Aulus Postumius Albinus Luscus

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Aulus Postumius Albinus Luscus came from the Roman noble family of the Postumier and was 180 BC. Chr. Consul .

Family relationships and surnames

According to the Fasti Capitolini , the father and grandfather of Postumius carried out the same prenomen aulus . He was probably the grandson of Aulus Postumius Albinus , the consul of 242 BC. BC Spurius Postumius Albinus Paullulus and Lucius Postumius Albinus , the 174 and 173 BC respectively. The consulate was held by his younger brothers.

Like other Postumiers of his time, Postumius received, in addition to the hereditary cognomen Albinus, another individual nickname, namely Luscus . This referred to the loss of an eye - not an innate, but an acquired physical flaw. The not exactly glorious epithet was not included in the fasts, but is only known from the historian Titus Livius , who mentions it only in two places in his work.

Early career

It is believed that Postumius was first introduced by Livius at the beginning of his report on the war of the Romans against the Seleucids Antiochus III. and the Aetolians is mentioned. There an Aulus Postumius appears as a commander in Kefalonia , appointed by Aulus Atilius Serranus , who supported Gnaeus Octavius with troops and some ships. Postumius probably took from 192 BC Until the Roman victory as a legate in the battles against Antiochus III. part and was allowed to do so in 187 BC. Together with Publius Cornelius Cethegus exercise the office of curular aedile . His tenure fell under the consulate of Marcus Aemilius Lepidus , and the men's relationship continued later. Postumius' cousin Spurius Postumius Albinus held 186 BC. As consul from the elections for the next year; Among others Postumius and his former colleague as aedile, Cornelius Cethegus and his gens were Lucius Postumius Tempsanus to praetors of the year 185 v. Chr. Determined. Nothing is known about Postumius' administration as praetor.

consulate

One year after Cornelius Cethegus, Postumius also became consul, namely 180 BC. At the same time his brother Lucius was elected praetor. During the consulate of Postumius Aemilius Lepidus was granted the dignity of Pontifex Maximus ; he also became the censor for 179 BC. Elected. Like the consuls of the previous year, Postumius and his counterpart Gaius Calpurnius received Piso 180 BC. Transferred the fight against the Ligurians ; for this purpose they should first raise large troop contingents. Since Calpurnius Piso died during the preparations, Postumius had to wait in Rome for the by-election of Quintus Fulvius Flaccus as suffect consul . Meanwhile the proconsuls defeated the tribe of the Ligurian Apuans ; thus the military actions were essentially over before the arrival of Postumius and his new colleague. Postumius led a successful campaign against mountain tribes and sailed with his fleet as far as Albintimelium (today Ventimiglia ) to deter the coastal tribes . He made enemies of the mighty Fulvians , as he punished a war tribune belonging to this sex for acting unauthorized.

Duumvirate

The Dardanians complained in 176 BC. In Rome about the Bastarnen , who had been stirred up by the Macedonian king Perseus . A Senate Commission under the leadership of Postumius on the northern Balkan Peninsula was supposed to investigate these allegations on the spot. The other members of the commission were all of a younger age. They submitted their report at the beginning of 175 BC. BC and certified that the fears were correct.

Based on the discovery of two Roman dedicatory inscriptions, it is assumed that Postumius 175 BC. BC when Duumvir aedi dedicandae officiated. One of these inscriptions was found on an altar on the Servian Wall in 1876 . In 1933 the second inscription was discovered on an altar in Largo Argentina. These testimonies are interpreted to mean that Postumius 175 BC. In the function of a duumvir, he consecrated the little-known god Verminus to avert a cattle epidemic that was rampant at the time. This led to a devastating reduction in the number of cattle. In addition, a serious plague epidemic raged at the same time.

censorship

Also 175 BC Postumius was promoted to censor in the elections presided over by Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, who was then the most powerful man in Rome and who was consul for the second time. At the same time, Postumius' younger brother Spurius received the consulate for 174 BC in these elections. The third of the brothers, Lucius, became consul the next year, so that all three brothers in the years 174–173 BC. BC occupied the highest state offices. Also in the priestly college of the Decemviri sacris faciundis was Postumius 173 BC. Recorded.

