| iii. 15. § 4); but he had besides a vast number of children by other divinities and mortal women. He is mentioned by a variety of surnames, either in allusion to the many legends related about him, or to his nature as the god of the sea. His worship extended over all Greece and southern Italy, but he was more especially revered in Peloponnesus (which is hence called olkητýρiov Пloσeid@vos) and in the Ionic coast towns. The sacrifices offered to him generally consisted of black and white bulls (Hom. Od. iii. 6, Il. xx. 404; Pind. Ol. xiii. 98; Virg. Aen. v. 237); but wild boars and rams were also sacrificed to him. (Hom. Od. xi. 130, &c., xxiii. 277; Virg. Aen. iii. 19.) In Argolis bridled horses were thrown into the well Deine as a sacrifice to him (Paus. viii. 7. § 2), and horse and chariot races were held in his honour on the Corinthian isthmus. (Pind. Nem. v. 66, &c.) The Panionia, or the festival of all the Ionians near Mycale, was celebrated in honour of Poseidon. (Herod. i. 148.) In works of art, Poseidon may be easily recognised by his attributes, the dolphin, the horse, or the trident (Paus. x. 36. § 4), and he was frequently represented in groups along with Amphitrite, Tritons, Nereids, dolphins, the Dioscuri, Palaemon, Pegasus, Bellerophontes, Thalassa, Ino, and Galene. (Paus. ii. 1. § 7.) His figure does not present the majestic calm which characterises his brother Zeus ; but as the state of the sea is varying, so also is the god represented sometimes in violent agitation, and sometimes in a state of repose. (Hirt, Mythol. Bilderb. i. p. 26.) It must be observed that the Romans identified Poseidon with their own Neptunus, and that accordingly the attributes belonging to the former are constantly transferred by the Latin poets to the latter. [L. S.] POSEIDONIUS (Пoσedvios), a distinguished Stoic philosopher, was a native of Apameia in Syria (Strab. xiv. p. 968, xvi. p. 1093; Suidas, s. ϋ. Ποσειδ.). He was called sometimes the Apamean, from his birthplace, sometimes the Rhodun, from the place where he taught (Lucian, Macrob. vol. iii. p. 223; Athen. vi. p. 252, e.) He was also known by the surname 'A0λnτns (Suid. c.). The date of his birth is not known with any exactness; but he was a disciple of Panaetius and a contemporary of Pompeius and Cicero. Athenaeus (xii. p. 549, e.), by a great mistake, mentions Poseidonius instead of Panaetius as the companion of Scipio Africanus on his embassy to Egypt. Elsewhere (xiv. p. 657) he talks of him as a contemporary of Strabo, misunderstanding a passage of the latter (xvi. p. 1093), where the expression Ka nuas, in an author who quotes from so many writers of different ages, may very well be understood of one who preceded him but a short time. Vossius supposes that the old age of Poseidonius may have coincided with the childhood of Strabo. The supposition is not necessary. As Panaetius died in B. c. 112, and Poseidonius came to Rome in the consulship of M. Marcellus (B. c. 51), and according to Lucian (l. c.) reached the age of 84 years, B. c. 135 is probably not far from the date of the birth of Poseidonius. Poseidonius, leaving Syria, betook himself to Athens, and became the disciple of Panaetius, and never returned to his native country. (Suid. l. c.; Cic. de Off. iii. 2, Tusc. Disp. v. 37.) On the death of Panactius he set out on his travels, and first visited Spain. At Gades he staid thirty days, observing the setting of the sun, and by his observ- Poseidonius was a man of extensive and varied acquirements in almost all departments of human knowledge. Strabo (xvi. p. 753) calls him ảvýp τῶν καθ ̓ ἡμᾶς φιλοσόφων πολυμαθέστατος. Cicero thought so highly of his powers, that he requested him to write an account of his consulship (ad Att. ii. 1). As a physical investigator he was greatly superior to the Stoics generally, attaching himself in this respect rather to Aristotle. His geographical and historical knowledge was very extensive. Though attached to the Stoic system, he was far less dogmatical and obstinate than the majority of that school, refusing to admit