DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.47495#0238
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8. Appendix I
by military force was forbidden by the gods”768. Ptolemy promised ten thousand talents to the governor of
Syria, Aulus Gabinius to restore him to the throne769 and Gabinius invaded Egypt in 55 B.C.770. Mark Anthony
took part in the campaign as a cavalry commander/legate771.
Postumus followed Ptolemy to Alexandria. Neither the Treasury of Egypt, nor Ptolemy could repay the
king’s debts. New taxes were needed772. Ptolemy placed Postumus in charge of debt repayment (dioiketesy™.
Postumus must have been somewhat unpopular as he ended up in prison after just one year. However, he es-
caped and went back to Rome only to discover that the Senate had charged him with using Roman troops for
private purposes. Cicero, an old family friend, defended him successfully774. Some of the facts may have been
distorted during the trial775. However, the ships were royal monopoly under Egyptian state control, and Pos-
tumus was the finance minister776. Although Postumus was acquitted of the charges against him, he probably
used his power in Egypt to recover the investments of the Roman creditors777. These events are described in
Cicero’s letters. He mentions the father of Postumus and his economic activities778.
Postumus Curtius was more involved in politics than other bankers of the period. After his trial he handled
the economic and financial matters of Julius Caesar. His biographers think Appian refers to him in connection
with the movement of Caesar’s army from Brindisi to Dalmatia779. Caesar also mentions this movement. Pos-
tumus joined Caesar in his African campaign780, where he had a similar logistical role as before at Brindisi. It
seems likely he also helped Octavian with his finances. We do not know much about his old age and death. He
may have retired to one of his villas. One of Horace’s odes may be about this781.
He became senator probably between 53 and 49 BC.782. New research suggests that he did not return to
Ephesus in 47 B.C. as the proconsul of Asia783. Still, his amphorae can be found in the Tetragonos Agora. It
seems unlikely that he relied entirely on his freedman to handle his economic affairs in the eastern Mediterranean
region.
Estates
The sources say he had estates in Campania and Apulia784. Cicero mentions that Rabirius’s house in Naples
was sold in 68 B.C.785. Cicero’s friend Atticus wanted to buy the house. Horace mentions that Postumus had
Caecuban wine in his cellar786:
768 Cicero pro Rab. Post. 2, 4; Fam. 1, 4, 2; 1, 7, 4.
769 Cicero pro Rab. Post. 8, 21; Plutarch, Antony 3, 2-5; Cassius Dio 39, 55, 3; Appian, Syr. 51.
770 Strabo XII 3, 34; Livy CV.
771 Plutarch, Antony 3.
772 Strabo XVII 1, 13.
773 Postumus was hoping to get back the money he lent. Strabo XVII 1,13 referring to Cicero’s remarks that the king’s income from
taxes was 12500 talents. The papyrus was published by Balconi 1993, 4 f.; Hblbl 2001, 229.
774 Cicero pro Rab. Post.; Strabo XVII 1,11 says that when the exiled Ptolemaios Auletes arrived in Rome, he was received by Pom-
peius Magnus who recommended him to the Senate and achieved his return to Egypt.
775 Cicero pro Rab. Post. 14, 40; Siani-Davies 2001, 202-205.
776 Siani-Davies 2001,204: “.. .those goods were nothing more than cheap imitations made from paper, linen, and glass; and, althought
many ships were loaded with these, the whole lot together could not equal the dept...”; Rostovtzeff 1998, 172.
777 Cicero pro Rab. Post. 8, 28.
778 Cicero pro Rab. Post. 2, 3.
779 Appian B.C. 14, 58 and 59, Postumius = Postumus; White 1995, 155; Siani-Davies 2001, 59.
780 Caesar B.Afr. 8, 26, 44; Cassius Dio 43, 6, 3.
781 Horace Car. 2, 14; I am grateful for J. Gyorgy Szilagyi who pointed out that Horace always wrote his poems to existing people.
The information in his poems, however general, may contain references to the addressee.
782 49 B.C., Cicero, Ad fam. 2, 16, 7.
783 Siani-Davis 2001, 57.; Eilers 2003, 8-10.
784 Cicero Rab. Perd. 7-8; for his connections in Apulia see Siani-Davis 2001, 50 note 40; Wiseman 1971, 194 f.; Manacorda 1994,
49; Two Dressel 2-4 handle fragments thought to have been produced in Apulia: Blanc-Bijon et. al. 1998, 104 no. 782.
785 Cicero Att. 1,6, 1. The house was bought by M. Fonteius in 68 B.C.
786 Horace Car. 2, 14; Pliny NH XIV, 61 remarks that the Caecuban wine production was discontinued: “Previously Caecuban wine
had the reputation of being the most generous of all; it was grown in some popular woods on marshy ground on Bay of Amyclae,
but the vineyard has now disappeared owing to the neglect of the cultivator”.
