Postumia

1. A Vestal virgin, accused of incest in B. C. 419, in consequence of the elegance of her dress and the freedom of her remarks, but acquitted, with an admonition to be more careful in her conduct for the future. (Liv. 4.44.)

2. The wife of Ser. Sulpicius, was a busy intriguing woman, and did not bear a good character. She is said to have been one of the mistresses of Julius Caesar (Suet. Jul. 50), and Cicero suspected that it was her charms which drew his legatus Ponptinus from Cilicia to Rome. (Cic. Att. 5.21.9.) Her name frequently occurs in Cicero's correspondence at the time of the civil wars (ad Fam. 4.2, ad Att. 10.3. A, 10.14, 12.11, &c.).

[Pontia, No. 2.]

patrician, was one of the most ancient patrician gentes at Rome, and frequently held the highest offices of the state, from the banishment of the kings to the downfal of the republic. The most distinguished family in the gens was that of ALBUS or Albinus, but we also find at the commencement of the republic distinguished families of the names of Megellus and Tubertus. The first of the Postumii, who obtained the consulship, was P. Postumius Tubertus, in B. C. 503, only six years after the expulsion of the kings. Regillensis is properly an agnomen of the Albini, and accordingly persons with this surname are given under ALBINUS. In the Punic wars, and subsequently, we also find the surnames PYRGENSIS, TEMPSANUS, and Tympanus. A few Postumii are mentioned without any surname: these are given below.

POSTU´MIA or POSTUMIA´NA CASTRA, a fortress in Hispania Baetica, seated on a hill near the river Salsum (Hirt. B. Hisp. 8); probably the modern Salado, between Osuña and Antequera. (Mariana, 3.2; Florez, Esp. S. 10. p. 150, 12. p. 14.)