Tiberius Claudius Balbillus Modestus (AD 3-79), more commonly known as Tiberius Claudius Balbilus, was a distinguished
Ancient Roman
In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...
scholar, politician and a court astrologer to the
Roman emperors
Claudius
Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54) was the fourth Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Nero Claudius Drusus, Drusu ...
,
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 un ...
, and
Vespasian
Vespasian (; la, Vespasianus ; 17 November AD 9 – 23/24 June 79) was a Roman emperor who reigned from AD 69 to 79. The fourth and last emperor who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty that ruled the Empi ...
.
[Holden, ''A History of Horoscopic Astrology'', p. 29]
Forms of his name
Other forms of Balbilus's name include the Latin forms Tiberius Claudius Balbillus,
[Bunsen, ''Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire'', p. 66] Barbillus,
Babilus, Balbillus and Balbillus the Wise,
[Hemelrijk, ''Matrona Docta: Educated Women in the Roman Élite from Cornelia to Julia Domna'', p. 170] Greek forms include grc, Τιβέριος Κλαύδιος Βαλβίλλος Μόδεστος ', modern Greek transliteration '.
[Martin Gansten]
"Balbillus and the Method of ''aphesis''" (July 2012)
p.587
Descent, family background and early life
It is assumed that the birthplace of Balbilus was
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, Alexandria ...
in
Roman Egypt
, conventional_long_name = Roman Egypt
, common_name = Egypt
, subdivision = Province
, nation = the Roman Empire
, era = Late antiquity
, capital = Alexandria
, title_leader = Praefectus Augustalis
, image_map = Roman E ...
.
[ Balbilus was a Roman Egyptian nobleman mostly of ]Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
but partly of Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
and Median
In statistics and probability theory, the median is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample, a population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as "the middle" value. The basic fe ...
descent. Balbilus was the son[Beck, ''Beck on Mithraism: Collected Works With New Essays'', p. 42-3][Royal genealogy of Aka II of Commagene at rootsweb] and the younger child born to Tiberius Claudius Thrasyllus and princess Aka of the Kingdom of Commagene
Commagene ( grc-gre, Κομμαγηνή) was an ancient Greco-Iranian kingdom ruled by a Hellenized branch of the Iranian Orontid dynasty that had ruled over Armenia. The kingdom was located in and around the ancient city of Samosata, which ser ...
.[ Thrasyllus was a grammarian, literary commentator, and court astrologer who became the personal friend of the Roman emperor ]Tiberius
Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was the second Roman emperor. He reigned from AD 14 until 37, succeeding his stepfather, the first Roman emperor Augustus. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC. His father ...
.
Balbilus had one known sibling, an elder unnamed sister,[Genealogy of daughter of Tiberius Claudius Thrasyllus & Aka II of Commagene at rootsweb] who married the Eques Lucius Ennius.[ Through her, Balbilus was the maternal uncle of ]Ennia Thrasylla
Ennia Thrasylla, (about 15 – 38, ''Ennia'' in Greek el, Έννίας, ''Ennia Thrasylla'' in Greek el, Έννία Θράσυλλα) was a Roman noblewoman who lived in the 1st century AD in the Roman Empire.
Family background
Ennia was of La ...
[ who married the ]Praetorian prefect
The praetorian prefect ( la, praefectus praetorio, el, ) was a high office in the Roman Empire. Originating as the commander of the Praetorian Guard, the office gradually acquired extensive legal and administrative functions, with its holders be ...
of the Praetorian Guard
The Praetorian Guard (Latin: ''cohortēs praetōriae'') was a unit of the Imperial Roman army that served as personal bodyguards and intelligence agents for the Roman emperors. During the Roman Republic, the Praetorian Guard were an escort fo ...
Naevius Sutorius Macro
Quintus Naevius Cordus Sutorius Macro (21 BC – AD 38) was a prefect of the Praetorian Guard, from 31 until 38, serving under the Roman Emperors Tiberius and Caligula. Upon falling out of favour, he killed himself.
Biography
Macro was born in ...
and perhaps, Lucius Ennius who was the father of Lucius Ennius Ferox, a Roman soldier who served during the reign of the Roman emperor Vespasian
Vespasian (; la, Vespasianus ; 17 November AD 9 – 23/24 June 79) was a Roman emperor who reigned from AD 69 to 79. The fourth and last emperor who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty that ruled the Empi ...
from 69 until 79. Although Balbilus was born and raised in Egypt, he was of the Roman equestrian order
The ''equites'' (; literally "horse-" or "cavalrymen", though sometimes referred to as "knights" in English) constituted the second of the property-based classes of ancient Rome, ranking below the senatorial class. A member of the equestrian ...
