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| DECIMUS VALERIUS ASIATICUS | |
| DECIMUS VALERIUS ASIATICUS A BENEFACTOR OF HIS CITY OF ORIGIN ? |
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| EXTRACT FROM THE CLAUDIAN TABLET |
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DECIMUS VALERIUS ASIATICUS
His originsDecimus Valerius Asiaticus belonged to one of the most powerful Allobroge families. It seems he inherited his name and the right to Roman citizenship through one of his ancestors who was connected with C. Valerius Flaccus, governor of Transalpine Gaul during the 80s BC.
Born in Vienne, he may have been sent to Rome when he was fairly young to make his career. Rich and cultured, famous for his athletic prowess, he succeeded in penetrating the imperial circle. He was an assiduous visitor to the house of Antonia, Augustus's niece, mother of Claudius and grandmother of Caligula.
His power
Decimus Valerius Asiaticus was, no doubt the first Narbonnais Gaul to be admitted to the Roman Senate. He was consul twice, first from the beginning of the last years of Tiberius's reign (in 35 AD) and a second time, in 46 AD during Cladius's reign. Close to Caligula, he was one of the instigators of his assassination and there was a question of his candidacy for Emperor. Close to Claudius, he followed him in his campaign against the Bretons (in England).
Because of his wealth and his brilliant career he was able to become the owner of the villa and gardens in Rome, created around 60 BC by Lucullus, the general who defeated Mithridates. These magnificent formal gardens laid out in terraces, were created on the southern spur of the Collis Hortulorum (the garden hill) which overlooked the Campus Martius.
His tragic end
Messalina, Claudius's wife, who was a jealous schemer, wanted these famous gardens for herself. It was not very difficult to convince Claudius that Valerius Asiaticus was a threat to his power: he was very wealthy, had a lot of influence in Rome as well as in Vienne where, by calling on his large, powerful family, he could have roused the Gauls to revolt... Claudius condemned him to suicide on false evidence in 47 AD. His death was that of a courageous and refined man : he chose to die in the gardens which he had "endowed with a magnificent beauty" near the big trees planted by Lucullus (?). Carrying on his usual routine, he bathed, dined cheerfully, and, after saying that it would have been more honourable for him to perish due to Tiberius's trickery or C. Caesar's (Caligula) fury than to succumb to a woman's deceit and Vitellius's shameless tongue, he cut his veins open, but not before visiting his pyre and having it moved to a different side so that the shade of the trees would not be reduced by the heat of the fire; such was his serenity at his last hour!" In 48 AD, in a speech given to the Senate, Claudius still swore his fierce hatred to the point that he refused to say his name. This speech, engraved on bronze, has been found in Lyons.
