Albinus
- I The name of a Roman usurer, Hor. A. P. 327.—
- II A. Postumius Albinus, censor, A. U. C. 580, Cic. Verr. 1, 41, 106; Liv. 41, 27.—
- III Esp.: A. Postumius Albinus, who was consul with Lucullus a short time before the third Punic war, 603 A. U. C., and the author of a Roman Hist. in Greek, cf. Cic. Brut. 21, 81; id. Ac. 2 (Luc.), 45, 137; Gell. 11, 8; Macr. S. praef. 13.
se tutos interventu fecerunt ~i coram omnium judice
Ἀλβῖνος, or Albus, the name of the principal family of the patrician Postumia gens. The original name was Albus, as appears from the Fasti, which was afterwards lengthened into Albinus. We find in proper names in Latin, derivatives in anus, enus, and inns, used without any additional meaning, in the same sense as the simple forms. (Comp. Niebuhr, Hist. of Rome, i. n. 219.)
1. A. Postumius Albus Regillensis, P. F., was, according to Livy, dictator B. C. 498, when he conquered the Latins in the great battle near lake Regillus. Roman story related that Castor and Pollux were seen fighting in this battle on the side of the Romans, whence the dictator afterwards dedicated a temple to Castor and Pollux in the forum. He was consul B. C. 496, in which year some of the annals, according to Livy, placed the battle of the lake Regillus; and it is to this year that Dionysius assigns it. (Liv. 2.19, 20, 21 ; Dionys. A. R. 6.2, &c.; V. Max. 1.8.1; Cic. de Nat. Deor. 2.2, 3.5.) The surname Regillensis is usually supposed to have been derived from this battle; but Niebuhr thinks that it was taken from a place of residence, just as the Claudii bore the same name, and that the later annalists only spoke of Postumius as commander in consequence of the name. Livy (30.45) states expressly, that Scipio Africanus was the first Roman who obtained a surname from his conquests. (Niebuhr, Hist. of Rome, i. p. 556.)
Many of the coins of the Albini commemorate this victory of their ancestor, as in the one annexed. On one side the head of Diana is represented with the letters Roma underneath, which are partly effaced, and on the reverse are three horsemen trampling on a foot-soldier.
2. Sp. Postumius Albus Regillensis, A. F. P. N., apparently, according to the Fasti, the son of the preceding, (though it must be observed, that in these early times no dependance can be placed upon these genealogies,) was consul B. C. 466. (Liv. 3.2; Dionys. A. R. 9.60.) He was one of the three commissioners sent into Greece to collect information about the laws of that country, and was a member of the first decemvirate in 451. (Liv. 3.31, 33; Dionys. A. R. 10.52, 56.) He commanded, as legatus, the centre of the Roman army in the battle in which the Aequians and Volscians were defeated in 446. (Liv. 3.70.)
3. A. Postumius Albus Regillensis, A. F. P. N., apparently son of No. 1, was consul B. C. 464, and carried on war against the Aequians. He was sent as ambassador to the Aequians in 458, on which occasion he was insulted by their commander. (Liv. 3.4, 5, 25; Dionys. A. R. 9.62, 65.)
4. Sp. Postumius SP. F. A. N. Albus Regillensis, apparently son of No 2, was consular tribune B. C. 432, and served as legatus in the war in the following year. (Liv. 4.25, 27.)
5. P. Postumius Albinus Regillensis, A. F. A. N., whom Livy calls Marcus, was consular tribune B. C. 414, and was killed in an insurrection of the soldiers, whom he had deprived of the plunder of the Aequian town of Bolae, which he had promised them. (Liv. 4.49, 50.)
6. M. Postumius Albinus Regillensis, A. F. A. N., is mentioned by Livy (5.1) as consular tribune in B. C. 403, but was in reality censor in that year with M. Furius Camillus. (Fasti Capitol.) In their censorship a fine was imposed upon all men who remained single up to old age. (V. Max. 2.9.1; Plut. Cam. 2; Dict. of Ant. s.v. Uxorium.)
7. A. Postumius Albinus Regillensis, consular tribune B. C. 397, collected with his colleague L. Julius an army of volunteers, since the tribunes prevented them from making a regular levy, and cut off a body of Tarquinienses, who were returning home after plundering the Roman territory. (Liv. 5.16.)
8. Sp. Postumius Albinus Regillensis, consular tribune B. C. 394, carried on the war against the Aequians; he at first suffered a defeat, but afterwards conquered them completely. (Liv. 5.26, 28.)
