Early life Primus was born at Tolosa (
Toulouse) in
Gaul. It has been suggested that he was the son of
Lucius Antonius, thus making him the great-grandson of
Marc Antony. It is also possible that he was descended from Gauls who had been enfranchised by
Mark Antony during his Gallic campaign. Kenneth Wellesley wrote that he was nicknamed
Beccus ("Beaky"), likely due to his physique. The Loeb translation of Suetonius' Twelve Caesars says, "
in his youth bore the surname Becco, which means a rooster’s beak”, the footnote that accompanies the above quote says, “
Gallus means “a cock,” as well as “a Gaul.”
Career During the reign of
Nero, he was resident in
Rome and a member of the Senate, from which he was expelled for conspiring to forge a will with
Valerius Fabianus, and was banished from the city. He was subsequently reinstated by
Galba, and placed in command of the
Legio XIII Gemina in
Pannonia. During the civil war, Primus was one of
Vespasian's strongest supporters. Advancing into Italy, he gained a decisive victory over the Vitellians at
Bedriacum in October 69, and on the same day stormed and captured
Cremona. His victorious troops then sacked and burned the city. Embarrassed by the incident he forbade enslavement of captive Cremonans, and their captors then began murdering those who could not be ransomed. He then crossed the
Apennines, and made his way to Rome, into which he forced an entrance after considerable opposition.
Vitellius was seized and put to death. For a few days, Primus was virtually ruler of Rome, and the Senate bestowed upon him the rank and insignia of a consul, but on the arrival of
Licinius Mucianus, he left Rome. Primus must have been alive during the reign of
Domitian, since four epigrams of
Martial are addressed to him.
Tacitus describes him as brave in action, ready of speech, clever at bringing others into odium, powerful in times of civil war and rebellion, greedy, extravagant, in peace a bad citizen, in war an ally not to be despised. == References ==