.[ Balbilus was a friend of Tiberius’ nephew, Claudius,][ whom Balbilus knew from when they were children and had met at his father's house.
A surviving ]papyrus
Papyrus ( ) is a material similar to thick paper that was used in ancient times as a writing surface. It was made from the pith of the papyrus plant, '' Cyperus papyrus'', a wetland sedge. ''Papyrus'' (plural: ''papyri'') can also refer to a ...
found in Theogonis in Egypt, dated 26 August 34, mentions Balbilus as one of the owners of a bathhouse located in the city and the Papyrus mentions the Lease of the Bathhouse and taxation paid from its revenue. A second papyrus dated to his tenure in Egypt is a draft of a petition from tax collectors to excuse them from collecting the poll taxes for several villages where the inhabitants have either fled out of poverty or died without leaving heirs. At some date in the reign of Caligula
Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), better known by his nickname Caligula (), was the third Roman emperor, ruling from 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the popular Roman general Germanicu ...
, Balbilus left Rome and returned to Alexandria.
Political career
Balbilus military and political career began when Claudius came to the imperial throne.[ Following the assassination of Caligula (January 41), Balbilus returned to Rome to support Claudius.][Hazel, ''Who's who in the Roman World'', p. 35] Balbilus accompanied Claudius on his expedition to Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
in 43, serving as a military tribune in Legio XX Valeria Victrix
Legio XX Valeria Victrix, in English Twentieth Victorious Valeria Legion was a legion of the Imperial Roman army.
The origin of the Legion's name is unclear and there are various theories, but the legion may have gained its title ''Valeria ...
and as the Commander of the Military Engineers.[ When Claudius returned with the Roman Legions from Britain to Rome, Balbilus was awarded a crown of honour.
According to ]Suetonius
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (), commonly referred to as Suetonius ( ; c. AD 69 – after AD 122), was a Roman historian who wrote during the early Imperial era of the Roman Empire.
His most important surviving work is a set of biographies ...
, Claudius awarded Balbilus a Hasta Pura
The ''hasta pura'' or ''hasta donatica'' was a decoration for merit, awarded in Ancient Rome. The Roman sources do not concur about the precise character of the decoration. Some call it a decoration for valour, others mention that it had been awa ...
and perhaps a corona aurea during the Triumph
The Roman triumph (Latin triumphus) was a celebration for a victorious military commander in ancient Rome. For later imitations, in life or in art, see Trionfo. Numerous later uses of the term, up to the present, are derived directly or indirectl ...
to celebrate the conquest of Britain in 44. As Balbilus was a part of his retinue, it seems likely that his awards, as much as his military rank, were honorary.
Balbilus was one of the highest ranking Equestrian Magistrates[ who served in Rome. After Balbilus returned to Rome from the Roman conquest of Britain, he received an important post in Egypt.][ While in Alexandria, Balbilus was appointed High Priest at the Temple of Hermes and Director of the ]Library
A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...
, he split his time between Alexandria and Rome. Sometime later he served as a 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 of ...
of the Asia province.[
In October 54, Claudius died and was succeeded by Nero as Roman emperor. Under Nero, Balbilus was appointed ]Prefect
Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area.
A prefect's ...
of Egypt where he served from 55 until 59. After his prefecture ended in Egypt, Balbilus continued to live in Alexandria.
Astrology
Balbilus followed his father in developing skills in astrology. He became a leading astrologer of his time in Rome. He remained in Rome during Claudius’ reign as his advisor, after Claudius had passed an edict expelling all astrologers from the city. Balbilus foretold an eclipse
An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object or spacecraft is temporarily obscured, by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. This alignment of three ce ...
which fell on one of the emperor's birthdays.
During the reign of Nero, Balbilus served as an astrological adviser to him and his mother,[ ]Agrippina the Younger
Julia Agrippina (6 November AD 15 – 23 March AD 59), also referred to as Agrippina the Younger, was Roman empress from 49 to 54 AD, the fourth wife and niece of Emperor Claudius.
Agrippina was one of the most prominent women in the Julio-Claud ...
. A comet had passed across the sky in either 60 or 64, signalling the death of a great personage. Balbilus tried to calm Nero's fears by noting that the usual solution was to murder prominent citizens, thus appeasing the gods[ and Nero agreed, killing many nobles. As Balbilus proved to be a capable (and wily) astrologer, he avoided the fatal end of many astrologers under ]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 un ...
.
During the reign of Roman emperor Vespasian from 69 until 79, Balbilus returned to Rome from Alexandria and served as an astrologer to Vespasian.