9. Sp. Postumius Albinus, was consul B. C. 334, and invaded, with his colleague T. Veturius Calvinus, the country of the Sidicini; but, on account of the great forces which the enemy had collected, and the report that the Samnites were coming to their assistance, a dictator was appointed. (Liv. 8.16, 17.) He was censor in 332 and magister equitum in 327, when M. Claudius Marcellus was appointed dictator to hold the comitia. (8.17, 23.) In 321, he was consul a second time with T. Veturius Calvinus, and marched against the Samnites, but was defeated near Caudium, and obliged to surrender with his whole army, who were sent under the yoke. As the price of his deliverance and that of the army, he and his colleague and the other commanders swore, in the name of the republic, to a humiliating peace. The consuls, on their return to Rome, laid down their office after appointing a dictator; and the senate, on the advice of Postumius, resolved that all persons who had sworn to the peace should be given up to the Samnites. Postumius, with the other prisoners, accordingly went to the Samnites, but they refused to accept them. (Liv. 9.1_10 ; Appian, de Reb. Samn. 2-6; Cic. de Off. 3.30, Cato, 12.)
10. A. Postumius Albinus, A. F. L. N., was consul B. C. 242 with Lutatius Catulus, who defeated the Carthaginians off the Aegates, and thus brought the first Punic war to an end. Albinus was kept in the city, against his will, by the Pontifex Maximus, because he was Flamen Martialis. (Liv. Epit. 19, 23.13; Eutrop. 2.27; V. Max. 1.1.2.) He was censor in 234. (Fasti Capitol.)
11. L. Postumius Albinus, A. F. A. N., apparently a son of the preceding, was consul B. C. 234, and again in 229. In his second consulship he made war upon the Illyrians. (Eutrop. 3.4; Oros. 4.13; Dio Cass. Frag. 151; Plb. 2.11, &c., who erroneously calls him Aulus instead of Lucius.) In 216, the third year of the second Punic war, he was made praetor, and sent into Cisalpine Gaul, and while absent was elected consul the third time for the following year, 215. But he did not live to enter upon his consulship; for he and his army were destroyed by the Boii in the wood Litana in Cisalpine Gaul. His head was cut off, and after being lined with gold was dedicated to the gods by the Boii, and used as a sacred drinking-vessel (Liv. 22.35, 23.24; Plb. 3.106, 118; Cic. Tusc. 1.37.)
12. Sp. Postumius Albinus, L. F. A. N., was praetor peregrinus in B. C. 189 (Liv. 37.47, 50), and consul in 186. In his consulship the senatusconsultum was passed, which is still extant, suppressing the worship of Bacchus in Rome, in consequence of the abominable crimes which were committed in connexion with it. (39.6, 11, &c.; V. Max. 6.3.7; Plin. Nat. 33.10; Dict. of Ant. p. 344.) He was also augur, and died in 179 at an advanced age. (Liv 40.42; Cic. Cato, 3.)
13. A. Postumius Albinus, A. F. A. N., was curule aedile B. C. 187, when he exhibited the Great Games, praetor 185, and consul 180. (Liv. 39.7, 23, 40.35.) In his consulship he conducted the war against the Ligurians. (40.41.) He was censor 174 with Q. Fulvius. Their censorship was a severe one; they expelled nine members from the senate, and degraded many of equestrian rank. They executed, however, many public works. (41.32, 42.10; comp. Cic. Ver. 1.41.) He was elected in his censorship one of the decemviri sacrorum in the place of L. Cornelius Lentulus. (Liv. 42.10.) Albinus was engaged in many public missions. In 175 he was sent into northern Greece to inquire into the truth of the representations of the Dardanians and Thessalians about the Bastarnae and Perseus. (Plb. 26.9.) In 171 he was sent as one of the ambassadors to Crete (Liv. 42.35); and after the conquest of Macedonia in 168 he was one of the ten commissioners appointed to settle the affairs of the country with Aemilius Paullus. (45.17.) Livy not unfrequently calls him Luscus, from which it would seem that he was blind of one eye.
14. Sp. Postumius Albinus Paullulus, A. F. A. N., probably a brother of No. 13 and 15, perhaps obtained the surname of Paullulus, as being small of stature, to distinguish him more accurately from his two brothers. He was praetor in Sicily, B. C. 183, and consul, 174. (Liv. 39.45, 41.26, 43.2.)
