C. Velleius, a Latin historian of considerable celebrity in the reign of Tiberius, is supposed by Dodwell to have been born before Christ 30, and to have been included in the fall of Sejanus, the favourite of Tiberius, A.D. 32. The place of his birth is unknown; but his great-grandfather, Minatius-Magius, was a native of Ascium, and took an active part in favour of the Romans during the Italic war; whilst another of his ancestors, Decius Magnus, was of high rank in Campania (Pat. ii. 16). His paternal uncle, Capito, was a senator, and joined with Agrippa in accusing Cassius, the murderer of Caesar (ii. 69). Paterculus commenced his military career under Caius Caesar, the grandson of Augustus, and accompanied him to the East as tribune in the second year of the Christian era. On his death he attached himself to the fortunes of Tiberius, and as commander of the cavalry was present during nine years in his several expeditions in Germany, Pannonia, and Dalmatia. On his return to Rome he was raised to the praetorship, A.D. 14, the same year in which Augustus died; but he does not appear to have reached any higher dignity.

Paterculus left an abridgment of Roman history, and had promised a larger work, which it does not appear that he ever executed. This epitome was still in progress, A.D. 30, in the sixteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, and is entitled Historiae Romanae ad M. Vinicium Cos. libri ii.; but it is incomplete, as the commencement is wanting, and also a portion after the eighth chapter. Only one manuscript has been found of this author, and even that has now disappeared. It was discovered in 1515, by Beatus Rheanus, in the monastery of Marbach, in Oberelsass, and first published at Basle in 1520. In this work Paterculus intended to give a sketch of the history of the world, more particularly of whatever he thought likely to interest the Romans. He began with the destruction of Troy, and the arrival of Æneas in Italy, and ended with the year 30 of the Christian era. He dwells particularly upon those parts of general history which were connected with that of Rome, and intersperses the work with moral reflections, that do honour to his heart and understanding. In his description of particular characters, he is more than usually happy, though his style is sometimes rather too oratorical, and evinces too much anxiety to strike the imagination of the reader by startling thoughts and expressions. His language is generally pure, and formed upon the best models of an earlier period. Sallust seems to have been the author whose style he more particularly imitated.

The best editions are those of Burmann, edited by C.H. Frotscher, Leipzig, 1880; and of C.D. Jani and J.C. Krause, Leipzig, 1800.