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GABINIUS, AULUS

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Originally appearing in Volume V11, Page 380 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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GABINIUS, AULUS , See also:Roman statesman and See also:general, and supporter of See also:Pompey, a prominent figure in the later days of the Roman See also:republic. In 67 B.C., when See also:tribune of the See also:people, he brought forward the famous See also:law (Lex Gabinia) conferring upon Pompey the command in the See also:war against the Mediterranean pirates, with extensive See also:powers which gave him See also:absolute See also:control over that See also:sea and the coasts for 50 M. inland. By two other See also:measures of Gabinius loans of See also:money to See also:foreign ambassadors in See also:Rome were made non-actionable (as a check on the corruption of the See also:senate) and the senate was ordered to give See also:audience to foreign envoys on certain fixed days (1st of Feb.-1st of See also:March). In 61 Gabinius, then See also:praetor, endeavoured to win the public favour by providing See also:games on a See also:scale of unusual splendour, and in 58 managed to secure the consulship, not without suspicion of See also:bribery. During his See also:term of See also:office he aided Publius See also:Clodius in bringing about the See also:exile of See also:Cicero. In 57 Gabinius went as proconsul to See also:Syria. On his arrival he reinstated See also:Hyrcanus in the high-priesthood at See also:Jerusalem, suppressed revolts, introduced important changes in the See also:government of See also:Judaea, and rebuilt several towns. During his See also:absence in See also:Egypt, whither he had been sent by Pompey, without the consent of the senate, to restore See also:Ptolemy Auletes to his See also:kingdom, Syria had been devastated by robbers, and See also:Alexander, son of See also:Aristobulus, had again taken up arms with the See also:object of depriving Hyrcanus of the high-priesthood. With some difficulty Gabinius restored See also:order, and in 54 handed over the See also:province to his successor, M. See also:Licinius See also:Crassus. The knights, who as farmers of the taxes had suffered heavy losses during the disturbances in Syria, were greatly embittered against Gabinius, and, when he appeared in the senate to give an See also:account of his governorship, he was brought to trial on three See also:counts, all involving a See also:capital offence. On the See also:charge of majestas (high See also:treason) incurred by having See also:left his province for Egypt without the consent of the senate and in See also:defiance of the Sibylline books, he was acquitted; it is said that the See also:judges were bribed, and even Cicero, who had recently attacked Gabinius with the utmost virulence, was persuaded by Pompey to say as little as he could in his See also:evidence to damage his former enemy.

On the second charge, that of repetundae (See also:

extortion during the See also:administration of his province), with especial reference to the 10,000 talents paid by Ptolemy for his restoration, he was found guilty, in spite of evidence offered on his behalf by Pompey and witnesses from See also:Alexandria and the eloquence of Cicero, who had been induced to plead his cause. Nothing but Cicero's wish to do a favour to Pompey could have induced him to take up what must have been a distasteful task; indeed, it is hinted that the See also:half-heartedness of the See also:defence materially contributed to Gabinius's condemnation. The third charge, that of ambitus (illegalities committed during his See also:canvass for the consulship),was consequently dropped; Gabinius went into exile, and his See also:property was confiscated. After the outbreak of the See also:civil war, he was recalled by See also:Caesar in 49, and entered his service, but took no active See also:part against his old See also:patron Pompey. After the See also:battle of Pharsalus, he was commissioned to transport some recently levied troops to Illyricum. On his way thither by See also:land, he was attacked by the Dalmatians and with difficulty made his way to Salonae (See also:Dalmatia). Here he bravely defended himself against the attacks of the Pompeian See also:commander, See also:Marcus Octavius, but in a few months died of illness (48 or the be-ginning of 47). See Dio See also:Cassius See also:xxxvi. 23-36, xxxviii. 13. 30, xxxi. 55-63; See also:Plutarch, Pompey, 25.

48; See also:

Josephus, Antiq. xiv. 4-6; See also:Appian, Illyrica, 12, See also:Bell. Civ. ii. 24. 59; Cicero, ad Att. vi. 2, ad Q. Fratrem, ii. 13, See also:Post reditum in senatu, 4-8, See also:Pro lege Manilia, 17, 18, 19; exhaustive See also:article by See also:Bahr in See also:Ersch and See also:Gruber's Allgemeine Encyclopadie; and monograph by G. StOcchi, Aulo Gabinio e i suoi processi (1892).

End of Article: GABINIUS, AULUS

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