Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 3.djvu/701

SABINUS. often cited, sometimes as Caelius Sabinus, some- times by the name of Sabinus only. [G. L. ] SABI'NUS, CALA'VIUS, commanded the tjvelfth legion under Caesennius Paetus in his un- fortunate campaign in Armenia, A. d. 62. (Tac. Ann. XV. 7.) SABI'NUS, CALVI'SIUS. 1. C.Calvisius Sabinus, one of the legates of Caesar in the civil war, was sent by him into Aetolia in b. c. 48, and obtained possession of the whole of the countrj'. (Caes. B. C. iii. 34, 35.) It is related by Appian (B. C. ii. 60) that he was defeated by Metellus Scipio in Macedonia, but this statement is hardly consistent with Caesar's account. In B. c. 45 he received the province of Africa from Caesar. Hav- ing been elected praetor in B. c. 44, he obtained from Antony the province of Africa again. It was pretended that the lot had assigned him this pro- vince ; on which Cicero remarks that nothing could be more lucky, seeing that he had just come from Africa, leaving two legates behind him in Utica, as if he had divined that he should soon return. He did not, however, return to Africa, as the senate, after the departure of Antony for Mu- tina, conferred it upon Q. Cornificius (Cic. Phil. iii. 10, ad Fain. xii. 25). Sabinus was consul B.C. 39 with L. Marcius Censorinus, and in the following year he commanded the fleet of Octavian in the war with Sex. Pompey. In conjunction with Menas, who had deserted Pompey, he fought against Me- necrates, Pompey's admiral, and sustained a defeat oiF Cumae. When Menas went over to Pompey again, just before the breaking out of hostilities in B. c. 36, Sabinus was deprived of the command of the fleet, because he had not kept a sufficient watch over the renegade. This, at least, is the reason assigned by Appian ; but Octavian had for other reasons determined to entrust the conduct of the war to Agrippa. It is evident moreover that Sabinus was not looked upon with suspicion by Octavian, for at the close of the war the latter gave him the task of clearing Italy of robbers. He is mentioned too at a later time, shortly before the battle of Actium, as one of the friends of Octavian. (Dion Cass, xlviii. 34, 46 ; Appian, B. C. v. 81, 9Q, 132; Plut. Ant. 58.) 2. C. Calvisius Sabinus, probably son of No. 1, was consul b. c. 4 with L. Passienus Rufus (Monum. Ancyr.). 3. C. Calvisius Sabinus, probably son of No 2. and grandson of No. 1, was consul under Tiberius in A. D. 26 with Cn. Cornelius Lentulus Gaetulicus. In A. D. 32 he was accused of majestas, but was saved by Celsus, tribune of a city cohort, who was one of the informers. He was governor of Pannonia under Caligula, and was accused with his wife Cornelia ; but as their condemnation was certain, they put an end to their own lives before the trial came on. (Tac. Ann. iv. 46, vi. 9, Hist. i. -18 ; Dion Cass. lix. 18.) 4. Calvisius Sabinus, a wealthy contemporary of Seneca, was of servile origin, and, though igno- rant, affected to be a man of learning (Sen. Ep. 27). SABI'NUS, CA'TIUS, was consul under Cara- calla in a. D. 216 with Cornelius Anulinus. This was the second consulship of Sabinus ; but his first does not occur in the Fasti. (Cod. Just. 2. tit. 19. 8. 7 ; 9. tit. 32. s. 3, et alibi.) SABINUS, CLAU'DIUS. [Claudiu.s, Nos. 1,2,3.] SABI'NUS, CORNFLIUS, a tribune of the VOL. III. SABINUS. 689 praetorian troops, was, after Cassius Chaerea, the principal conspirator against Caligula, and gave him one of the fatal blows. Upon the execution of Chaerea by Claudius, Sabinus voluntarily put an end to his own life, disdaining to survive the asso- ciate of his glorious deed (Dion Cass. lix. 29, Ix. 3 ; Suet. Calig. 58 ; Joseph. Ant.-x.x. 1, 4). SABFNUS, DOMFTIUS, is mentioned as one of the principal centurions {primipilares) in Galba's army at Rome in A. D. Qd (Tac. Hist. i. 31). We find mention of a Domitius Sabinus, a tribune of the soldiers, who served under Vespasian and Titus in the Jewish war. (Joseph. B. J. iii. 7. § 34, v. 8. SABI'NUS, FA'BIUS. [See above, Sabinus, consularis, p. 688, a.] SABI'NUS, FLA'VIUS. 1. T. Flavius Sa- binus, the father of the emperor Vespasian, was himself the son of T. Flavius Petro, who had served as a centurion in the army of Pompey at Pharsalia. Sabinus had been one of the farmers of the tax of the quadragesima in Asia, which he collected with so much fairness that many cities erected statues to his honour with the inscription kuAws reXuipriaavri. He afterwards carried on business as a money-lender among the Helvetians, and died in their country, leaving two sons, Sabinus and Vespasian, afterwards emperor. (Suet. Vesp. 1.) 2. Flavius Sabinus, the elder son of the pre- ceding, and the brother of the emperor Vespasian. He is first mentioned in the reign of Claudius, A. D. 45, when he served under Plautius in Bri- tain, along with his brother Vespasian (Dion Cass. Ix. 20). He afterwards governed Moesia for seven years, and held the important office of praefectus urbis during the last eleven years of Nero's reign. He was removed from this office by Galba, but was replaced in it on the accession of Otho, who was anxious to conciliate Vespasian, who com- manded the Roman legions in the East. He con- tinued to retain the dignity under Vitellius, and made the soldiers in the city swear allegiance to the new emperor. But when Vespasian was pro- claimed general by the legions in the East, and Antonius Primus and his other generals in the West, after the defeat of the troops of Vitellius, were marching upon Rome, Vitellius, despairing of success, offered to surrender the empire, and to place the supreme power in the hands of Sabinus till the arrival of his brother. The German sol- diers of Vitellius, however, refused submission to this arrangement, and resolved to support their sovereign by arms. Sabinus had now gone too far to retreat ; and, as he had not sufficient forces to oppose the troops of Vitellius, he took refuge in the Capitol. In the following night he caused his own children and Domitian, his brother's son, to be brought into the Capitol, and despatched a mes- senger to Vespasian's generals, begging for imme- diate assistance. On the following day the sol- diers of Vitellius advanced to attack the Capitol. In the assault the houses next the Capitol were set on fire, whether by the besiegers or the besieged, is uncertain. The flames spread to the Capitol, which was eventually burnt to the ground (December, A. D. Q9). Sabinus, who was worn out by old age, and who had lost his presence of mind in the danger, was taken prisoner, and dragged before Vitellius, who in vain endeavoured to save him from the fury of the soldiers. While Vitellius was standing before the steps of the palace, they