3. Q.Gallius, a son of No. 1, and a brother of No. 2, was praetor urbanus in B. C. 43, and in that fearful time became one of the many victims that were sacrificed by the triumvirs. During his praetorship he had one day, while engaged on his tribunal, some tablets concealed under his robe ; and Octavianus, suspecting that he had arms under his cloak, and that he harbored murderous designs, ordered his centurions and soldiers to seize him. As Q. Gallius denied the charge, Octavianus ordered him to be put to death, though afterwards in his memoirs he endeavoured to conceal the cruelty of which he had thus been guilty. (Suet. Aug. 27.)
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Appian (App. BC 3.95), probably in consequence of the manner in which Octavianus had reported his own conduct, relates the event differently. Gallius, he says, asked Octavianus to give him Africa as his province after the praetorship. But having incurred the suspicion of a design upon the life of the triumvir, he was deprived of his office, and the populace demolished his house. The senate declared him guilty of a capital crime, but Octavianus inflicted no other punishment on him than sending him to his brother Marcus [No. 2], who was then with Antony. Gallius embarked, and was never head of afterwards.