8. Appendix I
by military force was forbidden by the gods”768. Ptolemy promised ten thousand talents to the governor of
Syria, Aulus Gabinius to restore him to the throne769 and Gabinius invaded Egypt in 55 B.C.770. Mark Anthony
took part in the campaign as a cavalry commander/legate771.
Postumus followed Ptolemy to Alexandria. Neither the Treasury of Egypt, nor Ptolemy could repay the
king’s debts. New taxes were needed772. Ptolemy placed Postumus in charge of debt repayment (dioiketesy™.
Postumus must have been somewhat unpopular as he ended up in prison after just one year. However, he es-
caped and went back to Rome only to discover that the Senate had charged him with using Roman troops for
private purposes. Cicero, an old family friend, defended him successfully774. Some of the facts may have been
distorted during the trial775. However, the ships were royal monopoly under Egyptian state control, and Pos-
tumus was the finance minister776. Although Postumus was acquitted of the charges against him, he probably
used his power in Egypt to recover the investments of the Roman creditors777. These events are described in
Cicero’s letters. He mentions the father of Postumus and his economic activities778.
Postumus Curtius was more involved in politics than other bankers of the period. After his trial he handled
the economic and financial matters of Julius Caesar. His biographers think Appian refers to him in connection
with the movement of Caesar’s army from Brindisi to Dalmatia779. Caesar also mentions this movement. Pos-
tumus joined Caesar in his African campaign780, where he had a similar logistical role as before at Brindisi. It
seems likely he also helped Octavian with his finances. We do not know much about his old age and death. He
may have retired to one of his villas. One of Horace’s odes may be about this781.
He became senator probably between 53 and 49 BC.782. New research suggests that he did not return to
Ephesus in 47 B.C. as the proconsul of Asia783. Still, his amphorae can be found in the Tetragonos Agora. It
seems unlikely that he relied entirely on his freedman to handle his economic affairs in the eastern Mediterranean
region.
Estates
The sources say he had estates in Campania and Apulia784. Cicero mentions that Rabirius’s house in Naples
was sold in 68 B.C.785. Cicero’s friend Atticus wanted to buy the house. Horace mentions that Postumus had
Caecuban wine in his cellar786:
768 Cicero pro Rab. Post. 2, 4; Fam. 1, 4, 2; 1, 7, 4.
769 Cicero pro Rab. Post. 8, 21; Plutarch, Antony 3, 2-5; Cassius Dio 39, 55, 3; Appian, Syr. 51.
770 Strabo XII 3, 34; Livy CV.
771 Plutarch, Antony 3.
772 Strabo XVII 1, 13.
773 Postumus was hoping to get back the money he lent. Strabo XVII 1,13 referring to Cicero’s remarks that the king’s income from
taxes was 12500 talents. The papyrus was published by Balconi 1993, 4 f.; Hblbl 2001, 229.
774 Cicero pro Rab. Post.; Strabo XVII 1,11 says that when the exiled Ptolemaios Auletes arrived in Rome, he was received by Pom-
peius Magnus who recommended him to the Senate and achieved his return to Egypt.
775 Cicero pro Rab. Post. 14, 40; Siani-Davies 2001, 202-205.
776 Siani-Davies 2001,204: “.. .those goods were nothing more than cheap imitations made from paper, linen, and glass; and, althought
many ships were loaded with these, the whole lot together could not equal the dept...”; Rostovtzeff 1998, 172.
777 Cicero pro Rab. Post. 8, 28.
778 Cicero pro Rab. Post. 2, 3.
779 Appian B.C. 14, 58 and 59, Postumius = Postumus; White 1995, 155; Siani-Davies 2001, 59.
780 Caesar B.Afr. 8, 26, 44; Cassius Dio 43, 6, 3.
781 Horace Car. 2, 14; I am grateful for J. Gyorgy Szilagyi who pointed out that Horace always wrote his poems to existing people.
The information in his poems, however general, may contain references to the addressee.
782 49 B.C., Cicero, Ad fam. 2, 16, 7.
783 Siani-Davis 2001, 57.; Eilers 2003, 8-10.
784 Cicero Rab. Perd. 7-8; for his connections in Apulia see Siani-Davis 2001, 50 note 40; Wiseman 1971, 194 f.; Manacorda 1994,
49; Two Dressel 2-4 handle fragments thought to have been produced in Apulia: Blanc-Bijon et. al. 1998, 104 no. 782.
785 Cicero Att. 1,6, 1. The house was bought by M. Fonteius in 68 B.C.
786 Horace Car. 2, 14; Pliny NH XIV, 61 remarks that the Caecuban wine production was discontinued: “Previously Caecuban wine
had the reputation of being the most generous of all; it was grown in some popular woods on marshy ground on Bay of Amyclae,
but the vineyard has now disappeared owing to the neglect of the cultivator”.
