Aulus Gabinius | |
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| Born | before 101 BC |
| Died | 48 or 47 BC |
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Aulus Gabinius (before 101 BC[citation needed] – 48 or 47 BC) was a politician and general of theRoman Republic. He had an important career, culminating with aconsulship in 58 BC, mainly thanks to the patronage ofPompey.[3] His name is mostly associated with thelex Gabinia, a law he passed astribune of the plebs in 67 BC that granted Pompey an extraordinary command in theMediterranean Sea to fight the pirates.
In 67 BC, as atribune of the plebs, Gabinius brought forward thelaw (Lex Gabinia), which gave Pompey the command in the war againstMediterranean pirates, with extensive powers that gave him absolute control over the sea and the coasts for 50 miles inland. Through Gabinius' two other measures, loans of money to foreign ambassadors in Rome were made actionable (as a check on the corruption of the Senate), and theSenate was ordered to give audiences to foreign envoys on certain fixed days (February 1–March 1) each year.
From 66–62 BC, during the final phases of theThird Mithridatic War, Gabiniusserved Pompey as a legate. In 65 BC Pompey gave him command of a part of his army and sent him into NorthernMesopotamia to pressure theParthian king,Phraates III, into a treaty with Pompey. From Northern Mesopotamia, Gabinius marched into Syria to help rid the region of pirates and brigands.Aristobulus, brother of the high priest and king ofJudea,Hyrcanus II, bribed him to support his [Aristobulus] claim to the Judean throne.[4] When Pompey arrived inAntioch, in Syria, Aristobulus sent an official deputation, fearing the fortune he had spent to persuade Pompey's legates might be wasted; he accused Gabinius andScaurus of accepting bribes.[5] It is unknown if Pompey did anything with these accusations.
In 61 BC, aspraetor, tried to win public favour by providing games on a scale of unusual splendour. In 59 BC, Gabinius ran for one of theconsulships for 58 and managed to get himself elected, although not without the suspicion ofbribery. He was elected consul alongsideLucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus, Caesar's father-in-law. During his term of office he aidedPublius Clodius Pulcher in bringing about the exile ofMarcus Tullius Cicero. Gabinius also managed to secureSyria as hisproconsular province.
In 57 BC Gabinius started his term as governor of Syria. Shortly after his arrival he marched his army south intoJudaea, defeated the army ofAlexander,Hyrcanus II's nephew, in a battle nearJerusalem, and reinstated Hyrcanus II as high-priest of Jerusalem,[6] He suppressed revolts, introduced important changes in the government of Judaea and rebuilt several towns.[7] He also supportedMithridates IV in his struggle against his brotherOrodes but abandoned Mithridates when the more lucrative offer of restoringPtolemy XII Auletes to the Egyptian throne reached him.
In 55 BCPompey convinced Gabinius to march toEgypt to restore Ptolemy XII to his throne. Gabinius did so without the consent of the Senate. He succeeded after a short successful campaign, in which he was supported by the young cavalry officerMark Antony. He left some of his troops, the so-calledGabiniani, in Egypt to protect Ptolemy XII. These Gabiniani fought against rebellious subjects of the king and later, after the king's death, against GaiusJulius Caesar.
During Gabinius's time in Egypt,Syria had been devastated by robbers, and Alexander, son ofAristobulus, had again taken up arms with the object of deprivingHyrcanus II of the high-priesthood. Gabinius marched into Judea and defeated Alexander nearMount Tabor killing 10,000 of Alexander's men. With some difficulty Gabinius restored order in Syria, and in 54 BC handed over the province to his successor,Marcus Licinius Crassus. TheRoman equites (knights), who astax collectors had suffered heavy losses during the disturbances in Syria, were greatly embittered against Gabinius, and, when he appeared in the Senate to give an account of his governorship, he was brought to trial on three counts, all involving a capital offence.
On the charge ofmaiestas (high treason) incurred by having left his province for Egypt without the consent of the Senate and in defiance of theSibylline Books, Gabinius was acquitted. It was said that the judges were bribed, and even Cicero, an enemy of Gabinius, was persuaded by Pompey to say as little as he could. On the second charge, that ofrepetundae (extortion during the administration of his province), with special reference to the 10,000talents paid by Ptolemy XII for his restoration, he was found guilty, in spite of evidence offered on his behalf by Pompey and witnesses fromAlexandria and the eloquence of Cicero, who had been induced to plead his cause. Nothing but Cicero's wish to do a favour to Pompey could have induced him to take on the task. Commentators hint that the half-heartedness of Cicero's defence contributed to Gabinius's condemnation. The third charge, that ofambitus (illegalities committed during his canvassing for the consulship), was consequently dropped. Gabinius went into exile and his property was confiscated.
After the outbreak ofCivil War in 49 BC, Gabinius was recalled byGaius Julius Caesar and entered his service, but took no active part against his old patron, Pompey. After theBattle of Pharsalus, he was commissioned to transport some recently levied troops toIllyricum. On his way overland, he was attacked by theDalmatians and with difficulty made his way toSalona. There Gabinius defended himself against the attacks of the Pompeian commander, Marcus Octavius, but a few months later died of illness (48 BC or the beginning of 47 BC).
Gabinius married a Roman noblewoman calledLollia[8] from theLollia gens, perhaps a daughter ofMarcus Lollius Palicanus, tribune of the plebs in 71 BC. Lollia bore him a son calledAulus Gabinius Sisenna.[9]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Gabinius, Aulus".Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Roman consul 58 BC With:Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor of Syria 57–54 BC | Succeeded by |
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