Balbilus was a learned man.[ ]Seneca the Younger
Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger (; 65 AD), usually known mononymously as Seneca, was a Stoic philosopher of Ancient Rome, a statesman, dramatist, and, in one work, satirist, from the post-Augustan age of Latin literature.
Seneca was born in ...
describes him as ‘an excellent man of most rare learning in every branch of studies’. He wrote an astrology treatise, titled ''Astrologumena'', of which only fragments have survived.[ The book was addressed to Hermogenes.][
]
Family and issue
The identity of the wife of Balbilus is unknown; most probably she was a Greek noblewoman from the aristocracy of the Roman Near East. There is a possibility that the wife of Balbilus may have been royalty, possibly Commagenian.[Beck, ''Beck on Mithraism: Collected Works With New Essays'', p. 43] By his wife Balbilus had a daughter called Claudia Capitolina
Claudia Capitolina ( el, η Κλαuδία Καπιτωλίνα; died after 92) was an Egyptian Greek woman who lived in the Roman Empire, in the 1st century and possibly in the 2nd century. She was a Princess of Commagene by marriage to Gaius Jul ...
.[ The nomen ''Claudia'' she inherited from her father's family while the ]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 ...
''Capitolina'', she may have inherited from her mother's family.
In 64, Capitolina married her cousin, Gaius Julius Archelaus Antiochus Epiphanes
Gaius Julius Archelaus Antiochus Epiphanes, also known as Julius Archelaus Epiphanes; Epiphanes; Gaius Julius Antiochus Epiphanes or simply known as Gaius (Greek: Γάιος Ἰούλιος Ἀρχέλαος Ἀντίοχος Ἐπιφανής, 38 ...
, son of King Antiochus IV of Commagene
Gaius Julius Antiochus IV Epiphanes ( grc, Γάιος Ἰούλιος Ἀντίοχος ὀ Ἐπιφανής, before 17 AD – after 72 AD), the last king of Commagene, reigned between 38 and 72 as a client king to the Roman Empire. The epit ...
,[ and his sister-wife, Queen Iotapa. Capitolina bore Epiphanes one son, called Gaius Julius Antiochus Epiphanes Philopappos and one daughter, called ]Julia Balbilla
Julia Balbilla (Greek: Ἰουλία Βαλβίλλα, AD 72 – after AD 130) was a Roman noble woman and poet.Plant I. M. ''Women Writers of Ancient Greece and Rome: An Anthology'' University of Oklahoma Press, 2004, chapter 43. , 9780806136219 ...
.[
Balbilus has two further namesakes the Emesene Priests of the cult of El-Gebal in Rome, Tiberius Julius Balbillus and his relative, Titus Julius Balbillus who lived in the second half of the 2nd century and the first half of the 3rd century. Like Balbilus, both were descendants of the King ]Antiochus I Theos of Commagene
Antiochus I Theos Dikaios Epiphanes Philorhomaios Philhellen ( grc, Ἀντίοχος ὁ Θεὸς Δίκαιος Ἐπιφανὴς Φιλορωμαῖος Φιλέλλην, meaning "Antiochos, the just, eminent god, friend of Romans and friend ...
, through Balbilus’ maternal uncle Iotapa who married into the Emesene dynasty.
Posthumous honours
In his later years Balbilus lived in Ephesus
Ephesus (; grc-gre, Ἔφεσος, Éphesos; tr, Efes; may ultimately derive from hit, 𒀀𒉺𒊭, Apaša) was a city in ancient Greece on the coast of Ionia, southwest of present-day Selçuk in İzmir Province, Turkey. It was built in t ...
.[Bunsen, ''Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire'', p. 52] Vespasian granted privileges to him and his city of Ephesus because of his proficiency as an astrologer.[ Balbilus died in 79, possibly in June of that year.][Laale, '' Ephesus (Ephesos): An Abbreviated History from Androclus to Constantine Xi'', p. 200]
As Vespasian thought very highly of him, he dedicated and allowed Ephesians to institute games held in his honour. These games became a sporting festival called the ''Balbillean Games''. This festival was held at Ephesus from 79 well into the 3rd century.[ An inscription in Ephesus honours Balbilus and his daughter.][
Balbilus was honoured by his granddaughter Julia Balbilla in two epigrams in ]Aeolic Greek
In linguistics, Aeolic Greek (), also known as Aeolian (), Lesbian or Lesbic dialect, is the set of dialects of Ancient Greek spoken mainly in Boeotia; in Thessaly; in the Aegean island of Lesbos; and in the Greek colonies of Aeolis in Anatolia ...
which are dated to 130. The two epigrams are a part of four epigrams recorded which are inscribed and are preserved on the lower sections of one of the Colossi of Memnon
The Colossi of Memnon ( ar, el-Colossat, script=Latn, italic=yes or ''es-Salamat'') are two massive stone statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III, which stand at the front of the ruined Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III, the largest temple in the Theba ...
