: ''For others with this
cognomen
A ''cognomen'' (; plural ''cognomina''; from ''con-'' "together with" and ''(g)nomen'' "name") was the third name of a citizen of ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. Initially, it was a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became here ...
, see
Albinus (cognomen).''
Lucceius Albinus was the 6th
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
Procurator of Judea from 62 until 64 and the
governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
of
Mauretania Tingitana
Mauretania Tingitana (Latin for "Tangerine Mauretania") was a Roman province, coinciding roughly with the northern part of present-day Morocco. The territory stretched from the northern peninsula opposite Gibraltar, to Sala Colonia (or Chella ...
from 64 until 69.
Biography
Appointed
procurator
Procurator (with procuracy or procuratorate referring to the office itself) may refer to:
* Procurator, one engaged in procuration, the action of taking care of, hence management, stewardship, agency
* ''Procurator'' (Ancient Rome), the title o ...
by the
Emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
Nero
Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 unti ...
following the death of his predecessor,
Porcius Festus
Porcius Festus was the 5th procurator of Judea from about 59 to 62, succeeding Antonius Felix.
Term in office
The exact time of Festus in office is not known. The earliest proposed date for the start of his term is c. 55–56, while the latest i ...
, Albinus faced his first challenge while traveling from
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...
to his new position in Judea. The Jewish
High Priest Ananus ben Ananus
Ananus ben Ananus (Hebrew: ''Hanan ben Hanan'' Greek: "Ananos son of Ananos" var: Ananias, la, Anani Ananus or ), d. 68 CE, was a Herodian-era High Priest of Israel in Jerusalem, Iudaea Province. He was the High Priest who ordered the exe ...
used the opportunity created by Festus' death to convene the
Sanhedrin
The Sanhedrin (Hebrew and Aramaic: סַנְהֶדְרִין; Greek: , ''synedrion'', 'sitting together,' hence ' assembly' or 'council') was an assembly of either 23 or 71 elders (known as "rabbis" after the destruction of the Second Temple), ...
and have
James the Just (the brother of
Jesus of Nazareth) and other people sentenced to death by
stoning
Stoning, or lapidation, is a method of capital punishment where a group throws stones at a person until the subject dies from blunt trauma. It has been attested as a form of punishment for grave misdeeds since ancient times.
The Torah and Ta ...
for violation of the
Law of Moses. A delegation sent by citizens upset over the perceived breach of justice met Albinus before he reached Judea, and Albinus responded with a letter informing Ananus that it was illegal to convene the Sanhedrin without Albinus' permission and threatening to punish the priest. Ananus was therefore deposed by King
Herod Agrippa II
Herod Agrippa II (; AD 27/28 – or 100), officially named Marcus Julius Agrippa and sometimes shortened to Agrippa, was the last ruler from the Herodian dynasty, reigning over territories outside of Judea as a Roman client. Agrippa II fled ...
before Albinus's arrival and replaced with
Jesus ben Damneus.
Josephus
Flavius Josephus (; grc-gre, Ἰώσηπος, ; 37 – 100) was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian and military leader, best known for '' The Jewish War'', who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly ...
, '' Antiquities of the Jews'', Book 20, Chapter 9, Section 1
Immediately upon his arrival in
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
, Albinus began an effort to remove the
sicarii
The Sicarii (Modern Hebrew: סיקריים ''siqariyim'') were a splinter group of the Jewish Zealots who, in the decades preceding Jerusalem's destruction in 70 CE, strongly opposed the Roman occupation of Judea and attempted to expel them and th ...
from the region.
Josephus
Flavius Josephus (; grc-gre, Ἰώσηπος, ; 37 – 100) was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian and military leader, best known for '' The Jewish War'', who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly ...
also records that Albinus became the friend of a High Priest named Ananias due to the priest's gift-giving.
[Josephus, ''Antiquities of the Jews'', Book 20, Chapter 9, Section 2] The sicarii responded to Albinus's efforts by capturing an assistant to the priest Eleazar, son of Ananias, and demanding the release of ten imprisoned sicarii in exchange for the assistant. The release was arranged by Ananias.
[Josephus, ''Antiquities of the Jews'', Book 20, Chapter 9, Section 3]
At a certain point, a man called
Jesus ben Ananias
Jesus ben Ananias (''"the son of Ananias"'' endered as the "son of Ananus" in the Whiston translation was a plebeian farmer, who, four years before the First Jewish-Roman War began in 66 AD, went around Jerusalem prophesying the city's destruction ...
(not to be confused with Jesus of Nazareth) was brought in front of Albinus because he was prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem and of the
Second Temple. Albinus interrogated him and had him flogged, but to no avail, since the accused continued to cry his prophecy without answering the procurator's questions; eventually, Albinus declared the man to be a maniac and released him.
When Albinus learned that he was to be succeeded by
Gessius Florus
Gessius Florus was the 7th Roman procurator of Judea from 64 until 66.
Biography
Born in Clazomenae, Florus was appointed to replace Lucceius Albinus as procurator by the Emperor Nero due to his wife Cleopatra's friendship with Nero's wife Popp ...
, he emptied the prisons by executing prisoners charged with more serious offenses and allowing the remaining prison population to pay for their release.
[Josephus, ''Antiquities of the Jews'', Book 20, Chapter 9, Section 5]
Following his time in Judea, Albinus was chosen by Nero to be governor of
Mauretania Caesariensis.
The province of
Mauretania Tingitana
Mauretania Tingitana (Latin for "Tangerine Mauretania") was a Roman province, coinciding roughly with the northern part of present-day Morocco. The territory stretched from the northern peninsula opposite Gibraltar, to Sala Colonia (or Chella ...
was added to Albinus's governor duties by the Emperor
Galba. Following Galba's death, Albinus supported
Otho
Marcus Otho (; born Marcus Salvius Otho; 28 April 32 – 16 April 69) was the seventh Roman emperor, ruling for three months from 15 January to 16 April 69. He was the second emperor of the Year of the Four Emperors.
A member of a noble Etr ...
in the
year of political anarchy (69), which followed Nero's death.
[Tacitus, '' The Histories'', Volume II, Section 58] Following Otho's death, Albinus was rumored to have styled himself as a king using the title "Juba". Albinus and his wife were assassinated shortly afterwards.
Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historians by modern scholars.
The surviving portions of his two major works—the ...
, ''The Histories'', Volume II, Section 59
See also
*
Prefects, Procurators, and Legates of Roman Judaea
*
List of Roman governors of Mauretania Tingitana
Notes
References
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lucceius Albinus
1st-century Romans
1st-century Roman governors of Judaea
Roman governors of Mauretania Tingitana
1st-century deaths
Albinus
Year of birth unknown