a dogma because it was one of the school, if it did not commend itself to him for its intrinsic merits. This scientific cast of his mind Galen attributes to his accurate ac quaintance with geometry (De Plac. Hipp. et Plat. iv. p. 279, viii. p. 319). His style of composition also seems to have been far removed from the ungraceful stiffness which was frequently affected by Stoic writers. (Strab. v. p. 147; comp. Galen, & co iv. p. 281, v. p. 296.) | Poseidonius adhered to the division of philosophy Plato and Aristotle. In some respects his views usual among the ancients, into physics, ethics, and approximated to the Pythagorean doctrines. (Sext. dialectics (Diog. Laërt. vii. 39), comparing the first Empir. Adv. Math. vii. 93; Galen. de Hipp. et to the blood and flesh of an animal, the second to Plat. Plac. v. p. 171.) It seems to have been his the bones and nerves, the last to the soul. (Sextus object as far as possible to banish contradiction Emp. adv. Math. vii. 19; Diog. Laërt. vii. 40.) from philosophy, and bring all the systems which He recognised two principles (apxaí) — passive had been propounded into harmony with each (matter), and active (God). His physical doctrines other, and to infuse into the decaying vitality of were, in the main, those of the Stoics generally, philosophical thought something of the vigour of though he differed from them in some particulars. past times. But that he could suppose the docHe held that the vacuum beyond the universe was trines of Zeno, Aristotle and Plato capable of reconnot infinite, but only large enough to allow of the ciliation with each other, shows that he could not dissolution of the universe (he discarded the doc- have seized very distinctly the spirit of each. To trine of its destruction by fire, Phil. Jud. de Aet. give anything like plausibility to this attempt, it Mundi, ii. p. 497, ed. Mang.). He considered the was of course necessary to introduce considerable heaven as the governing principle (тò ÝуEμоviкóv) | modifications into the Stoic doctrines. In some of the universe (Diog. Laërt. vii. 139.) He cul- points however in which he differed from Panaetivated astronomy with considerable diligence, and, tius he rather returned to the views of the earlier unlike Panaetius, was a believer in astrology (Cic. Stoic philosophers. His fourfold division of virtue de Div. ii. 42). Poseidonius also constructed a is apparently that followed by Cicero in his De planetary machine, or revolving sphere, to exhibit Officiis. He did not think virtue by itself suffithe daily motions of the sun, moon and planets.cient for perfect happiness, unless accompanied by (Cic. de Nat. Deor. ii. 34.) He inferred that the sun is larger than the earth, among other reasons because the shadow cast by the earth is conical. (Diog. Laërt. vii. 144; Macrob. ad Somn. Scip. i. 20.) Its greater apparent magnitude as it sets he attributed to its being seen through dense and misty air, and supposed that if we could see it through a solid wall it would appear larger still. (Cleomedes, Cycl. Theor. ii. p. 430.) He calculated the diameter of the sun to be 4,000,000 stadia, on the assumption that the orbit of the sun was 10,000 times the circumference of the earth, and that it is within a space of 400 stadia N. and S. that the sun casts no shadow. (Cleomedes, l. c. p. 452.) The distance between the earth and the sun he set down at above 502,000,000 stadia. (Plin. H. N. ii. 21.) The moon also he considered to be larger than the earth, and composed of transparent elements, though on account of its great size the rays of the sun do not pass through it in eclipses. (Stob. Ecl. Phys. i. p. 59; Cleom. I. c. ii. p. 500.) His view of the milky way, that it is of an igneous nature, not so dense as stars, but more so than light, and intended to warm those parts of the universe which the sun's heat does not reach, was extensively adopted. (Macrob. l. c. i. 15.) Poseidonius's calculation of the circumference of the earth differed widely from that of Eratosthenes. He made it only 180,000 stadia, and his measurement