a Roman historian, contemporary with Augustus and Tiberius. He is not mentioned by any ancient writer, with the exception of a solitary passage of Priscian, but his own work supplies us with the leading events of his life. He was descended from one of the most distinguished Campanian families. Decius Magius, the leader of the Roman party at Capua in the second Punic war, was one of his ancestors, and Minatius Magius, who did such good service to the Romans in the Social war (B. C. 90), and who was rewarded in consequence with the Roman franchise and the election of two of his sons to the praetorship, was the atavus of the historian. The grandfather of Paterculus put an end to his life at Naples, since he was unable, through age and infirmities, to accompany Claudius Nero, the father of the emperor Tiberius, in his flight from Italy in B. C. 40. His father held a high command in the army, in which he was succeeded by his son, as is mentioned below, and his uncle Capito was a member of the senate, and is mentioned as a supporter of the accusation against C. Cassius Longinus under the Lex Pedia, on account of the latter being one of Caesai's murderers. The family of Paterculus, therefore, seems to have been one of wealth, respectability, and influence.
Velleius Paterculus was probably born about B. C. 19, the year in which Virgil died. He adopted the profession of arms; and, soon after he had entered the army, he accompanied C. Caesar in his expedition to the East, and was present with the latter at his interview with the Parthian king, in A. D. 2. Two years afterwards, A. D. 4, he served under Tiberius in Germany, succeeding his father in the rank of Praefectus Equitum, having previously filled in succession the offices of tribune of the soldiers and tribune of the camp. For the next eight years Paterculus served under Tiberius, either as praefectus or legatus, in the various campaigns of the latter in Germany, Pannonia, and Dalmatia, and, by his activity and ability, gained the favour of the future emperor. He was accordingly promoted to the quaestorship, and in A. D. 6, when he was quaestor elect, he conducted to Tiberius the forces which had been lately levied in the city. In his quaestorship in the following year, A. D. 7, he was excused from drawing lots for a province, and continued to serve as legatus under Tiberius. He accompanied his commander on his return to Rome in A. D. 12, and mentions with pride that he and his brother Magius Celer took a prominent part in the triumphal procession of Tiberius, and were decorated with military honours. Two years afterwards, A. D. 14, the names of Velfices leius and his brother were put down by Augustus for the praetorship; but as that emperor died before the comitia were held, they were elected to this dignity at the commencement of the reign of Tiberius. We have no further particulars of the