Lucius Norbanus Balbus

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Lucius Norbanus Balbus (* 1st century BC; † January 24, 41 ) was a Roman politician and senator in the early imperial era .

Norbanus came from a plebeian nobility family, which came from the former Oskischen Norba , in the 1st century BC. For the first time with Gaius Norbanus in 83 BC. A consul and thus rose to the nobility . He was the younger son of the Roman consul from 24 BC. BC Gaius Norbanus Flaccus . His older brother Gaius Norbanus Flaccus was an ordinary consul in AD 15.

Life

Nothing is known about the beginnings of Norbanus' senatorial career ( cursus honorum ). But like his father and brother, he must have enjoyed the trust of the emperors Augustus and Tiberius , because all three became full consuls, which indicates the close ties with the imperial family. Norbanus himself, together with Marcus Iunius Silanus Torquatus , a relative of the Julio-Claudian imperial family, became full consul in 19, for the first half of the year. The Lex Iunia Norbana, named after them, dates from this time .

After his consulate he seems to have withdrawn into private life, because the ancient sources that have been preserved do not report anything about the governorships that are otherwise customary for consulars. Only Cassius Dio mentions that Norbanus had an unusual hobbyhorse for Nobiles : he is said to have been a passionate trumpet player. In the area around Perugia he seems to have owned larger property.

On January 24, 41, he was probably in the company of the Emperor Caligula , when the latter fell victim to an assassination attempt by the Praetorians under Cassius Chaerea . Because Flavius ​​Josephus reports that the Germanic bodyguard rushed to the emperor, besides most of the assassins, also killed a very strong and vigorously defending man named Norbanus, who was probably the former consul Lucius Norbanus.

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ Hans Georg Gundel : Norbanus. In: The Little Pauly (KlP). Volume 4, Stuttgart 1972, Col. 156.
  2. ↑ Attilio Degrassi , Inscripti It., 1, p. 184 ff.
  3. ^ Cassius Dio, Römische Geschichte 57,18,3ff.
  4. ↑ Edmund Groag : Norbanus 8). In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume XVII, 1, Stuttgart 1936, Sp. 932.
  5. ↑ Josephus, Jüdische Antiquities 19, 123f.
  6. ↑ Cf. Edmund Groag: Norbanus 8). In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume XVII, 1, Stuttgart 1936, Sp. 932.
personal data
SURNAME Norbanus Balbus, Lucius
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Roman politician and senator in the early imperial era
DATE OF BIRTH 1st century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH January 24th 41