was pretty generally adopted. His calculation was founded on observations of the star Canobus made in Spain, not, as Cleomedes says, in Rhodes. (Strab. ii. 119; p. Cleom. l. c. i. 8. ; comp. Mannert, Geogr. vol. i. p. 105, &c.) The shape of the habitable part of the earth he compared to that of a sling, the greatest extent being from E. to W. (Strab. ii. p. 267; Agathemerus, ap. Hudson. Geogr. Min. vol. ii. p. 2.) Of the connection between the moon and the tides he was None of the writings of Poseidonius has come well aware. (Strab. iii. p. 173.) Strabo frequently down to us entire. We find mention of the followrefers to Poseidonius as one of the most distin-ing:-1. Пepì Deŵv, consisting of at least thirteen guished geographers. A great number of passages, containing the views of Poseidonius on various other geographical and astronomical points, has been collected by Bake. | external, bodily good. (Diog. Laërt. vii. 128.) books (Diog. Laërt. vii. 138). 2. Пeрl μavtikŴs, in five books. Poseidonius defended divination, and analysed its foundations. 3. Пepì eiuapuévns. 4. Περὶ Ηρώων καὶ δαιμόνων. 5. Φυσικὸς λόγος, As the basis of his ethical and mental philosophy consisting of at least fifteen books (Diog. Laërt. vii. Poseidonius took the Stoic system, though with 140). 6. Περὶ κόσμου. 7. Εξήγησις τοῦ Πλάτωνος considerable modifications, for he held possible Τιμαίου. 8. Περὶ κενοῦ. 9. Περὶ μετεώρων : Dioto amalgamate with it much of the systems of genes Laërtius cites from the seventeenth book of | it. 10. Merewpoλoyikǹ Σroixelwois. 11. Пepi | into the same error, and equally supposes them to τοῦ ἡλίου μεγέθους. 12. Περὶ Ὠκεανοῦ. 13. Περὶ | have been one and the same individual, whom he ψυχῆς. 14. Πρὸς Ζήνωνα τὸν Σιδώνιον, or at least places in the first century after Christ. a mathematical work in which his views were controverted. 15. 'Heikos λóyos. 16. ПротрежтIкά, in defence of the position, that the study of philosophy ought not to be neglected on account of the discrepancies in the systems of different philosophers. 17. Перi каOŃкоVTOS (see Cic. ad Att. xvi. 11). 18. Пepl Tatav. 19. A treatise on the connection between virtues and the division of the faculties of the mind (Galen, l. c. viii. p. 319). 20. Hep κριτηρίου. 21. Εἰσαγωγὴ περὶ λέξεως. A grammatical work. 22. An extensive historical work, in at least forty-nine or fifty books (Athen. iv. p. 168, d.), and apparently of very miscellaneous contents, to judge by the tolerably numerous quotations of it in Athenaeus, and comprising events from the time of Alexander the Great to his own times. 1. The author of some medical works, of which nothing but a few fragments remain, who quotes Archigenes (ap. Aët. ii. 2. 12, p. 255), and is himself quoted by Rufus Ephesius (ap. Ang. Mai, Classic. Auctor. e Vatic. Codic. Edit. vol. iv. p. 11), and who must, therefore, have lived about the end of the first century after Christ. He is one of the earliest writers who is known to have mentioned the glandular or true plague, though this disease was, till quite lately, supposed to have been unknown till a much later period (see M. Littré, loco cit.). He is several times quoted by Aëtius (i. 3. 121, ii. 2. 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 18, 20, 21, 24, pp. 139, 243, 244, 246, 247, 248, 254, 255, 257, 258, 260), and Paulus Aegineta (vii. 3, 21, 22, pp. 614, 692, 693). The name frequently occurs in Galen, but it is probable that in every Suidas, by a gross blunder, attributes to Po- passage the philosopher is referred to and not the seidonius of Alexandria an historical work in physician. If (as seems upon the whole not unfifty-two books, in continuation of the history of likely) this Poseidonius is the pupil of Zopyrus at Polybius. Vossius (de Hist. Graec. p. 199, ed. Alexandria, who is mentioned by Apollonius CitiWestermann) considers this work to be identical ensis as his fellow-pupil (ap. Dietz, Schol. in Hipwith the historical work of Poseidonius of Apa-pocr. et Gal. vol. i. p. 2), there is a chronological meia. Bake dissents from this view, inasmuch difficulty which the writer is not at present able to as events were mentioned by Poseidonius earlier explain. than those included in the history of Polybius, and assigns the work to Poseidonius of Olbiopolis. His objection is not decisive, and Westermann coincides with Vossius. But the account which Suidas gives of the work is enormously wrong, as he says it ended with the Cyrenaic war (B. c. 324), and yet was a continuation of the history of Polybius, which goes down to the destruction of Corinth by Mummius (B. c. 146). 