15. L. Postumius Albinus, A. F. A. N., probably a brother of No. 13 and 14, was praetor B. C. 180, and obtained the province of further Spain. His command was prolonged in the following year. After conquering the Vaccaci and Lusitani, he returned to Rome in 178, and obtained a triumph on account of his victories. (Liv. 40.35, 44, 47, 48, 50, 41.3, 11.) He was consul in 173, with M. Popillius Laenas; and the war in Liguria was assigned to both consuls. Albinus, however, was first sent into Campania to separate Mathe land of the state from that of private persons ; and this business occupied him all the summer, so that he was unable to go into his province. He Was the first Roman magistrate who put the allies any expense in travelling through their territories ries. (41.33, 42.1, 9.) The festival of the Floralia, which had been discontinued, was restored in his consulship. (Ov. Fast. 5.329.) In 171, he was one of the ambassadors sent to Masinissa and the Carthaginians in order to raise troops for the war against Perseus. (Liv. 42.35.) In 169 he was an unsuccessful candidate for the censorship (43.16.) He served under Aemilius, Paullus in Macedonia in 168, and commanded the second legion in the battle with Perseus. (44.41.) The last time he is mentioned is in this war, when he was sent to plunder the town of the Aenii. (45.27.)
16. A. Postumius Albinus, one of the officers in the army of Aemilius Paullus in Macedonia, B. C. 168. He was sent by Paullus to treat with Perseus; and afterwards Perseus and his son Philip were committed to his care by Paullus. (Liv. 4, 28.)
17. L. Postumius Sp. F. L. N. Albinus, apparently son of No. 12, was curule aedile B. C. 161, and exhibited the Ludi Megalenses, at which the Eunuch of Terence was acted. He was consul in 154, and died seven days after he had set out from Rome in order to go to his province. It was supposed that he was poisoned by his wife. (Obseq. 76; V. Max. 6.3.8.)
18. A. Postumius Albinus, A. F. A. N., apparently rently son of No. 13, was praetor B. C. 155 (Cic. Ac. 2.45; Plb. 33.1), and consul in 151 with L. Licinius Lucullus. He and his colleague were thrown into prison by the tribunes for conducting the levies with too much severity. (Liv. Epit. 48; Plb. 35.3; Oros. 4.21.) He one of the ambassadors sent in 153 to make peace between Attalus and Prusias (Plb. 33.11), and accompanied L. Mummies Achaicus into Greece in 146 as one of his legates. There was a statue erected to his honour on the Isthmus. (Cic. Att. 13.30, 32.) Albinus was well acquainted with Greek literature, and wrote in that language a poem and a Roman history, the latter of which is mentioned by several ancient writers. Polybius (40.6) speaks of him as a vain and light-headed man, who disparaged his own people, and was sillily devoted to the study of Greek literature. He relates a tale of him and the elder Cato, who reproved Albinus sharply, because in the preface to his history he begged the pardon of his readers, if he should make any mistakes in writing in a foreign language; Cato reminded him that he was not compelled to write at all, but that if he chose to write, he had no business to ask for the indulgence of his readers. This tale is also related by Gellius (11.8), Macrobius (Preface to Saturn.), Plutarch (Cato, 12), and Suidas (s. v. Ἀὖλος Ποστόμιος). Polybius also says that Albinus imitated the worst parts of the Greek character, that he was entirely devoted to pleasure, and shirked all labour and danger. He relates that he retired to Thebes, when the battle was fought at Phocis, on the plea of indisposition, but afterwards wrote an account of it to the senate as if he had been present. Cicero speaks with rather more respect of his literary merits; he calls him doctus homo and littera tus et disertus. (Cic. Ac. 2.45, Brut. 21.) crobius (2.16) quotes a passage from the first book of the Annals of Albinus respecting Brutus, and as he uses the words of Albinus, it has been supwas posed that the Greek history may have been transto lated into Latin. A work of Albinus, on the arrival of Aeneas in Italy, is referred to by Servius (ad Virg. Aen. 9.710), and the author of the work " De Origine Gentis Romanae," c. 15. (Krause, Vitae et Fragm. Veterum Historicorum, Romanorum, p. 127, &c.)
19. Sp. Postumius Albinus Magnus, was consul B. C. 148, in which year a great fire happened at Rome. (Obseq. 78.) It is this Sp. Albinus, of whom Cicero speaks in the Brutus (c. 25), and says that there were many orations of his.
20. Sp. Postumius SP. F. SP. N. Albinus, probably son of No. 19, was consul B. C. 110, and obtained the province of Numidia to carry on the war against Jugurtha. He made vigorous prepa rations for war, but when he reached the province, he did not adopt any active measures, but allowed himself to be deceived by the artifices of Jugurtha, who constantly promised to surrender. Many persons supposed that his inactivity was intentional, and that Jugurtha had bought him over. When Albinus departed from Africa, he left his brother Aulus in command. [See No. 21.] After the defeat of the latter he returned to Numidia, but in consequence of the disorganized state of his army, he did not prosecute the war, and handed over the army in this condition, in the following year, to the consul Metellus. (Sal. Jug. 35, 36, 39, 44; Oros. 4.15; Eutrop. 4.26.) He was condemned by the Mamilia Lex, which was passed to punish all those who had been guilty of treasonable practices with Jugurtha. (Cic. Brut. 34 comp. Sail. Jug. 40.)
