<GetPassage xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" xmlns="http://chs.harvard.edu/xmlns/cts">
            <request>
                <requestName>GetPassage</requestName>
                <requestUrn>urn:cts:pdlrefwk:viaf88890045.003.perseus-eng1:P.postumus_c_rabirius_1</requestUrn>
            </request>
            <reply>
                <urn>urn:cts:pdlrefwk:viaf88890045.003.perseus-eng1:P.postumus_c_rabirius_1</urn>
                <passage>
                    <TEI xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><text xml:base="urn:cts:pdlrefwk:viaf88890045.003.perseus-eng1"><body xml:lang="eng" n="urn:cts:pdlrefwk:viaf88890045.003.perseus-eng1"><div type="textpart" subtype="alphabetic_letter" n="P"><div type="textpart" subtype="entry" xml:id="postumus-c-rabirius-bio-1" n="postumus_c_rabirius_1"><head><label><persName xml:lang="la"><addName full="yes">Po'stumus</addName>, <forename full="yes">C.</forename><surname full="yes">Rabi'rius</surname></persName></label></head><p>whom Cicero defended in <date when-custom="-54">B. C. 54</date> in an oration, still extant, was a
      Roman eques, and the son of C. Curius, a wealthy farmer of the public revenues. He was born
      after the death of his father, who had married the sister of C. Rabirius, whom Cicero had
      defended in <date when-custom="-63">B. C. 63</date>, when he was accused by T. Labienus; and he was
      adopted by his uncle Rabirius, whose name he consequently assumed. The younger Rabirius
      carried on a profitable business as a money-lender, and had among his debtors Ptolemy Auletes,
      who had been compelled to borrow large sums of money, in order to purchase the support of the
      leading men at Rome, to keep him on the throne. To pay his Roman creditors, Ptolemy was
      obliged to oppress his subjects; and his exactions became at length so intolerable, that the
      Egyptians expelled him from the kingdom. He accordingly fled to Rome in <date when-custom="-57">B.
       C. 57</date>, and Rabirius and his other creditors supplied him with the means of corrupting
      the Roman nobles, as they had no hopes of regaining their money except by his restoration to
      the throne. Ptolemy at length obtained his object, and Gabinius, the proconsul of Syria,
      encouraged by Pompey, marched with a Roman army into Egypt in <date when-custom="-55">B. C.
       55</date>. Ptolemy thus regained his kingdom. Rabirius forthwith repaired to Alexandria, and
      was invested by the king with the office of <hi rend="ital">Dioecctes,</hi> or chief
      treasurer, no doubt with the sanction of Gaoinius. In this office he had to amass money both
      for himself and Gabinius; but his extortions were so terrible, that Ptolemy had him
      apprehended, either to secure him against the wrath of the people, or to satisfy their
      indignation, lest they should drive him again from his kingdom. Rabirius escaped from prison,
      probably through the connivance of the king, and returned to Rome. But here a trial awaited
      him. Gabinius was accused of extortion (<hi rend="ital">rcpetundae</hi>) under the provisions
      of the lex Julia, passed in the consulship of Caesar, <date when-custom="-59">B. C. 59</date>, and
      was condemned to pay a considerable fine. As Gabinius was unable to pay this sum, a suit was
      instituted under the same law against Rabirius, who was liable to make up the deficiency, if
      it could be proved that he had received any of the money of which Gabinius had illegally
      become possessed. The suit against Rabirius was, therefore, a supplementary appendage to the
      cause of Gabinius. The accuser, the praetor, and the judices, were the same; and as Cicero had
      defended Gabinius, he also performed the same office for Rabirius. (Cic. <hi rend="ital">pro
       Rabirio Postumo,</hi> passim.) The issue of the trial is not mentioned; but as the judices
      had condemned Gabinius, they probably did not spare his tool. We may therefore conclude that
      he went into banishment, like his patron, and was recalled by Caesar from exile. At all
      events, we find him serving under Caesar in <date when-custom="-46">B. C. 46</date>, who sent him
      from Africa into Sicily, in order to obtain provisions for the army. (Hirt. <hi rend="ital">B.
       Afr.</hi> 8.)</p></div></div></body></text></TEI>
                </passage>
            </reply>
            </GetPassage>