caecilius Cilo , better known as Pliny the Younger, was a lawyer, author, and magistrate of Ancient Rome. Pliny's uncle, Pliny the Elder, helped raise and educate him...
(Letters, 4.22.4) his appearance as a guest at the table of the emperor Nerva
Nerva
Nerva , was Roman Emperor from 96 to 98. Nerva became Emperor at the age of sixty-five, after a lifetime of imperial service under Nero and the rulers of the Flavian dynasty. Under Nero, he was a member of the imperial entourage and played a vital part in exposing the Pisonian conspiracy of 65...
enraged the more respectable guests mentioned in Juvenal, Satire 4, line 127:
- non cedit Veiento, sed ut fanaticus oestro
- percussus, Bellona, tuo divinat et "ingens
- omen habes" inquit "magni clarique triumphi.
- regem aliquem capies, aut de temone Britanno
- excidet Arviragus. peregrina est belua, cernis
- erectas in terga sudes?" hoc defuit unum
- Fabricio, patriam ut rhombi memoraret et annos.
which translates as:
- "Veiento is not to be outdone, but, as if he were a priest inspired by the spirit of BellonaBellona (goddess)Bellona was an Ancient Roman goddess of war, similar to the Ancient Greek Enyo. Bellona's attribute is a sword and she is depicted wearing a helmet and armed with a spear and a torch....
[goddess of war], prophesies, and says: 'You have a mighty omen of a great and glorious triumph. You will capture some king, or Arviragus will fall out of his British chariot. It's a foreign monster — see the spines sticking up on its back?' "
The 'monster' to which Juvenal makes Veiento refer was a turbot of unusual size.
A votive inscription of Trajanic date records Veiento's satisfaction of a vow to the goddess, Nemetona, in Moguntiacum (Mainz). The inscription (Dessau 1010) reads as follows:
- A. DIDIUS GALLUS
- [F]ABRICIUS VEIENTO COS
- III XVVIR SACRIS FACIEND
- SODALIS AUGUSTAL
- SOD FLAVIAL
- SOD TITIALIS
- ET ATTICA EIUS
- NEMETON V S L M
which translates as:
"A(ulus) Didius Gallus [F]abricius Veiento, three times a consul, Member of the Board of Fifteen for Conducting the Sacred Rites, Member of the College of Augustales, Member of the College of Flaviales, Member of the College of Titiales, and his Attica willingly satisfied their vow to Nemetona, who deserved it." According to Dessau, Mommsen conjectured that Veiento had gone to Moguntiacum and performed the right to Nemetona when serving as one of the legates who brought the news of his adoption to Trajan in 97.
He was probably the son or grandson of Aulus Didius Gallus
Aulus Didius Gallus
Aulus Didius Gallus was a Roman general and politician of the 1st century AD. He was governor of Britain between 52 and 57 AD.-Career:The career of Aulus Didius Gallus up to 51 can be partly reconstructed from an inscription from Olympia. He was quaestor under Tiberius, probably in 19...
, who was consul
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
in 36
36
Year 36 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Allenius and Plautius...
and governor of Britain
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
from 52
52
Year 52 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Sulla and Otho...
to 57
57
Year 57 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Caesar and Piso...
.
He is used to good effect in stage 37 of the Cambridge Schools Classics Project as a 'factional' character in Domitian's council discussing Agricola's position in Britain, and so is slightly known by the many thousands who have studied this course over the last forty-plus years.