Marcus Valerius Messalla Appianus (also known as Marcus Valerius Messalla Barbatus Appianus;Lightman, A to Z of Ancient Greek and Roman Women, p. 205Habelt, "A PROPOSITO DEI MATRIMONI DI MARCELLA MINORE E DEL MONVMENTVM DEI SUOI SCHIAVI E LIBERTI", Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 111 c. 45 BC – 12 BC) was a Roman Senator during the reign of Augustus. He was ordinary consul in 12 BC with Publius Sulpicius Quirinius as his colleague.Attilio Degrassi, I fasti consolari dell'Impero Romano dal 30 avanti Cristo al 613 dopo Cristo (Rome, 1952), p. 4

Family background Not much is known about his family background and early life. Appianus may have been the son of Appius Claudius Pulcher, the consul of 38 BC.Syme, The Augustan Aristocracy, p. 147 He was probably adopted by Marcus Valerius Messalla, suffect consul 32 BC, thus becoming Marcus Valerius Messalla Barbatus Appianus.

Political career According to the French historian Fr. François Catrou et Rouillé, Appianus served as a quaestor in the army of the Roman Triumvir Mark Antony. After this, little is known about his remaining political career beyond his consulship in 12 BC. He died not long afterwards.

Marriage and issue About 14 BC, Appianus married Claudia Marcella Minor, a daughter of Octavia the Younger; Claudia Marcella Minor's maternal uncle was the Roman emperor Augustus. Marcella bore Appianus two children: a daughter, Claudia Pulchra, and a son, Marcus Valerius Messalla Barbatus, although there has been some speculation that Claudia's father might actually have been Publius Claudius Pulcher, the son of Clodius.

References

Sources R. Syme, The Augustan Aristocracy, Clarendon Press, 1986 UGO FUSCO – GIAN LUCA GREGORI, A PROPOSITO DEI MATRIMONI DI MARCELLA MINORE E DEL MONVMENTVM DEI SUOI SCHIAVI E LIBERTI, aus: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 111 (1996) 226–232, Dr. Rudolf Habelt GmbH, Bonn M. Lightman & B. Lightman, A to Z of Ancient Greek and Roman Women, Infobase Publishing, 2008 Jesuit François Catrou et Rouillé, Histoire romaine depuis la fondation de Rome [jusqu'a l'an 47 de J.-C.], avec des notes historiques, géographiques et critiques...par les RR. PP. Catrou et Rouillé de S. J. T. 01-20 (histoire romaine par Bernard Rothe, [sic pour Routh] T. 21)