Lucius Valerius Flaccus
At least seven notable Romans were named Lucius Valerius Flaccus. Of them, six held consulships in the Ancient Roman Republic between 261 BC and 86 BC; one also held a censorship.
Consul in 261 BC
Lucius Valerius M.f. Flaccus was consul 261 BC with Tiberius Otacilius Crassus. He was possibly the ancestor of all later consuls by that name or that cognomen; that of Valerius Flaccus having previously not appeared on the list of Roman consuls.
Consul in 195 BC and political ally to Cato the Elder
The most prominent of the name, L. Valerius Flaccus (or Lucius Valerius P.f. Flaccus, who died 180 BC), was consul in 195 BC and censor 183 BC, both times with his great friend Cato the Elder, whom he brought to the notice of the Roman political elite. Flaccus became friend, political patron and ally of Cato the Elder during the earlier years of the Second Punic War, sharing common conservative political sympathies, and eventually loyalty to the military and political views of the older generation represented by Quintus Fabius Maximus.
He was curule aedile in 201 BC, praetor in Sicily in 199, and finally consul with Cato in 195. Flaccus defeated the Boii and Insubrians during his consulship, then in 191 was legate at Thermopylae. As triumvir in 190, he helped defend Placentia and Cremona and founded Bononia.
He was elected censor along with Cato in 184 and princeps senatus when Scipio Africanus Major died, before dying himself in 180. Politically, Flaccus was a conservative and joined Cato in the role of defending Roman tradition against Hellenism.
His brother was the flamen dialis Gaius Valerius Flaccus, who made a respectable political career as praetor, though not consul. Both men were apparently sons of the consul Publius Valerius L.f. Flaccus; the father had been elected consul for 227 BC with Marcus Atilius M.f. Regulus.
Consul in 152 BC
L. Valerius Flaccus, possibly son of the above, became consul in 152 BC.
Consul in 131 BC
Another Lucius Valerius Flaccus became consul in 131 BC, with Publius Licinius Crassus Dives Mucianus. He was flamen Martialis at the time, and so was forbidden by his co-consul and religious superior, as Pontifex Maximus since 132 BC, from taking the army to Asia Minor to fight the usurper Aristonicus. Furthermore, Flaccus was fined by his co-consul. Mucianus was supported by the people of Rome who wished Flaccus to obey the ruling of the Pontifex, but they remitted the fine. Ironically, Mucianus himself violated prior taboos by leaving Italy with an army, something his kinsman the consul of 205 BC had refused to do more than seventy years earlier. The subsequent political career or life of this Lucius Valerius Flaccus is unknown.
Consul in 100 BC
Another L. Valerius Flaccus was consul in 100 BC along with Gaius Marius; Publius Rutilius Rufus characterized Flaccus as "more slave than colleague" however. As censor in 97, he was noted for helping enroll more Italians as citizens. He was made princeps senatus in 86, and worked for agreement with Sulla, eventually joining his party and securing Sulla's election as dictator, for which Flaccus was rewarded with the post of magister equitum. Flaccus does not appear further, and is presumed to have died soon after.
Consul in 86 BC
Another L. Valerius Flaccus was aedile in 98 BC, but prosecuted (unsuccessfully) afterwards by Decianus. Flaccus was then praetor, then governor of Asia. He was a suffect consul in 86, taking command against Mithridates, passing a law cancelling three-quarters of all debts, and leaving for Asia. He was murdered in a mutiny by Gaius Flavius Fimbria.
Praetor of 63 BC
The previous Flaccus' son was also L. Valerius Flaccus (d. 54 BC). He served in Asia under his father, but fled to his uncle Gaius, who was in Gaul. He later served as military tribune in Cilicia, quaestor in Hispania under Piso, a legate of Metellus in Crete. As urban praetor he was with Cicero in the Conspiracy of Catiline, and then governor in Asia. In 59 Cicero defended him in a speech. Flaccus was then a legate of a later Piso, in Macedonia.