Aemilius Lepidus and Postumius therefore supported each other in attaining the highest offices. But Postumius apparently also sought a compromise with the Fulvians and therefore resigned in 174 BC. The censorship together with the leader of this family, Quintus Fulvius Flaccus . The Fulvians had from 179 to 175 BC. BC held most of the highest state offices and were replaced in this priority by the postumers in the next two years. The change of power was initiated by the joint censorship in 174 BC. According to the ancient historian Friedrich Münzer, this was the result of a contract between the two families. Aemilius Lepidus could have mediated between them; in any case, the censors approved that he should remain Princeps senatus . Although the conduct of office of Postumius and his colleague appeared to the outside world to be quite amicable, it was not so free of conflict. Postumius usually managed to play the more important role. So he was able to exclude the from him already 180 BC. In his consulate punished brother of Fulvius Flaccus from the Senate and carry out the lustrum . After all, Fulvius Flaccus was allowed to expand the colonies of Potentia and Pisaurum established by his family without the interference of Postumius. Together, the censors revolutionized building activity in and around Rome. However, according to the Roman beliefs, Fulvius Flaccus committed a serious crime that had not gone unpunished because he had misappropriated an old sanctuary as part of his own construction work. Accordingly, he was judged more negatively in comparison with Postumius.

Later activities abroad

In a similar mission to his brothers who were sent at the same time, Postumius was in 171 BC He was sent to Crete as head of a delegation consisting of three envoys, who were supposed to bring archers for the battle of the Romans against the Macedonian king Perseus. Most recently, Postumius is known to have died in 167 BC. After the final defeat of Perseus, the Commission of Ten headed the commission that, together with the Macedonian conqueror Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus , established a new order in the defeated empire. This commission advising the victorious general was high-ranking, not only was Postumius, the most highly respected Roman after Aemilius Lepidus, its leader, but also the very important censor Gaius Claudius Pulcher as the second highest commissioner. In the opinion of Friedrich Münzer , this policy presented the Senate with "the most perfect statesmanlike wisdom and dignity".

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ Livy 40:35 , 1; 45, 17, 2.
  2. ^ Livy 36, 12, 9.
  3. ↑ Livy 39, 7, 8f.
  4. ↑ Livy 39, 23, 2
  5. ↑ Fasti Capitolini ; Livy 40, 35, 1; 40, 37, 6 et al
  6. ↑ Livy 40:35 , 8; 40, 36, 5-7.
  7. ↑ Livy 40:37, 1; 40, 37, 8.
  8. ↑ Livy 40, 41, 2-9.
  9. ↑ Polybios 25, 6, 1-6.
  10. ↑ Livius 41:19, 4 (after a larger gap); Appian , Macedonica , fragment 11, 1.
  11. ↑ CIL I² 804: Vermino | A. Postumius A. f. A. n. Albi. | duovir lay Plaetori .
  12. ↑ Livius 41:21, 5/7; Obsequens 10.
  13. ↑ Livy 42:10, 6
  14. ↑ Fasti Capitolini; Livy 41, 27, 1-13; 42, 10, 1-4 et al
  15. ^ F. Münzer (see literature), Col. 928.
  16. ↑ Livius 41:27, 2; 42, 10, 1.
  17. ^ Livy 41, 27, 11-13.
  18. ↑ Livy 41, 27, 5-10.
  19. ↑ Livy 41, 27, 11.
  20. ↑ Livy 42, 35, 7.
  21. ↑ Livy 45, 17, 1.
  22. ↑ F. Münzer, Col. 929
personal data
SURNAME Postumius albinus Luscus, Aulus
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Albinus Luscus, Aulus Postumius; Luscus, Aulus Postumius Albinus
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Roman consul 180 BC Chr. And general
DATE OF BIRTH 3rd century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 2nd century BC Chr.