Sabazius, a surname of Bacchus, as also of Jupiter. Cicero, de Natura Deorum, bk. 3, ch. 23.—Arnobius, bk. 4.
Sabbas, a king of India.
Sabella, the nurse of the poet Horace, bk. 1, satire 9, li. 29.
Sabelli, a people of Italy, descended from the Sabines, or, according to some, from the Samnites. They inhabited that part of the country which lies between the Sabines and the Marsi. Hence the epithet of Sabellicus. Horace, bk. 3, ode 6.—Virgil, Georgics, bk. 3, li. 255.
Sabellus, a Latin poet in the reign of Domitian and Nerva.
Julia Sabīna, a Roman matron, who married Adrian by means of Plotina the wife of Trajan. She is celebrated for her private as well as public virtues. Adrian treated her with the greatest asperity, though he had received from her the imperial purple; and the empress was so sensible of his unkindness, that she boasted in his presence that she had disdained to make him a father, lest his children should become more odious or more tyrannical than he himself was. The behaviour of Sabina at last so exasperated Adrian that he poisoned her, or, according to some, obliged her to destroy herself. The emperor at that time laboured under a mortal disease, and therefore he was the more encouraged to sacrifice Sabina to his resentment, that she might not survive him. Divine honours were paid to her memory. She died after she had been married 38 years to Adrian, A.D. 138.
Sabīni, an ancient people of Italy, reckoned among the Aborigines, or those inhabitants whose origin was not known. Some suppose that they were originally a Lacedæmonian colony, who settled in that part of the country. The possessions of the Sabines were situated in the neighbourhood of Rome, between the river Nar and the Anio, and bounded on the north by the Apennines and Umbria, south by Latium, east by the Æqui, and Etruria on the west. The greatest part of the contiguous nations were descended from them, such as the Umbrians, the Campanians, the Sabelli, the Osci, Samnites, Hernici, Æqui, Marsi, Brutii, &c. The Sabines are celebrated in ancient history as being the first who took up arms against the Romans, to avenge the rape of their females at a spectacle where they had been invited. After some engagements, the greatest part of the Sabines left their ancient possessions, and migrated to Rome, where they settled with their new allies. They were at last totally subdued, about the year of Rome 373, and ranked as Roman citizens. Their chief cities were Cures, Fidenæ, Reate, Crustumerium, Corniculum, Nomentum, Collatia, &c. The character of the nation for chastity, for purity of morals, and for the knowledge of herbs and incantations, was very great. Horace, epode 17, li. 28.—Cicero, Against Vatinius, ch. 15.—Pliny, bk. 3, ch. 12.—Livy, bk. 1, chs. 9 & 18.—Dionysius of Halicarnassus, bk. 2, ch. 51.—Strabo, bk. 5.—Florus, bk. 1, ch. 1; bk. 3, ch. 18.—Silius Italicus, bk. 8, li. 424.—Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 14, lis. 775 & 797; Ars Amatoria, bk. 1, li. 101; [♦]Amores, bk. 3, poem 8, li. 61.—Juvenal, satire 10, li. 197.
[♦] Book name omitted from text.
Sabiniānus, a general who revolted in Africa, in the reign of Gordian, and was defeated soon after, A.D. 240.——A general of the eastern empire, &c.
Sabīnus Aulus, a Latin poet intimate with Ovid. He wrote some epistles and elegies, in the number of which were mentioned, an epistle from Æneas to Dido, from Hippolytus to Phædra, and from Jason to [♦]Hypsipyle, from Demophoon to Phyllis, from Paris to Œnome, from Ulysses to Penelope; the three last of which, though said to be his composition, are spurious. Ovid, Amores, bk. 2, poem 13, li. 27.——A man from whom the Sabines received their name. He received divine honours after death, and was one of those deities whom Æneas invoked when he entered Italy. He was supposed to be of Lacedæmonian origin. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 7, li. 171.——An officer of Cæsar’s army defeated by the Gauls.——Julius, an officer who proclaimed himself emperor in the beginning of Vespasian’s reign. He was soon after defeated in a battle; and, to escape from the conqueror, he hid himself in a subterraneous cave, with two faithful domestics, where he continued unseen for nine successive years. His wife found out his retreat, and spent her time with him, till her frequent visits to the cave discovered the place of his concealment. He was dragged before Vespasian, and by his orders put to death, though his friends interested themselves in his cause, and his wife endeavoured to raise the emperor’s pity, by showing him the twins whom she had brought forth in their subterraneous retreat.——Cornelius, a man who conspired against Caligula, and afterwards destroyed himself.——Titius, a Roman senator, shamefully accused and condemned by Sejanus. His body, after execution, was dragged through the streets of Rome, and treated with the greatest indignities. His dog constantly followed the body, and when it was thrown into the Tiber, the faithful animal plunged in after it, and was drowned. Pliny, bk. 8, ch. 40.——Poppæus, a Roman consul, who presided above 24 years over Mœsia, and obtained a triumph for his victories over the barbarians. He was a great favourite of Augustus and of Tiberius. Tacitus, Annals.——Flavius, a brother of Vespasian, killed by the populace. He was well known for his fidelity to Vitellius. He commanded in the Roman armies 35 years, and was governor of Rome for 12.——A friend of Domitian.——A Roman who attempted to plunder the temple of the Jews.——A friend of the emperor Alexander.——A lawyer.