corvinus was a member of the republican gens valeria. corvinus was the namesake of the senator and augustan literary patron marcus valerius messalla corvinus. he may have been a son of the senator and consul marcus aurelius cotta maximus messalinus, who was a son of marcus valerius messalla corvinus, or possibly the son of the consul marcus valerius messalla barbatus and domitia lepida the younger, thus making him the brother of valeria messalina, the third wife of the emperor claudius.