Labeo lived during the Augustan age (27 B. C.E.-14 c. e.). Trained by Cicero and Ciceronian legalist C. Trebatius Testa, he was considered one of the finest legal minds in Rome, despite his firm Republicanism. Labeo became a rival of the other great jurist, G. Ateius Capito, opposing his monarchist tendencies. Augustus, who disliked both Labeo’s politics and his sharp wit, passed him over and granted Capito a consulship. Capito thus possessed greater social prominence than his senior, although Labeo was always considered his equal. Labeo authored some 400 books, including an early commentary on the Edicts. Always ready with a quick retort, he placed the name of Lepidus, the ex-triumvir, on a list for the Senate. When Augustus threatened him with a charge of perjury, Labeo responded: “What have I done wrong by naming to the Senate one whom you allowed to remain High Priest?” Later, it was proposed that the senators should protect Augustus as a special guard, to which Labeo replied: “As for me, I snore, and thus should not sleep at Augustus’s chamber door.”
Labeo, Pomponius (d. 34 c. e.) Praetor and governor of Moesia for eight years during the reign of Tiberius In 34, Labeo and his wife, Paxaea, were accused of taking bribes while in office. Fearing that no possible hope could be offered by a trial, they chose to kill themselves. Tiberius remarked that Paxaea had committed suicide needlessly as she was in no danger of prosecution.
Labienus, Quintus (d. c. 39 b. c.e.) Son of Titus Labi-enus, and opponent of Julius Caesar
Labienus joined Cassius and Brutus, the liberators. He acted as an envoy for them to King orodes ii of parthia, developing a rapport with the monarch. In 42 b. c.e., when the Republican cause was annihilated at the battle of Philippi, LABIENUS fled to Parthia, offering his services to orodes. Two years later, Labienus returned to Roman territory but at the head of the Parthian army, invading SYRIA and PALESTINE. He captured Apamea and most of the Syrian cities, except for Tyre, subjugated judaea, carried off the ethnarch Hyrcanus, and installed the Jewish claimant Antigones on the throne. His seizure of Cilicia was his military crowning achievement; but he had considerable influence on Jewish history. It took nearly a year for Marc ANTONY to respond to Labienus’s invasion. Publius Ventid-ius arrived in Asia with several legions, evicted the Parthi-ans and crushed Labienus’s own force. Labienus attempted to flee to Parthia but was captured in Cilicia and executed.
Labienus, Titus (d. 45 b. c.e.) Tribune and gifted lieutenant to Julius Caesar
Labienus appeared on the political scene in 63 b. c.e., serving as a tribune. In this office he aided Caesar, who was prosecuting the aged Senator C. Rabirius, who had a role in the murder of Saturninus in 100 b. c.e. His connection with Caesar continued during the gallic wars (58-51 b. c.e.), when Labienus held a major post of legate and chief officer in support of the conqueror of the Gauls. He distinguished himself in several campaigns; in 54, an attack by the chieftain Indutiomarus was repulsed, salvaging the Roman victory in Gallia, and in 53 he defeated the Treviri during a major uprising of the Gallic tribes. Labienus was also at Caesar’s side in the siege of ALESIA in 52 B. C.E.
At the start of the civil war, first triumvirate in 49 Labienus chose the Pompeian cause, because of the clear signs of Pompey emerging as ultimate victor. He saw action at the battle of pharsalus, and escaped to Africa with the Gallic and Germanic cavalry units. His advice to Cornelius Scipio at the battle of thapsus in February 46 was not enough to ensure victory, and he again fled, this time to Spain. In March 45, Labienus fought in the last battle of the wars, at munda. Despite a hard struggle, Caesar proved triumphant and Labienus died, one of the last Pompeian officers to fall.
Laco, Cornelius (d. 69 c. e.) Prefect of the Praetorian Guard from late 68 until January 15, 69, during the brief reign of Galba
Laco served originally in Hispania Tarraconensis as a judge’s assessor and entered the circle of the provincial governor, galba. Described by Suetonius as stupid and arrogant and by Tacitus as the laziest of men, Laco nevertheless became one of Galba’s key advisers, competing with Titus vinius and the freedman icelus for attention. When Galba ascended the throne in 68, Laco received as his reward the prefectship of the Guard. As prefect he proved absolutely incompetent, infuriating the Praetorians. Not only was the donativum promised to them by Galba left unpaid, but Laco also spent most of his time plotting against vinius and icelus for the right to choose an heir for the emperor. The increasing unpopularity of Galba and the murderous mood of the Guard were ignored until, on January 15, Laco paid for his lack of vision. Galba was murdered by the Praetorians, otho was elevated to the throne and Laco was reportedly run through by a soldier’s sword.
Laco, Graecinus (fl. first century c. e.) Prefect of the Vigiles (city watch)
In 31 C. E., Laco became a pivotal figure in the downfall of the Praetorian Prefect sejanus. From his island abode at Capri, Emperor Tiberius plotted the death of his ambitious PREFECT OF THE PRAETORIAN GUARD. He wrote a letter to the Senate, destroying Sejanus, and entrusted its delivery and the inevitable massacre to several reliable servants, Sertorius macro of the Guard, the consul Mem-mius Regulus, and Laco. On the morning of October 18, Macro arrived at the senate’s meeting place for the day, the Temple of Apollo, delivered Tiberius’s letter and went outside to greet Laco. The prefect of the Vigiles had marched up with a troop of city police, and, by Macro’s order, replaced Sejanus’s own special detachment of men. Once the Senate condemned Sejanus, Laco led him away to the dreaded dungeons of tullianum, where he was executed. For this act of loyalty, Tiberius elevated Laco to the rank of ex-praetor. Claudius later added further honors, including a governorship in Gallia and the position of ex-consul.
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