21. A. Postumius Albinus, brother of No. 20, and probably son of No. 19, was left by his browas ther as pro-praetor, in command of the army in Africa in B. C. 110. [See No. 20.] He marched to besiege Suthal, where the treasures of Jugurtha were deposited; but Jugurtha, under the promise of giving him a large sum of money, induced him to lead his army into a retired place, where he was suddenly attacked by the Numidian king, and only saved his troops from total destruction by allowing them to pass under the yoke, and undertaking to leave Numidia in ten days. (Sal. Jug. 36-38.)
22. A. Postumius Sp. N. Albinus, A. F., grandson of No. 19, and probably son of No. 21, was consul B. C. 99, with M. Antonius. (Plin. Nat. 8.7; Obseq. 106.) Gellius (4.6) quotes the words of a senatusconsultum passed in their consulship in consequence of the spears of Mars having moved. Cicero says that he was a good speaker. (Brut. 35, post Red. ad Quir. 5.)
The following coin is supposed by Eckhel (vol. v. p. 288) and others to refer to this Albinus. On one side is the head of a female with the letters Hispan., which may perhaps have reference to the victory which his ancestor L. Aibinus obtained in Spain. [See No. 15.] On the other side a man is represented stretching out his hand to an eagle, a military standard, and behind him are the fasces with the axe. On it are the letters A. POST. A. F. N. S. ABIN (so on the coin, instead of Albin.). On the coins of the Postumia gens the praenomen Spurius is alway written S. and not Sp.
23. A. Postumius Albinus, a person of praetorian rank, commanded the fleet, B. C. 89, in the Marsic war, and was killed by his own soldiers under the plea that he meditated treachery, but in reality on account of his cruelty. Sulla, who was then a legate of the consul Porcius Cato, incorporated his troops with his own, but did not punish the offenders. (Liv. Epit. 75; Plut. Sull. 6.)
24. A. Postumius Albinus was placed by Caesar over Sicily, B. C. 48. (Appian, App. BC 2.48.)
25. D. Junius Brutus Albinus, adopted by No. 22, and commemorated in the annexed coin, where Brutus is called ALBINV(S) BRVTI. F. [Brutus.]
procurator of Judaea, in the reign of Nero, about A. D. 63 and 64, succeeded Festus, and was guilty of almost every kind of crime in his govenrment. He pardoned the vilest criminals for money, and shamelessly plundered the provincials. He was succeeded by Florus. (J. AJ 20.8.1; Bell. Jud. 2.14.1.) The Luceius Albinus mentioned below may possibly have been the same person.
(Ἀλβίνος), a Platonic philosopher, who lived at Smyrna and was a contemporary of Galen. (Galen, vol. iv. p. 372, ed. Basil.) Works Ἐισαγωγή εἰς τοὺς Πλάτωνος Διαλόγους (Introduction to the dialogues of Plato)
A short tract by him, entitled Ἐισαγωγή εἰς τοὺς Πλάτωνος Διαλόγους, has come down to us. It contains hardly anything of importance. After explaining the nature of the Dialogue, which he compares to a Drama, the writer goes on to divide the Dialogues of Plato into four classes, logikou/s, e)legktikou/s, *Fusikou/s, ἠθικούς, and mentions another division of them into Tetralogies, according to their subjects. He advises that the Alcibiades, Phaedo, Republic, and Timaeus, should be read in a series. Editions
This work is published in the second volume (p. 44) of the first edition of Fabricius; but omitted in the reprint by Harles, because it is to be found prefixed to Etwall's edition of three dialogues of Plato, Oxon. 1771; and to Fischer's four dialogues of Plato, Lips. 1783. Further Information
The authorities respecting Albinus have been collected by Fabricius. (Bibl. Graec. iii. p. 658.) He is said to have written a work on the arrangement of the writings of Plato. Another Albinus is mentioned by Boethius and Cassiodorus, who wrote in Latin some works on music and geometry. [B.J]
whose full name was Decimus Clodius Ceionius Septimius Albinus, the son of Ceionius Postumius and Aurelia Messalina, was born at Adrumetum in Africa; but the year of his birth is not known. According to his father's statement (Capitol. Clod. Albin. 