Spurius Postumius Albinus
Encyclopedia
Spurius Postumius Albinus was a politician of Ancient Rome, of patrician rank, of the 4th century BC. He was consul
in 334 BC
, and invaded, with his colleague Titus Veturius Calvinus
, the country of the Sidicini. But on account of the great forces which the enemy had collected, and the report that the Samnites were coming to their assistance, a dictator
was appointed, Publius Cornelius Rufinus
.
He was censor in 332 BC
and magister equitum in 327 BC
, when Marcus Claudius Marcellus was appointed to hold the comitia. In 321 BC
, he was consul a second time with Titus Veturius Calvinus
, and with him marched against the Samnites and their commander Gaius Pontius
in the Second Samnite War. Postumius was defeated at the Battle of the Caudine Forks
, near Caudium
, and obliged to surrender with his whole army, who were sent "under the yoke", a symbolic gesture of submission to the enemy.
As the price of his deliverance and that of the army, he and his colleague and the other commanders swore, in the name of the Republic, to a humiliating peace. Upon returning to Rome, the consuls, because of their disgrace, laid down their office and their senatorship
, and proposed that all persons who had sworn to the peace (that is, themselves) should be stripped and bound and handed over to the Samnites by the Fetiales. The historian Livy
quotes extensively from Postumius' speech in the Roman Senate
on this matter. The proposal was accepted, and Postumius and the other prisoners were brought to the Samnites, but Gaius Pontius
refused to accept their surrender, on the grounds that it was being used as an excuse to annul the treaty (unfavorable to Rome) that had concluded the Battle of the Caudine Forks
.
Roman consul
A consul served in the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic.Each year, two consuls were elected together, to serve for a one-year term. Each consul was given veto power over his colleague and the officials would alternate each month...
in 334 BC
334 BC
Year 334 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Caudinus and Calvinus...
, and invaded, with his colleague Titus Veturius Calvinus
Titus Veturius Calvinus
Titus Veturius Calvinus was a Roman statesman, who held the consulship in 334 and 321 BC, the latter year during the Second Samnite War.As consul in 321, Calvinus and the other consul, Spurius Postumius Albinus, were defeated by the Samnites at the Battle of the Caudine Forks where they were...
, the country of the Sidicini. But on account of the great forces which the enemy had collected, and the report that the Samnites were coming to their assistance, a dictator
Roman dictator
In the Roman Republic, the dictator , was an extraordinary magistrate with the absolute authority to perform tasks beyond the authority of the ordinary magistrate . The office of dictator was a legal innovation originally named Magister Populi , i.e...
was appointed, Publius Cornelius Rufinus
Publius Cornelius Rufinus
Publius Cornelius Rufinus was a Roman dictator and consul. He was born in Italy during the time of the Roman Republic.He began his dictatorship in 333 BC. He renounced due to a defect in the religious procedures for his appointment....
.
He was censor in 332 BC
332 BC
Year 332 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Calvinus and Arvina...
and magister equitum in 327 BC
327 BC
Year 327 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Lentulus and Philo...
, when Marcus Claudius Marcellus was appointed to hold the comitia. In 321 BC
321 BC
Year 321 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Calvinus and Caudinus...
, he was consul a second time with Titus Veturius Calvinus
Titus Veturius Calvinus
Titus Veturius Calvinus was a Roman statesman, who held the consulship in 334 and 321 BC, the latter year during the Second Samnite War.As consul in 321, Calvinus and the other consul, Spurius Postumius Albinus, were defeated by the Samnites at the Battle of the Caudine Forks where they were...
, and with him marched against the Samnites and their commander Gaius Pontius
Gaius Pontius
Gaius Pontius, sometimes called as Gavius Pontius or simply Pontius, was a Samnite commander during the Second Samnite War. He is most well known for his victory over the Roman legions at the Battle of the Caudine Forks in 321 BCE...
in the Second Samnite War. Postumius was defeated at the Battle of the Caudine Forks
Battle of the Caudine Forks
The Battle of Caudine Forks, 321 BC, was a decisive event of the Second Samnite War. Its designation as a battle is a mere historical formality: there was no fighting and there were no casualties. The Romans were trapped in a waterless place by the Samnites before they knew what was happening and...
, near Caudium
Caudium
Caudium is an open source web server. It was originally created as a fork of the Roxen Challenger server. The server is written in C and Pike, and Pike is also used to create extensions to the server, although Caudium also supports PHP....
, and obliged to surrender with his whole army, who were sent "under the yoke", a symbolic gesture of submission to the enemy.
As the price of his deliverance and that of the army, he and his colleague and the other commanders swore, in the name of the Republic, to a humiliating peace. Upon returning to Rome, the consuls, because of their disgrace, laid down their office and their senatorship
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
, and proposed that all persons who had sworn to the peace (that is, themselves) should be stripped and bound and handed over to the Samnites by the Fetiales. The historian Livy
Livy
Titus Livius — known as Livy in English — was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people. Ab Urbe Condita Libri, "Chapters from the Foundation of the City," covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome well before the traditional foundation in 753 BC...
quotes extensively from Postumius' speech in the Roman Senate
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
on this matter. The proposal was accepted, and Postumius and the other prisoners were brought to the Samnites, but Gaius Pontius
Gaius Pontius
Gaius Pontius, sometimes called as Gavius Pontius or simply Pontius, was a Samnite commander during the Second Samnite War. He is most well known for his victory over the Roman legions at the Battle of the Caudine Forks in 321 BCE...
refused to accept their surrender, on the grounds that it was being used as an excuse to annul the treaty (unfavorable to Rome) that had concluded the Battle of the Caudine Forks
Battle of the Caudine Forks
The Battle of Caudine Forks, 321 BC, was a decisive event of the Second Samnite War. Its designation as a battle is a mere historical formality: there was no fighting and there were no casualties. The Romans were trapped in a waterless place by the Samnites before they knew what was happening and...
.