23. A history of the life of Pompeius Magnus (Strab. xi. p. 753). This may possibly have been a part of his larger historical work. 24. Téxyn taktikń (de Acie instruendu). 25. Various epistles. 2. The son of Philostorgius and brother of Philagrius, who lived in the latter half of the fourth century after Christ, during the reign of Valentinian and Valens. (Philostorg. H. E. viii. 10.) [W.A.G.] POSEIDONIUS, of Ephesus, a celebrated silver-chaser, who was contemporary with Pasiteles, in the time of Pompey. (Plin. H. N. xxxiii. 12. s. 55.) Pliny mentions him also among the artists who made athletas et armatos et venatores sacrificantesque, and adds to the mention of his name the words qui et argentum caelavit nobiliter (H. N. xxxiv. 8. s. 19. § 34). Nagler (KünstlerLexicon) makes the singular mistake of ascribing to him the sphere of the celebrated philosopher Poseidonius, which is mentioned by Cicero (de Nat. Deor. ii. 34). [P.S.] All the relics which still remain of the writings of Poseidonius have been carefully collected and illustrated by Janus Bake, in a work entitled Posi- | donii Rhodii Reliquiae Doctrinae, Lugd. Bat. 1810. POSIS, a Roman modeller, who lived in the (Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. iii. p. 572; Vossius, de Hist. first century B. C., and who was mentioned as an Graec. P. 198, ed. Westermann; Ritter, Geschichte acquaintance by M. Varro, according to whom he der Philosophie, bk. xi. c. 6, vol. iii. p. 700, &c. ; made apples and grapes, which it was impossible Bake, l. c. ). to distinguish from the real objects. (Varro, ap. Plin. H. N. xxxv. 12. s. 45. The text of the passage is very corrupt; but there can be little doubt that the reading as restored by Gronovius gives the meaning fairly, namely: M. Varro tradit sibi cognitum Romae Posim nomine, a quo facta poma et uvas, ut non possis discernere a veris.) These imitations of fruit must have been first modelled, and then painted. Their truthfulness would suggest the suspicion that they were in wax ; but, from the absence of any statement to that effect, it must be supposed that they were only in some kind of clay or stucco or gypsum. [P. S.] There was an earlier Poseidonius, a native of Alexandria, and a disciple of Zeno, mentioned by Diogenes Laërtius (vii. 38) and Suidas, who (besides the historical work above referred to) mentions some writings, of which, however, he is more disposed to consider Poseidonius of Olbiopolis the author. The latter he describes as a sophist and historian, and the author of the following works:-Пepì TOû Ωκεανού : Περὶ τῆς Τυρικῆς καλουμένης χώρας: 'ATTIKàs iσTopías, in four books: Asuкá, in eleven books; and some others. The first mentioned work is assigned by Bake to Poseidonius of Apameia. There were also some others of the same name who are not worth mentioning. [C. P. M.] POSEIDONIUS (Hovedvios), the name of two Greek physicians, who have been confounded together by Sprengel (Hist. de la Méd. vol. ii. p. 92, French transl.), and placed in "the time of Valens ;" and also by M. Littre (Oeuvres d'Hippocr. vol. iii. p. 5), who, while correcting one half of Sprengel's chronological mistake, falls himself POSSIDIUS, a disciple of Augustine, with whom he lived upon intimate terms for nearly forty years. In A. D. 397 he was appointed bishop of Calama, a town in Numidia at no great distance from Hippo Regius; but this elevation brought 10 tranquillity nor ease, for his career from this time forward presents one continued struggle with a succession of fierce antagonists. For a