Aulus Gabinius

[3] His name is mostly associated with the lex Gabinia, a law he passed as tribune of the plebs in 67 BC that granted Pompey an extraordinary command in the Mediterranean Sea to fight the pirates.

Shortly after his arrival he marched his army south into Judaea, defeated the army of Alexander, Hyrcanus II's nephew, in a battle near Jeruzalem, and reinstated Hyrcanus II as high-priest of Jerusalem,[6] He suppressed revolts, introduced important changes in the government of Judaea and rebuilt several towns.

During Gabinius's time in Egypt, Syria had been devastated by robbers, and Alexander, son of Aristobulus, had again taken up arms with the object of depriving Hyrcanus II of the high-priesthood.

With some difficulty Gabinius restored order in Syria, and in 54 BC handed over the province to his successor, Marcus Licinius Crassus.

The Roman equites (knights), who as tax collectors had suffered heavy losses during the disturbances in Syria, were greatly embittered against Gabinius, and, when he appeared in the Senate to give an account of his governorship, he was brought to trial on three counts, all involving a capital offence.

On the charge of maiestas (high treason) incurred by having left his province for Egypt without the consent of the Senate and in defiance of the Sibylline Books, Gabinius was acquitted.

On the second charge, that of repetundae (extortion during the administration of his province), with special reference to the 10,000 talents paid by Ptolemy XII for his restoration, he was found guilty, in spite of evidence offered on his behalf by Pompey and witnesses from Alexandria and the eloquence of Cicero, who had been induced to plead his cause.

After the outbreak of Civil War in 49 BC, Gabinius was recalled by Gaius Julius Caesar and entered his service, but took no active part against his old patron, Pompey.