Valerius Publius, a celebrated Roman surnamed Poplicola, from his popularity. He was very active in assisting Brutus to expel the Tarquins, and he was the first that took an oath to support the liberty and independence of his country. Though he had been refused the consulship, and had retired with great dissatisfaction from the direction of affairs, yet he regarded the public opinion; and when the jealousy of the Romans inveighed against the towering appearance of his house, he acknowledged the reproof, and in making it lower, he showed his wish to be on a level with his fellow-citizens, and not to erect what might be considered as a citadel for the oppression of his country. He was afterwards honoured with the consulship, on the expulsion of Collatinus, and he triumphed over the Etrurians, after he had gained the victory in the battle in which Brutus and the sons of Tarquin had fallen. Valerius died after he had been four times consul, and enjoyed the popularity, and received the thanks and the gratitude, which people redeemed from slavery and oppression usually pay to their patrons and deliverers. He was so poor, that his body was buried at the public expense. The Roman matrons mourned his death a whole year. Plutarch, Lives.—Florus, bk. 1, ch. 9.—Livy, bk. 3, ch. 8, &c.——Corvinus, a tribune of the soldiers under Camillus. When the Roman army were challenged by one of the Senones, remarkable for his strength and stature, Valerius undertook to engage him, and obtained an easy victory, by means of a crow that assisted him, and attacked the face of the Gaul, whence his surname of Corvinus. Valerius triumphed over the Etrurians, and the neighbouring states that made war against Rome, and was six times honoured with the consulship. He died in the 100th year of his age, admired and regretted for many public and private virtues. Valerius Maximus, bk. 8, ch. 13.—Livy, bk. 7, ch. 27, &c.—Plutarch, Caius Marius.—Cicero, Against Catiline.——Antias, an excellent Roman historian often quoted, and particularly by Livy.——Marcus Corvinus Messala, a Roman, made consul with Augustus. He distinguished himself by his learning as well as military virtues. He lost his memory about two years before his death, and according to some, he was even ignorant of his own name. Suetonius, Augustus.—Cicero, Brutus.——Soranus, a Latin poet in the age of Julius Cæsar, put to death for betraying a secret. He acknowledged no god, but the soul of the universe.——Maximus, a brother of Poplicola.——A Latin historian who carried arms under the sons of Pompey. He dedicated his time to study, and wrote an account of all the most celebrated sayings and actions of the Romans, and other illustrious persons, which is still extant, and divided into nine books. It is dedicated to Tiberius. Some have supposed that he lived after the age of Tiberius, from the want of purity and elegance which so conspicuously appear in his writings, unworthy of the correctness of the golden age of the Roman literature. The best editions of Valerius are those of Torrenius, 4to, Leiden, 1726, and of Vorstius, 8vo, Berlin, 1672.——Marcus, a brother of Poplicola, who defeated the army of the Sabines in two battles. He was honoured with a triumph, and the Romans, to show the sense of his great merit, built him a house on mount Palatine, at the public expense.——Potitus, a general who stirred up the people and army against the decemvirs, and Appius Claudius in particular. He was chosen consul, and conquered the Volsci and Æqui.——Flaccus, a Roman, intimate with Cato the censor, whose friendship he honourably shared. He was consul with him, and cut off an army of 10,000 of the Insubres and Boii in Gaul, in one battle. He was also chosen censor, and prince of the senate, &c.——A Latin poet who flourished under Vespasian. He wrote a poem in eight books on the Argonautic expedition, but it remained unfinished on account of his premature death. The Argonauts were there left on the sea in their return home. Some critics have been lavish in their praises upon Flaccus, and have called him the second poet of Rome, after Virgil. His poetry, however, is deemed by some frigid and languishing, and his style uncouth and inelegant. The best editions of Flaccus are those of Burman, Leiden, 1724, and 12mo, Utrecht, 1702.——Asiaticus, a celebrated Roman, accused of having murdered one of the relations of the emperor Claudius. He was condemned by the intrigues of Messalina, though innocent, and he opened his veins, and bled to death. Tacitus, Annals.——A friend of Vitellius.——Fabianus, a youth condemned under Nero, for counterfeiting the will of one of his friends, &c. Tacitus, Annals, bk. 14, ch. 42.——Lævinus, a consul who fought against Pyrrhus during the Tarentine war. See: [Lævinus].——Præconius, a lieutenant of Cæsar’s army in Gaul, slain in a skirmish.——Paulinus, a friend of Vespasian, &c.
Valerus, a friend of Turnus against Æneas. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 10, li. 752.
Valgius Rufus, a Roman poet in the Augustan age, celebrated for his writings. He was very intimate with Horace. Tibullus, [♦]bk. 1, li. 180.—Horace, bk. 1, satire 10, li. 82.
[♦] removed extraneous ‘3’
Vandalii, a people of Germany. Tacitus, Germania, ch. 3.
Vangiŏnes, a people of Germany. Their capital, Borbetomagus, is now called Worms. Lucan, bk. 1, li. 431.—Cæsar, Gallic War, bk. 1, ch. 51.
Vannia, a town of Italy, north of the Po, now called Civita.
Vannius, a king of the Suevi, banished under Claudius, &c. Tacitus, Annals, bk. 12, ch. 29.
Vapineum, a town of Gaul.
Varanes, a name common to some of the Persian monarchs, in the age of the Roman emperors.