long period he was engaged in active strife with the Donatists, maintained triumphant disputations in public with their leaders on several occasions, and was one of the four prelates despatched in 410 by the orthodox party in Africa to Honorius, for the purpose of soliciting a repeal of the law which had been passed in favour of their heretical opponents. He next took a prominent part in the councils held against Caelestius and Pelagius. In A. D. 430 he was driven from Calama by the Vandals, sought refuge at Hippo, and while that city was besieged, watched over the deathbed of his preceptor and friend. Prosper relates in his chronicle (A. D. 437) that Possidius, along with Novatus and Severianus, strenuously resisted the efforts of Genseric to propagate the doctrines of Arianism, and it is generally believed, that having been expelled from Africa, after the capture of Carthage (A. D. 439), he made his way to Italy, and there died. Two tracts by Possidius are still extant. 1. Vita Augustini. 2. Indiculus Scriptorum Augustini. These are attached to all the best editions of Augustine. The best edition of the Vita, in a separate form, is that of Salinas, 8vo. Rom. 1731, and Aug. Vindel. 1768; of the Indiculus, that published at Venice, 8vo. 1735. [W. R.] POSSIS (Пóσois), a Greek writer, mentioned only by Athenaeus, who cites two of his works, namely, the third book of his history of the Amazons ('Aua Covís, vii. p. 296, d.), and the third book of his history of Magnesia (Mayvптɩká, xii. | p. 533, d.). POSTVERTA or POSTVORTA, is properly a surname of Carmenta, describing her as turning backward and looking at the past, which she revealed to poets and other mortals. In like manner the prophetic power with which she looked into the future, is indicated by the surnames Antevorta, Prorsa (i. e. Proversa), and Porrima. Poets, however, have personified these attributes of Carmenta, and thus describe them as the companions of the goddess. (Ov. Fast. i. 633; Macrob. Sat. i. 7; Gellius, xvi. 16; Serv. ad Aen. viii. 339.) [L. S.] POSTU'MIA. 1. A Vestal virgin, accused of incest in B. c. 419, in consequence of the elegance of her dress and the freedom of her remarks, but acquitted, with an admonition to be more careful in her conduct for the future. (Liv. iv. 44.) 2. The wife of Ser. Sulpicius, was a busy intriguing woman, and did not bear a good character. She is said to have been one of the mistresses of Julius Caesar (Suet. Jul. 50), and Cicero suspected that it was her charms which drew his legatus Pomptinus from Cilicia to Rome. (Cic. ad Att. v. 21. § 9.) Her name frequently occurs in Cicero's correspondence at the time of the civil wars (ad Fam. iv. 2, ad Att. x. 3. a, x. 14, xii. 11, &c.). POSTU MIA, PO'NTIA. [PONTIA, No. 2.] · POSTU'MIA GENS, patrician, was one of the most ancient patrician gentes at Rome, and frequently held the highest offices of the state, from the banishment of the kings to the downfal of the republic. The most distinguished family in the gens was that of ALBUS or ALBINUS, but we also find at the commencement of the republic distinguished families of the names of MEGELLUS and TUBERTUS. The first of the Postumii, who obtained the consulship, was P. Postumius Tubertús, in B. C. 503, only six years after the expulsion of the kings. REGILLENSIS is properly an agnomen of the ALBINI, and accordingly persons with this surname are given under ALBINUS. In | the Punic wars, and subsequently, we also find the surnames PYRGENSIS, TEMPSANUS, and TYMPANUS. A few Postumii are mentioned without any surname: these are given below. POSTU'MIUS. 1. A. POSTUMIUS, tribunus militum in B. c. 180. (Liv. xl. 41.) 2. C. POSTUMIUS, tribunus militum in B. c. 163. (Liv. xlv. 6.) 3. POSTUMIUS, a soothsayer, who predicted success to Sulla, and told him to keep him in chains, and put him to death if matters did not turn out well. Plutarch (Sull. 9) says that this occurred when Sulla was marching upon Rome, in B. C. 88; whereas Cicero (de Div. i. 33) and Valerius Maximus (i. 6. § 4) relate that it happened before the battle in which Sulla defeated the Samnites. 