Tiberius Claudius Balbilus
Tiberius Claudius Balbillus was a Roman scholar, astrologer and politicians of the Julio- Claudian period.
Balbillus was most likely the son of Thrasyllos, the court astrologers Emperor Tiberius. He had very close ties to the Alexandrian citizenship, because he was in the year 41 AD, highly respected leader of an embassy to the Emperor Claudius.
About his early career is a Latin inscription from Ephesus information. Thus, he was called to Rome by Claudius and the military tribunes of the XX. Legion and Praefectus fabrum ( "master of the military " ) appointed. As such, participated in Claudius ' Britain campaign in 43 part and received high awards. After he was first high priest and head of the library of Alexandria. Another inscription names him as procurator of the province of Asia. Emperor Nero appointed Balbillus in 55 for Praefectus aegypti, which is recorded in Alexandria with joy. Balbillus lived probably under Emperor Vespasian, who has honor in Ephesus aligned him the Balbillischen games ( Βαλβιλλεῖα, Balbilleia ) that took place until the 3rd century.
Balbillus was extremely taught and also teaches in the interpretation of the constellation, as several testimonials ( as an inscription of Balbillus ' granddaughter Julia Balbilla at the Memnonstatue from the year 130, and Seneca ) report. He should, as Tacitus tells the reign of Nero have predicted. When Nero was alarmed by a comet Balbillus pointed it out loud Suetonius out that kings used to avert such a bad omen by the execution of a high-ranking person. Suetonius Nero's cruelty justified in the crackdown on Piso's conspiracy. A to a Hermogenes, probably the friend of Seneca, directed, not preserved Scripture was Astrologumena ( Ἀστρολογούμενα ). He reported that he had observed in the mouth of the Nile herakleotischen a water fight between dolphins from the sea and crocodiles from the Nilfluss. Pliny the Elder calls him as proof of the travel time between Sicily and Alexandria.
Balbillus was married to a Greek. The only child of this marriage, the daughter of Claudia Capitolina, married Gaius Julius Archelaus Antiochus Epiphanes ( 38-92 ), the son of Antiochus IV, under the Commagene was an independent kingdom of Rome for several decades. Their children were Gaius Iulius Philopappus and the poetess Julia Balbilla.