Spurius Postumius Albinus Paullulus

Spurius Postumius Albinus Paullulus († around 169 BC) came from the Roman patrician family of the Postumier and was 174 BC. Chr. Consul .

Life

Postumius' full name, including filiation, has only come down to us through the Fasti Capitolini , who give the first names of his father and grandfather as Aulus . It follows that he was the consul's grandson from 242 BC. BC, Aulus Postumius Albinus , as well as the brother of the consuls from 180 and 173 BC. BC, Aulus Postumius Albinus Luscus and Lucius Postumius Albinus , was.

Postumius probably became curular aedile and praetor two years after his older brother Aulus . According to this assumption, Postumius would have 185 BC. Had the curular aedility. In any case, it is certain that he was in 183 BC. BC became praetor and administered the province of Sicily in this capacity . Two years earlier he could easily be contacted by his cousin Spurius Postumius Albinus , the consul of 186 BC. B.C., to have been promoted to aedile because of the elections for 185 B.C. And has been shown to have helped Postumius' older brother Aulus and another family member to praetor positions. In addition, the two plebeian aediles (known by name) from 185 BC. Two years later were elected praetors with Postumius, so that it is obvious that the three men also 185 BC. Were colleagues in the aedility. In addition, Pliny the Elder , whose source is Lucius Calpurnius Piso Frugi , mentions a curular aedile Spurius Albinus , who cited the wealthy freedman Gaius Furius Chresimus, who was accused of alleged witchcraft by a jealous neighbor ; but the accused was able to rebut the allegations made against him and make it credible that he had honestly acquired his wealth, so that an acquittal was made. However, Pliny does not record a year for the term of office of this Spurius Albinus . Although the episode is not mentioned by the annalist Titus Livius , the ancient historian Friedrich Münzer considers it likely that Spurius Postumius Albinus Paullulus is meant and, for the reasons given above, considers him to be one of the curular aediles of 185 BC. Chr.

Since the Fulvian family and their partners in the first half of the 170s BC Dominated Roman politics, Postumius did not reach the climax of his career until 174 BC. When he and Quintus Mucius Scaevola took up the consulate. But now Postumius' older brother Aulus became 174 BC. Chr. Censor and his younger brother Lucius next year consul, so now was the majority of top state offices in the hands of the three brothers. Since the report of Livius in the 41st book of his Roman history has large gaps, almost nothing is known about Postumius' term of office as consul. The province assigned to him is also unknown.

Like his two brothers, Postumius went in 171 BC. When the war of the Romans against the Macedonian king Perseus began, at the head of an embassy abroad. In addition to Postumius, this consisted of two other members, presumably consulates, and went to Rhodes and to other allies in Asia Minor . Postumius must have died not much later.

literature

• Friedrich Münzer : Postumius 49 . In: Paulys real encyclopedia of classical antiquity . Vol. XXII 1, Col. 930-932.
• Postumius [I 12] . In: The New Pauly . Vol. 9, Col. 224.

Remarks

1. ↑ Livy 39, 45, 2 and 5.
2. ↑ Livy 39, 23, 1f.
3. ↑ Livy 39, 45, 2.
4. ↑ Pliny, Natural History 18, 41–43
5. ↑ F. Münzer (see Lit.), Col. 931.
6. ↑ Fasti Capitolini ; Livy 43: 2, 9; among others
7. ↑ Livy 42, 45, 1-4; see. Polybios 27, 3, 1-6.