Gaius Salvius Liberalis

Gaius Salvius Liberalis Nonius Bassus (fl. 80s CE) was a Roman aristocrat and general, who held civil office in Britain and religious office in Rome, Italy.

Biography

Gaius Salvius Liberalis grew up in Italy and moved to Rome, where he became very successful in the position of a senator and lawyer. He then became an Arval Brother, and was later put in command of a legion. Eventually Salvius was sent to Britain as an aide to Agricola, the governor of Britain. A gravestone dedicated to his wife, Vitellia Rufilla, by his son, Gaius Salvius Vitellanius, was found near Rome, which states that he had been consul in his lifetime.

In fiction

Gaius Salvius Liberalis appears in books II-V of the Cambridge Latin Course as a conniving and evil man and the main antagonist, who helps the emperor coordinate the downfall of many people. He is involved in a conspiracy against Tiberius Claudius Cogidubnus and unravels the affair between Paris and the emperor's wife, Domitia. Eventually, he is tried for his crimes and exiled for five years.

References

• Naphtali Lewis & Meyer Reinhold, Roman Civilization, p. 518.
• Anthony Richard Birley, The Roman Government of Britain, p. 82.