# Vitellius — The Lives of the Caesars character guide

> Vitellius in The Lives of the Caesars by Suetonius.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Aulus Vitellius, Aulus

**First appearance:** 0009-vitellius

## Snapshot

A gluttonous, indolent emperor whose brief reign became a byword for excess and mismanagement in Rome's year of chaos.

## Who they are

Vitellius rises to power through military luck rather than merit, and once installed he indulges every appetite, from lavish banquets to arbitrary appointments. His defining tension is between the immense authority he holds and his utter incapacity to wield it responsibly, alienating soldiers and senators alike. His downfall, driven by Vespasian's advancing armies, makes him the cautionary counterweight to the more disciplined Flavians who follow.

## Relationships

### [Sporus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/characters/sporus)

_psychological_

Sporus was a young boy castrated and married by Nero, and Vitellius later forced him to perform in a degrading public spectacle.

### [Vespasian](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/characters/vespasian)

_rivalry_

Vespasian and Vitellius were rival claimants to the throne during the Year of the Four Emperors, leading to civil war and Vitellius's defeat.

### [Augustus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/characters/augustus)

_professional_

Vitellius's father served as a consul under Augustus, and the family had a long but unremarkable connection to the imperial court.

## In the story

### [Book VII: Galba—Otho—Vitellius](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/chapters/book-vii-galba-otho-vitellius)

Aulus Vitellius, known for his luxury and cruelty. He divided his feasts into three or four a day, delighted in inflicting death and torture, and was under the control of his freedman Asiaticus.

### [Vitellius](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/chapters/vitellius)

The subject of the chapter; his lineage, early life, rise to power, and character are examined.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/characters/vitellius
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/characters