Marcus Silius Messala

Marcus Silius Messala (born ca. AD 160 – fl.193) was a Roman Politician, senator and suffect consul towards the end of the 2nd century. In 193, Messala was the Suffect Consul from May until June. He was in command of the location where the murder of Pertinax took place. Septimius Severus accused Messala of murdering Pertinax and using his influence to convene and order the Senate to place the Senator Didius Julianus as Emperor. Septimius Severus called the death of Didius Julianus divine providence and ordered the execution of Messala.[1]

An inscription currently in the collection of the Pera Museum in Istanbul names Messala as consular legate of Bithynia et Pontus in the early years of the reign of Septimus Severus (c. 194-197).[2]

It is however possible though unlikely that this is the same senator Marcus Silius Messala condemned to death in the year AD 218 by Emperor Elagabalus. It is more likely though that the second Messala was a son of this senator.[3]

Literature

References

  1. ↑ Cassius Dio, Roman History, 73,17,3.
  2. ↑ Dönmez-Öztürk, F., Haensch, R., Sami Öztürk, H., and Weiss, P., "Aus dem Pera Museum (Istanbul): weitere Gewichte mit Nennung von Statthaltern von Pontus et Bithynia", Chiron 38 (2008), pp. 243-65
  3. ↑ Cassius Dio, Roman History, 79,5,1-5.
Political offices
Preceded by
Quintus Pompeius Sosius Falco ,
Gaius Julius Erucius Clarus Vibianus		 Suffect consul of the Roman Empire
193
with Lucius Fabius Cilo 		Succeeded by
Septimius Severus,
Clodius Albinus
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