Lucius Vipstanus Poplicola


Lucius Vipstanus Poplicola Messalla was a Roman Senator. Messalla was ordinary consul in AD 48 as the colleague of the future emperor Vitellius.

Biography

Based on the elements of his cognomen Popicola Messalla, Ronald Syme suggested that Vipstanus Poplicola was the son of Lucius Vipstanus Gallus and a postulated Valeria Messallia, the granddaughter of Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus. He completed his consulate in July 48, and was succeeded by the consul suffectus Gaius Vipstanus Messalla Gallus, who has been suggested to have been his brother.
For the term 58/59, the sortition awarded Vipstanus Poplicola Proconsular governor of Asia.
According to Syme, Vipstanus Poplicola's son was Gaius Valerius Poplicola, who was co-opted into a sacerdotal college in AD 63, but is not heard of afterwards, possibly having died before being old enough to accede to the consulate.