Lucius Cornelius Balbus | |
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 Statue of Balbus inCádiz, Spain | |
| Born | around 1st century BC Cádiz, Southern Spain |
| Died | after 13 BC[1] |
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| Relatives | Publius Cornelius Balbus (father) |
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Lucius Cornelius Balbus, often referred to asLucius Cornelius Balbus Minor, (not before 60 BC – after 13 BC),[1] son ofPublius Cornelius Balbus, was a Roman politician and General.[2] Similarly to his uncleBalbus the Elder,[3] Balbus Minor was also born inGades withPunic origins, and became a distinguished member of thegens Cornelia through adoption. Despite his Phoenician ancestry, Balbus rendered valuable services to the earlyRoman Empire, most notably by serving as the proconsul ofAfrica in 21 BC and leading an expedition to sub-Saharan Africa.[1] He was also known to be a close friend and trusted associate ofJulius Caesar.
Not much is known about the early life of Balbus due to the scarce and limited historical record available from that time. Records indicate that Balbus was born in the ancient city of Gades in the province of Hispania Ulterior to a Phoenician family. He later received his Roman citizenship simultaneously with his uncle in around 70 BC by gaining the favour ofGnaeus Pompey.[4][5]
Balbus was an important supporter of Julius Caesar inhis civil war, in which he was entrusted with several missions. He also has participated in theAlexandrian and Spanish wars. For his loyalty and valuable services to Caesar in the civil war, Balbus was awarded, by him, with his admission to theCollege of Pontiffs, a prestigious religious office. In 43 BC he was entrusted with the office ofQuaestor inHispania Ulterior (Further Spain). He then further accumulated fortune by pillaging and looting the inhabitants of the region.[2]
In that very year he crossed over to meetBogud, king ofMauretania. His presence in historical records fades away until the year 21 BC.[2]
Balbus seems to have dedicated some of his focus to literature: he wrote a play about his visit toLentulus in Pompey's camp atDyrrhachium. As reported byMacrobius, he was the author ofἘξηγητικά (Exegetica), a work engaging with Gods and their worship.[2]
In 21 BC, Balbus was appointed asProconsul ofAfrica.Mommsen thinks that he had incurred the displeasure ofAugustus by his conduct as praetor, and that his African appointment after so many years was due to his exceptional capabilities for the post.[2]
In 19 BC Balbus defeated theGaramantes, and on 27 March in that year received the honour of atriumph, which was then for the first time granted to one who was not a Roman citizen by birth, and for the last time to a private individual.[2]
Balbus built a new theatre, calledtheatre of Balbus, in Rome in 13 BC, connected to hisCrypta Balbi complex in the South-Eastern part of theCampus Martius.
Some of the reasons for the construction were the high demand of innovative and new buildings inthe capital and the desire for fame and favor from his supporters, including the emperor Augustus. Due to these factors, Balbus decided to build a theatre near theTheatre of Pompey. Although his theatre was smaller than Pompey's, as cited byPliny the Elder, it possessed its own unique richness: the theatre of Balbus featured four small columns made ofOnyx, which were destroyed during thefall of the Roman Empire.[1]
The theatre was destroyed by a fire that erupted during the reign ofTitus, but it was after restored, experts say, byDomitian.
Balbus' theatre could have held around 11,510 spectators.[6]
Lucius Cornelius Balbus Minor planned to conquer the inhabited African lands, during or in the aftermath of crossing theSaharan desert. Thus, in around 20-19 BC he decided to set off fromSabratha, a Roman city located in today's North-Western Libya and near theLibyan desert, to begin the expedition. The Sahara experiences relatively extreme temperatures and conditions that are unsuitable for horses or other animals due to the softness of sand. As a result, Balbus opted for camels instead of horses and mules for the expedition. Balbus also hadinfantry with him, comprising the largest part of the army. The exact size of his armed force is unclear, but it is estimated that Balbus had around 10,000 soldiers, including an unknown number of camels.[1]
The Garamantes heavily relied on commerce between the other populations living in or near the desert. Since the duty of the nomads on the goods en route were intense, the Roman merchants requested an expedition against the Garamantes to soften the duty. The expedition would aim the conquest of the city ofGarama, an important city for the Garamantes, eliminating the tributes for the nomads of the desert, and occupying some mercantile routes for the advantage of the Romans.[1]
Balbus had planned his expedition carefully: it is a plausible evidence that the use of spies and explorers was employed to gather news and intelligence against the Garamantes. The spies were sent to the heart of the Saharan desert, where they would frequently control the caravan routes. Balbus also gathered specific maps for the expedition, organized supplies and tools for his troops, and he had officials and cavalry of the army taught to ride camels.[1]
Ready for the voyage, the army departed for the oasis city ofCydamus. Upon arriving in the city, the troops refreshed themselves by raiding the locals of the oasis. The expedition continued southwards, covering around 650 km through a rocky desert (Hamada el-Hamra), conquering the most important towns and cities of the region, including the capital city of Garama. From there, Balbus could have sent an exploratory expedition even further Southern part of the Sahara, theFezzan, perhaps reaching theNiger River.[1]
These sources mainly comprise the largest or possibly the entirety of the first historiography.
see para 2. Lucius Cornelius Balbus (called Minor)....
see para 1. Lucius Cornelius Balbus (called Major ...
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