Lucius Cornelius Balbus (major)
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Lucius Cornelius Balbus (called Major to distinguish him from his nephew) was born in Gades early in the last century BC.
He served under Quintus Metellus Pius and Pompey against Sertorius in Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula, comprising modern Spain and Portugal). For his services against Sertorius the Roman citizenship was conferred upon him and his family by Pompey. He accompanied Pompey on his return to Rome, 71 BC, and was for a long time one of his most intimate friends. At the same time he gained the friendship of Julius Caesar, who placed great confidence in him. Becoming friendly with all parties, he had much to do with the formation of the First Triumvirate, and was one of the chief financiers in Rome. He was careful to ingratiate himself with Caesar, whom he accompanied when propraetor to Hispania (61 BC), and to Gaul (58 BC) as chief engineer (praefectus fabrum).
His position as a naturalized foreigner, his influence and his wealth naturally made Balbus many enemies, who in 56 BC put up a native of Gades to prosecute him for illegally assuming the rights of a Roman citizen, a charge directed against the triumvirs equally with himself. Cicero, (whose speech has been preserved[1]) Pompey and Crassus all spoke on his behalf, and he was acquitted. During the civil war, 49 BC Balbus did not take any open part against Pompey. He endeavoured to get Cicero to mediate between Caesar and Pompey, with the object of preventing him from definitely siding with the latter; and Cicero admits that he was dissuaded from doing so, against his better judgment.
Balbus attached himself to Caesar, and, in conjunction with Oppius, had the entire management of Caesar's affairs at Rome. Subsequently, Balbus became Caesar's private secretary, and Cicero was obliged to ask for his good offices with Caesar. After Caesar's murder 44 BC, Balbus was equally successful in gaining the favour of Octavian; in 43 BC or 42 BC he was praetor, and in 40 BC he became the first naturalised Roman citizen to attain the consulship. The year of his death is not known. Balbus kept a diary of the chief events in his own and Caesar's life (Ephemeria), which has been lost (Suetonius, Caesar, 81). He took care that Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic war should be continued; and accordingly the 8th book of the Bell. Gall. (which was probably written by his friend Hirtius at his instigation) is dedicated to him.
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
- This article incorporates text from William Smith, A New Classical Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography, Mythology and Geography, 1851, a publication now in the public domain.
- Cicero, Letters (ed. Tyrrell and Purser, iv. introd. p. 62) and Pro Balbo.
- E Jullien, De L. Cornelio Balbo Maiore, 1886.