4), he received the name of Albinus on account of the extraordinary whiteness of his body. Sewing great disposition for a military life, he entered the army at an early age and served with great distinction, especially during the rebellion of Avidius Cassius against the emperor Marcus Aurelius, in A. D. 175. His merits were acknowledged by the emperor in two letters (ib. 10) in which he calls Albinus an African, who resembled his countrymen but little, and who was praiseworthy for his military experience, and the gravity of his character. The emperor likewise declared, that without Albinus the legions (in Bithynia) would have gone over to Avidius Cassius, and that he intended to have him chosen consul. The emperor Commodus gave Albinus a command in Gaul and afterwards in Britain. A false rumour having been spread that Commodus had died, Albinus harangued the army in Britain on the occasion, attacking Commodus as a tyrant, and maintaining that it would be useful to the Roman empire to restore to the senate its ancient dignity and power. The senate was very pleased with these sentiments, but not so the emperor, who sent Junius Severus to supersede Albinus in his command. At this time Albinus must have been a very distinguished man, which we may conclude from the fact, that some time before Commodus had offered him the title of Caesar, which he wisely declined. Notwithstanding the appointment of Junius Severus as his successor, Albinus kept his command till after the murder of Commodus and that of his successor Pertinax in A. D. 193. It is doubtful if Albinus was the secret author of the murder of Pertinax, to which Capitolinus makes an allusion. (Ib. 14.)
After the death of Pertinax, Didius Julianus purchased the throne by bribing the praetorians; but immediately afterwards, C. Pescennius Niger was proclaimed emperor by the legions in Syria; L. Septimius Severus by the troops in Illyricum and Pannonia; and Albinus by the armies in Britain and Gaul. Julianus having been put to death by order of the senate, who dreaded the power of Septimius Severus, the latter turned his arms against Pescennius Niger. With regard to Albinus, we must believe that Severus made a provisional arrangement with him, conferring upon him the title of Caesar, and holding with him the consulship in A. D. 194. But after the defeat and death of Niger in A. D. 194, and the complete discomfiture of his adherents, especially after the fall of Byzantium in A. D. 196, Severus resolved to make himself the absolute master of the Roman empire. Albinus seeing the danger of his position, which he had increased by his indolence, prepared for resistance. He narrowly escaped being assassinated by a messenger of Severus (ib. 7, 8), whereupon he put himself at the head of his army, which is said to have consisted of 150,000 men. He met the equal forces of Severus at Lugdunum (Lyons), in Gaul, and there fought with him on the 19th of February, 197 (Spartian. Sever. 11), a bloody battle, in which he was at first victorious, but at last was entirely defeated, and lost his life either by suicide, or by order of Severus, after having been made a prisoner. His body was ill treated by Severus, who sent his head to Rome, and accompanied it with an insolent letter, in which he mocked the senate for their adherence to Albinus. The town of Lugdunum was plundered and destroyed, and the adherents of Albinus were cruelly prosecuted by Severus.
Albinus was a man of great bodily beauty and strength; he was an experienced general; a skilful gladiator; a severe, and often cruel commander ; and he has been called the Catiline of his time. He had one son, or perhaps two, who were put to death with their mother, by order of Severus. It is said that he wrote a treatise on agriculture, and a collection of stories, called Milesian. (Capitolinus, Clodius Albinus : D. C. 70.4_7; Herodian, 2.15, 3.5-7.)
There are several medals of Albinus. In the one annexed he is called D. CLOD. SEPT. ALBIN. CAES.
[W.P]
was made by Nero procurator of Mauretania Caesariensis, to which Galba added the province of Tingitana. After the death of Galba, A. D. 69, he espoused the side of Otho, and prepared to invade Spain. Cluvius Rufus, who commanded in Spain, being alarmed at this, sent centurions into Mauretania to induce the Mauri to revolt against Albinus. They accomplished this without much difficulty; and Albinus was murdered with his wife. (Tac. Hist. 2.58, 59.)
or Albus Postumius. The name of a patrician family at Rome, many of the members of which held the highest offices of the State, from the commencement of the Republic to its downfall. The founder of the family was dictator B.C. 498, when he conquered the Latins in the great battle near Lake Regillus (q.v.).
A governor of Britain at the death of the emperor Commodus (q.v.) in A.D. 192. In order to secure his neutrality, Septimius Severus made him Caesar; but, after Severus had defeated his rivals, he turned his arms against Albinus. A great battle was fought between them at Lugdunum (Lyons), in Gaul, A.D. 197, in which Albinus was defeated and killed.