he held it, then we can deduce Veiento was born around the year AD 24. His next appearance in history is in 62, when he was tried and exiled. Tacitus tells the story: A similar accusation caused the downfall of Fabricius Veiento. He had composed many libels on senators and pontiffs in a work to which he gave the title of "Codicils." Tullius Geminus, the prosecutor, further stated that he had habitually trafficked in the emperor's favours and in the right of promotion. This was Nero's reason for himself undertaking the trial, and having convicted Veiento, he banished him from Italy, and ordered the burning of his books, which, while it was dangerous to procure them, were anxiously sought and much read. Soon full freedom for their possession caused their oblivion. McDermott notes, "At first glance this seems to be denigration of Veiento, but a closer look at the passage and its context reveals Veiento in a very different light." McDermott points out the context of this passage — the preceding chapters narrate the recrudescence of charges under the Lex Julia maiestatis, or treason — suggests the motivation of this prosecution was not Veiento's "Codicils", instead an excuse to confiscate his property. McDermott also notes that what Tacitus says here is not that Veiento sold "the emperor's favours and . . . the right of promotion", but that Tullius Geminus accused Veiento of this. "Such fictitious additions to the central charge of maiestas laesa were common," McDermott reminds us. Veiento was more the victim of court intrigue than the agent of it. Career under Vespasian Obviously Veiento returned from exile following the suicide of Nero in 68. He found favor with Vespasian through means unknown, but it resulted in his first suffect consulship. The date of his consulship may be as early as Vespasian's reign when he first became amicus Caesaris and a member of the consilium principis. He was clearly favored by Vespasian's son Titus, for his second suffect consulship was in 80. Here Veiento's career appears to be anomalous, for there is no certain record of a cursus honorum. McDermott identifies him as the subject of a fragmentary inscription found at Arles, and his restoration of this inscription, which he admits is speculative in places, shows he was governor of three provinces (one of which was either Asia or Africa), as well as legate of an unknown legion