Paterculus

• a Roman surname, e. g. C. Velleius Paterculus, the historian; v. Velleius.—Hence,
• II ‡ Păter-cŭlārĭus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to Paterculus, Not. Tir.

A Roman historian born about B.C. 19 of a distinguished Campanian family. Entering the army, he accompanied Gaius Caesar, the grandson of Augustus, on an expedition to the East (A.D. 2). Two years later he served with Tiberius in Germany, attaining the rank of military tribune and praefectus equitum. With Tiberius he remained for some eight years and became legatus (C. I. L. viii. 10311) and quaestor (A.D. 7). In A.D. 12 he returned to Rome and took part in the triumph of Tiberius. In A.D. 15 he and his brother, Magius Celer, were praetors.

In the year 30, he wrote his history at the request of the consul M. Vinicius, and probably died in the following year. It is believed that he was executed because of his connection with Seianus (q.v.). The history is in two books, of which a portion is lost after the eighth section of the first book, and also the opening. The title of the work is Historiae Romanae ad M. Vinicium Consulem Libri Duo. It is a succinct compendium of universal history (with especial reference to the history of Rome), beginning with the settlement of Magna Graecia and extending to his own times. The latter portion of the narrative is more diffuse than the first part. His method is to seize upon the striking points of his subject and to dwell upon them, leaving less important events in abeyance. His treatment is therefore rather that of an annalist than an historian, and his style is unfinished. His facts are in the main trustworthy, but his fulsome praise of Tiberius detracts from the value of the narrative of his own times. The text is in a very unsatisfactory condition. Only one MS. survived to modern times, and was lost in the seventeenth century, after being copied by Beatus Rhenanus at Amerbach. There are editions of the text by Orelli (Leipzig, 1835); Kritz (annotated) (Leipzig, 1840); Haase (2d ed. Leipzig, 1858); Halm (Leip. 1876); Rockwood (Eng. notes) (Boston, 1893).