A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

454 BALBINUS.
remarkable beauty. Alexander was passionately
fond of him, and is said to have kissed him publicly in the theatre on one occasion. (Curt. vi. 5,
x. 1; Plut. Alex. 67; Athen. xiii. p. 603, b.)
3. A general of Tigranes or Mithridates, who
together with Mithraus expelled Ariobarzanes from
Cappadocia in B. c. 92. (Appian, Mithr. 10; comp.
Justin, xxxviii. 3.)
The name Bagoas frequently occurs in Persian
history. According to Pliny (H. N. xiii. 9), it
was the Persian word for an eunuch; and it is
sometimes used by Latin writers as synonymous
with an eunuch. (Comp. Quintil. v. 12; Ov. Am.
ii. 2. 1.)
BAGO'PHANES, the commander of the citadel
at Babylon, who surrendered it and all the royal
treasures to Alexander after the battle of Guagamela, B. c. 331. (Curt. v. 1.)
BA'LACRUS (BdAaKpos). 1. The son of
Nicanor, one of Alexander's body-guard, was appointed satrap of Cilicia after the battle of Issus,. c.' 33. (Arrian, ii. 12.) He fell in battle
against the Pisidians in the life-time of Alexander.
(Diod. xviii. 22.) It was probably this Balacrus
who married Phila, the daughter of Antipater, and
subsequently the wife of Craterus. (Phot. p. 111.
b. 3, ed. Bekker.)
2. The son of Amyntas, obtained the command
of the allies in Alexander's army, when Antigonus
was appointed satrap of Phrygia, B. c. 334. After
the occupation of Egypt, B. c. 331, he was one of
the generals left behind in that country with a
part of the army. (Arrian, i. 30, iii. 5; Curt.
viii. 11.)
3. The commander of the javelin-throwers (dicov'ri-ral) in the army of Alexander the Great.
(Arrian, iii. 12, iv. 4, 24.)
BA'LAGRUS (BchaAypos), a Greek writer of
uncertain date, wrote a work on Macedonia (MaKESovLKa) in two books at least. (Steph. Byz. s. vv.
"AyoeAos, "OAXG7Aos, Avppdixov.)
BA'LANUS, a Gaulish prince beyond the Alps,
who sent ambassadors offering to assist the Romans
in their Macedonian war, B. c. 169. (Liv. xliv. 14.)
BALAS. [ALEXANDER BALAS, p. 114.]
BALBI'LIUS, who was in Spain, B. c. 44
(Cic. ad Ait. xv. 13), is conjectured by Mongault
to be only a diminutive of Cornelius Balbus, the
younger, a friend of Cicero's, but this is very improbable.
C. BALBILLUS, governor of Egypt in the
reign of Nero, A. D. 55 (Tac. Ann. xiii. 22), and
a man of great learning, wrote a work respecting
Aegypt and his journeys in that country. (Senec.
Qeaest. Nat. iv. 2; Plin. H. N. xix. prioem.)
BALBI'NUS, was proscribed by the triumvirs
in B. c. 43, but restored with Sex. Pompeius in
B. c. 39, and subsequently advanced to the consulship. (Appian, iv. 50.) No other author but
Appian, and none of the Fasti, mention a consul of
this name; but as we learn from Appian that Balbinus was consul in the year in which the conspiracy of the younger Aemilius Lepidus was
detected by Maecenas, that is B. c. 30, it is conjectured that Balbinus may be the cognomen of
L. Saenius, who was consul suffectus in that year.
BALBI'NUS. When intelligence reached Rome
that the elder Gordian and his son had both perished in Africa, and that the savage Maximin,
thirsting for vengeance, was advancingtowards Italy
at the head of a powerful army, the senate resolved

BALBINUS.
upon electing two rulers with equal power, one of
whom should remain in the city to direct the civil
administration, while the other should march against
Maximin. The choice fell upon Decimus Caelius
Balbinus and Marcus Clodius Pupienus Maximus,
both consulars well stricken in years, the one a
sagacious statesman, the other a bold soldier and
an able general. Balbinus, who was of noble birth,
and traced his descent from Cornelius Balbus of
Cadiz, the friend of Pompey, Cicero, and Caesar,
had governed in succession the most important
among the peaceful provinces of the empire. He
was celebrated as one of the best orators and poets
of the age, and had gained the esteem and love of
all ranks. Maximus, on the other hand, was of
lowly origin, the son, according to some, of a blacksmith, according to others, of a coaclnnaker. He
had acquired great renown as an imperial legate by
his victories over the Sarmatians in Illyria and the
Germans on the Rhine, had been eventually appointed prefect of the city, and had discharged the
duties of that office with a remarkable firmness
and strictness.
The populace, still clinging with affection to the
family of Gordian, and dreading the severity of
Maximus, refused for a while to ratify the decision
of the senate, and a serious tumult arose, which
was not quelled until the grandson of Gordian, a
boy of fourteen, was presented to the crowd and
proclaimed Caesar. While Pupienus was hastening to encounter Maximin, now under the walls of
Aquileia, a formidable strife broke out at Rome
between the citizens and the praetorians. The
camp of the praetorians was closely invested, and
they were reduced to great distress in consequence
of the supply of water being cut off, but in retaliation they made desperate sallies, in which whole
regions of the town were burned or reduced to
ruins. These disorders were repressed for a time
by the glad tidings of the destruction of Maximin,
and all parties joined in welcoming with the most
lively demonstrations of joy the united armies and
their triumphant chief. But the calm was of short
duration. The hatred existing between the praetorians and the populace had been only smothered
for a while, not extinguished; the soldiers of all
ranks openly lamented that they had lost a prince
chosen by themselves, and were obliged to submit
to those nominated by the civil power. A conspiracy was soon organized by the guards. On a day
when public attention was engrossed by the exhibition of the Capitoline games, a strong band of
soldiers forced their way into the palace, seized
the two emperors, stripped them of their royal
robes, dragged them through the streets, and finally
put them to death.
The chronology of this brief reign is involved in
much difficulty, and different historians have contracted or extended it to periods varying from
twenty-two days to two years. The statements of
ancient writers are so irreconcileable, that we have
no sure resource except medals; but, by studying
carefully the evidence which these afford, we may
repose with considerable confidence on the conclusion of Eckhel, that the accession of Balbinus and
Maximus took place about the end of April, A. D.
238, and their death before the beginning of August in the same year.
We ought to notice here a remarkable innovation which was introduced in consequence of the
circumstances attending the election of these princes,