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

LA.BIENUS. LABIENUS; 697
gaining a complete victory over Camulogenus, who 11,: 12, 1-3, a, b. -15, 16, ad Fain. xiv. 14, xvi.
commanded the enemy. During the winter of this 12.)
year he was left in command of the troops, while Inl the- following year (B. c. 48) Labienns took
Caesar repaired, according to his usual custom, to an active part as one of Pompey's legates in the
Cisalpine Gaul; and finding that Commius, the campaign in Greece. Here he distinguished himself,
Atrebatian, was endeavouring to excite a new re- like many others of Pompey's officers, by his cruelty
volt in Gaul, he made an ineffectual attetmpt to and overweening confidence; though we ought
remove him by assassination. During the two perhaps to make some deduction from the unfollowing years, which preceded the breaking out favourable terms in which he is spoken of by
of the civil war, Labienus continued, to hold the Caesar.! Appian, however, -relates (B. C. ii. 62),
chief command in the army, next to Caesar him- that it was through the advice of Labienus that
self. In B. C. 51 Caesar sent him into Gallia Pompey did not follow up the success which he
Togata, or Cisalpine Gaul, to defend the Roman had gained at Dyrrhachium, by forcing Caesar's
colonies, lest the barbarians should make any camp, which he might easily have done, and thus
sudden attack upon them; and on his return into have brought the war to a close. And the act of
Transalpine Gaul, he was again despatched against cruelty committed by Labienus after this battle
the Treviri, whom he had conquered three years was of so public a nature, that Caesar would not
before, and whom he again subdued without any have ventured to record it unless it had been acdifficulty. So much confidence did Caesar place in tually committed. He is related to have obtained
Labienus, that when he returned into Transalpine from Pompey all Caesar's soldiers who had been
Gaul in B. C. 50, he left Labienus in command of taken prisoners in the battle, to have paraded them
Cisalpine Gaul, that the latter might in his absence before the Pompeian army, and, after taunting
still further win over the Roman citizens in his them as his " fellow-soldiers," and upbraiding them
province to support Caesar in his attempts to gain by asking " whether veteran Soldiers were accusthe consulship for the year following. (Caes. B. G. tomed to fly," to have put them to death in the
vii. 57-62, viii. 23, 24, 25, 45, 52; Dion Cass. presence of the assembled troops. In the council
xl. 38, 43.) of war held before the fatal battle of Pharsalia, he
But Caesar's confidence was misplaced. The expressed the'utmost contempt for Caesar's army,
great success which Labienus had gained under and thus contributed his share to increase that
Caesar, and which was rather due to Caesar's false confidence, which was one of the main causes
genius than to his own abilities, had greatly elated of the disastrous issue of the battle. (Caes. B. C.
his little mind, and made him fancy himself the iii. 13, 19, 71, 87.)
equal of his great general, whom he was no longer:After the defeat at Pharsalia Labienus fled to
disposed to obey as heretofore. (Comp. Dion Cass. Dyrrhachium, where he found Cicero, and informed
xli. 4.) Such conduct naturally caused Caesar to- him of the news (Cic. de Div. i. 32), but at the
treat him with coolness; and the Pompeian party same time, to give some courage to his party, preeagerly availed themselves of this opportunity to tended that Caesar had received a severe wound in
gain him over to their side. They entered into the engagement. (Frontin. Sitrat. ii. 7. ~ 13.)
negotiations with him in this year, while he was From Dyrrhachium Labienus repaired with Afranins
in Cisalpine Gaul, and their efforts were successful, to Corcyra, in order to join Cato; and from thence
notwithstanding the large fortune which had been he proceeded to Cyrene (Plut. Cat. Min. 56),
bestowed upon him by Caesar (comp. Cic. ad Alt. which refused to receive him, and finally he joined
vii. 7), and the other numerous marks of favour the scattered remnants of the Pompeian party in
which he had received at his hands. Accordingly, Africa. Here Scipio and Cato, two of the most
-on the breaking out of the civil war in B. C. 49, celebrated leaders of the Pompeians, collected a
Labienus took an early opportunity to: desert his considerable army. Labienus had at first the
old friend and captain. The news of his defection command of an army near Ruspina, where he
was received at Rome with transport; and Cicero fought against Caesar, in B. c, 46, at first with some
speaks of it again and again in terms of the greatest success, but was at length repulsed. Soon after
exultation. " I look upon Labienus as a hero," he this battle Lablenus united his forces with those of
writes to Atticus; " that great man Labienus," he Scipio, under whom he served as legate during the
calls him in another letter, and speaks of " the rest of the campaign. (Dion Cass. xlii. 10, xliii.
tremendous blow" (maxima plaga) which Caesar 2; Appian, B. C. ii. 95; Hirt. B. Afr. 15-19,
had received from the desertion of his chief officer. &c.)
But this " hero" was destined to disappoint - When the battle of Thapsus placed the whole of
grievously his new friends. Hie brought no ac- Africa in Caesar?s power, Labienus fled into Spain
cession of strength to their cause; he had not with the surviving relics of his party, in order, to
sufficient influence with Caesar's veterans to induce continue the war there in conjunction with Cn.
them to forsake the general whom they idolised; Pompey. At the battle of Munda, which was
even the town of Cingulum, on which he had spent fought in the -following year, B. 0. 45, Labienus
so much money, was one of the first to open its was destined once more to oppose his old comgates to Caesar- (Caes. B. C. i. 15); and in war mander, and by a strange fatality to give the.
his talents seem to have been rather those of an death-blow to the very party that had welcomed
officer than of a commander;. he was more fitted him with so much joy. The battle was undecided,
to execute the orders of another than to devise a and would probably have remained so, had not
plan of action for himself In a few weeks' time Labienus quitted his ranks, to prevent Bogud,
we find Cicero speaking of him in very altered king of Mauritania, from capturing the Pompeian
language, and expressing a desire for the arrival of camp. The Pompeian troops, thinking that LaAfranins and Petreius, as little was to be expected bienus had taken to flight, lost their courage,
from Labienus. (In Labieno parurn est dignitatis, wavered, and fled. Labienus himself fell in the
Cic. ad Alt. viii. 2. ~ 3; comp. Cic. ad Altt. vii. battle, and his head was brought to Caesar. The.