Early life Lucius was the son of a
Marcus Salvius Otho, whose father was an
Etruscan. Marcus had been raised in empress
Livia's home. Potentially a daughter of
Marcus Titius and his wife Fabia Paullina, but possibly his sister or niece instead. A Titia L. f. is known from inscription to have been the wife of a Salvius. This woman died young in 23 BC. It is not certain if this woman was Otho's mother or possibly grandmother. Regardless, Lucius was widely assumed to be emperor
Tiberius's illegitimate son, due to the excessive affection Tiberius bestowed on him, as well as a strong physical resemblance. This was a double edged sword for his children as it made them related to the
Julio-Claudians, but also connected them to Tiberius, who was unpopular with the people of Rome.
Ronald Syme thought Lucius might have been born as late as
6 BC, but possibly earlier, if Titia L. f was his mother then he would have to have been born in 23 BC at the latest. Tiberius would have been around 19 at this time.
Career Lucius was renowned for the severity of his command in the regular offices at Rome, the
proconsulate of Africa, and several special military commands. He was made
consul suffectus in July 33 AD. In
Illyricum, in 42, some soldiers supported a rebellion against
Claudius by Illyricum's governor,
Lucius Arruntius Camillus Scribonianus. Afterwards, they tried to cover the revolt up by killing their officers, who were the revolt's ringleaders. Claudius promoted them for doing so, but Lucius had them executed in his presence in the
principia for killing their officers. He rebuilt his reputation at court by forcing the slaves of an unnamed
knight to betray their master's plot to kill the emperor. As a result, the Senate set up his statue in the palace, and Claudius enrolled him among the
patricians, praising him in the highest terms and calling him "a man of greater loyalty than I can even pray for in my own children". ==Marriage and issue==