4. M. POSTUMIUS, quaestor of Verres in his government of Sicily, B. c. 73. (Cic. Verr. ii. 18.) 5. CN. POSTUMIUS, was one of the supporters (subscriptores) of Ser. Sulpicius in his prosecution of Murena for bribery in B. c. 63. He had been a candidate for the praetorship in the same year. (Cic. pro Mur. 26, 27, 33.) 6. T. POSTUMIUS, an orator mentioned by Cicero with praise (Brut. 77), may perhaps have been the same person as the following. 7. POSTUMIUS, a friend of Cicero, belonged to the Pompeian party, and on the breaking out of the civil war, in B. C. 49, was appointed by the senate to succeed Furfanius Postumus in Sicily; but as he refused to go to the province without Cato, Fannius was sent in his stead. (Cic. ad Att. vii. 15. § 2.) Cicero mentions him as one of his friends in B. C. 46 (ad Fam. vi. 12. § 2, xiii. 69). He speaks of him again as one of the procuratores of the games of Octavius in B. C. 44 (ad Att. xv. 2. § 3). 8. POSTUMIUS, a legate of Caesar, whom he sent over from Greece to Italy in B. c. 48, to hasten the passage of his troops. (Appian, B.C. ii. 58.) 9. P. POSTUMIUS, a friend of M. Marcellus, who was murdered at Athens in B. C. 45. (Servius, ap. Cic. ad Fam. iv. 12. § 2.) 10. Q. POSTUMIUS, a Roman senator, was torn to pieces by order of Antony, because he meditated deserting to Augustus in B. c. 31. (Dion Cass. L. 13.) POSTU MIUS, architect. [POLLIO.] POSTUMULE/NUS, is only known as a friend of Trebianus or Trebonius (Cic. ad Fam. vi. 10). PO'STUMUS, which signifies a person born after the death of his father, was originally a praenomen (Varr. L. L. v. 60, ed. Muller), but was also used as a cognomen, of which several instances occur in the persons mentioned below. PO'STUMUS, a Roman, to whom Horace addresses one of his odes (ii. 14). Nothing is known of him, but he may have been the same person as the Postumus to whom Propertius addresses one of his elegies (iii. 12). PO'STUMUS, stands second on the list of the thirty tyrants enumerated by Trebellius Pollio [see AUREOLUS]. His full name was M. Cassianus Latinius Postumus. Of humble origin, he owed his advancement to merit, was nominated by Valerian, who entertained the strongest conviction of his worth, governor of Gaul, and was entrusted specially with the defence of the Rhenish frontier. By his aid Gallienus was enabled to repulse for some years the attacks of the barbarians; but on setting out for Illyria (A. D. 257), in order to quell Vict. de Cues. 33, Epit. 32; Eutrop. ix. 7; Oros. vii. 22; Zosim. i. 38; Zonar. xii. 24. From inscriptions and medals we obtain the name given above, M. Cassianus Latinius Postumus, but Victor terms him Cassius Labienus Postumus, while Pollio uniformly designates him as Postumius, and erroneously limits the duration of his power to seven years. [W. R.] PO'STUMUS, son of the foregoing, is mentioned by Trebellius Pollio, who presses in his name to swell the number of the 30 tyrants, stating that having received first the title of Caesar, and subsequently that of Augustus, he was slain along with his father. But when we recollect that notwithstanding the multitude of coins still existing of the elder Postumus, not one has been found commemorating the dignities of the younger, we are led with Eckhel to doubt the testimony of a writer notoriously inaccurate, and to conclude that no such person ever existed, or at all events that he was never invested with the title of Augustus or Caesar. (Trebell. Pollio. Trig. Tyr. iii.; Eckhel, vol. vii. p. 447.) It must not, however, be concealed, that in addition to the pieces described by Goltzius, which every numismatologist rejects as spurious, there are to be found in some cabinets two very rare medals, one in gold, the other in billon, bearing upon the obverse the head of the elder Postumus, with the legend IMP. C. POSTUMUS. P. F. AUG., and on the reverse the bust of a more juvenile personage, with a radiated crown, and the words INVICTO. AUG. Whether we are justified in regarding this as a representation of the younger Postumus, is a question