. These are two massive stone statues built by the Egyptian Pharaoh Amenhotep III
Amenhotep III ( egy, jmn-ḥtp(.w), ''Amānəḥūtpū'' , "Amun is Satisfied"; Hellenized as Amenophis III), also known as Amenhotep the Magnificent or Amenhotep the Great, was the ninth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty. According to different ...
(flourished 14th century BC), to stand guard at the entrance of Amenhotep's memorial temple. Balbilla had lived in Egypt and was an escort to the Roman emperor Hadrian
Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania B ...
and his wife, Vibia Sabina
Vibia Sabina (13 August 83–136/137) was a Roman Empress, wife and second cousin once removed to the Roman Emperor Hadrian. She was the daughter of Matidia (niece of Roman Emperor Trajan) and suffect consul Lucius Vibius Sabinus.
Early life ...
when they visited the country. The inscriptions that Balbilla commissioned commemorated their visit to Egypt.
In the inscriptions on the Colossi of Memnon, Balbilla acknowledged and made reference to her royal and aristocratic descent. In the last two lines of the second epigram, she honours her family including Balbilus:
The fourth and final epigram, Balbilla dedicates to her parents and grandfathers. This epigram is dedicated also to her noble and aristocratic blood. In the epigram, Balbilla mentions that Balbilus has royal lineage.
Balbilus in fiction
* The Hasta Pura of Balbilus is mentioned in the second part of the novel series, written by Robert Graves
Captain Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985) was a British poet, historical novelist and critic. His father was Alfred Perceval Graves, a celebrated Irish poet and figure in the Gaelic revival; they were both Celtic ...
, ''I, Claudius
''I, Claudius'' is a historical novel by English writer Robert Graves, published in 1934. Written in the form of an autobiography of the Roman Emperor Claudius, it tells the history of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and the early years of the Roma ...
'' and ''Claudius the God''. Graves calls the decoration an "arrow without a head" and refers to its award to Balbilus.
* Balbilus's role as court astrologer is referred to throughout the fourth to sixth parts of the novel series ''Romanike'' by Codex Regius (2006–2014)[http://www.opus-gemini.de ]
* The character of Barbillus in the Cambridge Latin Course
The Cambridge Latin Course (CLC) is a series of textbooks published by Cambridge University Press, used to teach Latin to secondary school pupils. It provides a grounding in vocabulary, grammar and sense which allows progression through Common ...
, a wealthy but superstitious Alexandrian with an interest in astrology living around AD 79, is likely based on Balbilus.
References
Sources
Thrasyllus’ article at ancient library
* P. Robinson Coleman-Norton & F. Card Bourne, Ancient Roman Statutes, The Lawbook Exchange Limited, 1961
* G.H. Halsberghe, ''The Cult of Sol Invictus'', Brill, 1972
* H. Temporini & W. Haase, 2, Principat: 9, 2, Walter de Gruyter, 1978
* B. Levick, ''Tiberius: The Politician'', Routledge, 1999
* J. Hazel, ''Who's who in the Roman World'', Psychology Press, 2002
* E.A. Hemelrijk, ''Matrona Docta: Educated Women in the Roman Élite from Cornelia to Julia Domna'', Routledge, 2004
* R. Beck, ''Beck on Mithraism: Collected Works With New Essays'', Ashgate Publishing Limited, 2004
* J.H. Holden, ''A History of Horoscopic Astrology'', American Federation of Astrology, 2006
* M. Bunsen, ''Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire'', Infobase Publishing, 2009
* H. Willer Laale, ''Ephesus (Ephesos): An Abbreviated History from Androclus to Constantine XI'' (Google eBook), WestBow Press, 2011
* Martin Gansten
"Balbillus and the Method of ''aphesis''"
''Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies'', 52 (2012), pp. 587–602
* Royal genealogy of Aka II of Commagene at rootsweb
* Genealogy of daughter of Tiberius Claudius Thrasyllus & Aka II of Commagene at rootsweb
External links
Article by Martin Gansten from Lund University – Balbillus and the Method of ''aphesis'' (July 2012)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Claudius Balbilus, Tiberius
Roman governors of Egypt
1st-century Roman governors of Egypt
1st-century Romans
AD 3 births
79 deaths
Ancient Greek astrologers
Commagene people
Balbilus