Lucius Cornelius Balbus (consul)

Lucius Cornelius Balbus called Maior ( the Elder), to distinguish him from his nephew Lucius Cornelius Balbus Minor, was born in the early 1st century BC and came from an in Gades (now Cadiz ) old-established family. He was a Roman consul during the Second Triumvirate and belonged to the party of Caesar.

Life

Balbus came from Hispania. For his efforts against Sertorius him and his family of Pompey was granted Roman citizenship. Because of its connections to all political groups he was much involved in the occurrence of the First Triumvirate, especially since he was one of the main financiers in Rome. He was careful to ingratiate himself with Caesar, he, as this Propraetor was as Prefect fabrum to Hispania (61 BC) and Gaul (58 BC) accompanied them.

His position as a naturalized foreigner, his influence and his wealth made ​​Balbus many enemies, the BC a native of Gadesmann aufboten in 56 to indict him for illegal adoption of the civil law, an action, and the equally against the triumvirs directed against himself. Cicero, Pompey and Crassus spoke in his favor, he was acquitted. During the Civil War he was trying to move Cicero to mediate between Caesar and Pompey, to protect themselves from having to confront definitively on the side of the latter. Cicero admits that he was dissuaded contrary to his own view of it.

In the following period was Balbus Caesars private secretary, in which Cicero had to seek meetings with Caesar. After Caesar 's death, Octavian joined Balbus and again became an influential adviser; 43 or 42 BC he was praetor, 40 BC Suffektkonsul, an honor that was bestowed to a foreigner for the first time. Year of his death is unknown.

Balbus led to the significant events, a diary of his life and Caesars ( Suetonius, Caesar, 81). The eighth book of De bello Gallico, which was probably written by his friend Aulus Hirtius is dedicated to him.