which can hardly be answered with certainty, but the arguments adduced to prove the affirmative are far from being conclusive. (See Mionnet, Medailles Romaines, vol. ii. p. 70.) A cut of the billon coin is placed below. [W.R.] the insurrection of Ingenuus [INGENUUS], he committed his son Saloninus to the guardianship of Silvanus. Postumus, feeling slighted by this arrangement, took advantage of the disaffection of the troops towards the royal family, raised the standard of rebellion, assumed the style and title of emperor, and drove Saloninus to take refuge in Colonia Agrippina, where he was besieged, and eventually put to death upon the capture of the city. These events took place in A. D. 258 and 259, while Valerian was prosecuting his unfortunate campaign against the Persians. Whatever guilt may attach to the circumstances under which Postumus established his sway-and these are differently represented by different authorities, since Pollio declares that he was urged on by the discontent of the army and the provincials rather than by any ambition of his own, denying, at the same time, that he had any hand in the death of the youth whom he represents as having been actually consigned to his protection-it seems certain that he exercised his power with firmness, moderation, and skill. Not only were the efforts of Gallienus to take vengeance for his son signally frustrated; but while the nominal sovereign was indulging in slothful pleasures, the pretender, beloved by all to whom his influence extended, maintained a strong and just government, and preserved Gaul from the devastation of the warlike tribes upon the eastern border. Hence the titles of Imperator and Germanicus Maximus, which recur upon the medals of several successive years, are in this case something better than a mere empty boast. At length, however, his fickle subjects became weary of submitting to the strict and well-regulated discipline enforced in all departments of the state, rallied round a new adventurer named Laelianus [LAELIANUS; LOLLIANUS], and Postumus, who assuredly may claim the highest place among the numerous pageants of royalty that sprung up and disappeared with such rapidity during this disturbed epoch, was slain A. D. 267, in the tenth year of his reign. The number of coins still extant bearing the effigy of this prince, and the skilful workmanship displayed in the gold pieces especially, prove that the arts of peace were not despised in his court, while the letters S. C. stamped after the usual fashion upon the brass money, seem to indicate that he had surrounded himself with a body of counsellors, whom he chose to consider the true Roman senate. All questions connected with this reign have been investigated, with much diligence, accuracy, and learning, by Brequigny in the Mémoires de l'Academie de Sciences et Belles-Lettres, vol. xxx. p. 338, &c. There is also a dissertation on the Life of Postumus by Ioach. Meierus, preserved in Walterek Elect. p. 203. The chief ancient anthorities are, Trebell. Poll. Trig. Tyrann. ii.; Aurel. COIN OF POSTUMUS JUNIOR. PO'STUMUS, A'CTIUS, a rhetorician, mentioned by the elder Seneca. (Controv. 21.) PO'STUMUS, AGRIPPA. (AGRIPPA, p. 78.] PO'STUMUS, CURTIUS. 1, 2. Qu. and CN. CURTII POSTUMI, two brothers, were argen tarii, with whom Verres had pecuniary dealings. One of these, Quintus, who is called by Cicero a sodalis of Verres, was afterwards a judex quaestionis in the trial of Verres. (Cic. Verr. i. 39, 61.) 3. M. CURTIUS POSTUMUS, was recommended by Cicero to Caesar in B. c. 54 for the post of tribune of the soldiers, which he obtained. (Cic. ad Q. Fr. ii. 15. § 3, iii. 1. § 3.) On the breaking out of the civil war, in B. c. 49, he espoused with zeal the cause of Caesar, and was, on that account, a disagreeable guest to Cicero, whom he visited at his Formian villa. He appears to have entertained the hope of obtaining, through Caesar's influence, some of the higher dignities in the state (dibaphum cogitat). It appears that Atticus was afraid lest Curtius should prevent him from leaving Italy |