person
Marcus Valerius Messalla Rufus
Messalla Rufus
also: M. Messalla
Augur and consul 53 BC after long delay; author of works on the auspices and on Roman families; nephew of Hortensius.
Reading notes
- Ad Atticum 4.9 §1 Messalla
Marcus Valerius Messalla Rufus, augur and consul of 53 BC. The candidacy here is for the elections of summer 55 for 53; Pompey is supposed to be obstructing it.
- Ad Atticum 5.12 §2 About Messalla I sent off to you a letter the moment I heard the news at Gyaros
M. Valerius Messalla Rufus, consul of 53 BC and nephew of the orator Hortensius, was on trial for electoral bribery (ambitus) in 51 BC. Cicero, anxious for Hortensius who was defending him, awaits news of the verdict.
- Ad Familiares 8.4 §1 first, Messala acquitted; then the same man condemned
M. Valerius Messalla Rufus (cos. 53) was acquitted on the general bribery charge but then convicted under the stricter Lex Licinia de sodaliciis; Roman bribery prosecutions could be pressed twice under different statutes.
- For Publius Sulla §20 Marcus Messala
M. Valerius Messalla Rufus, a kinsman of Sulla who interceded for him; he was a candidate for the praetorship in 62 BC and one of the senators Cicero had record the depositions. He later reached the consulship in 53.