Claudius Balbillus, a learned and benevolent man, governor of Egypt, of which he wrote the history, under Nero. Tacitus, Annals, bk. 13, ch. 22.
Balbīnus, an admirer of Agna, mentioned Horace, bk. 1, satire 3, li. 40.——A Roman who, after governing provinces with credit and honour, assassinated the Gordians, and seized the purple. He was some time after murdered by his [♦]soldiers. A.D. 238.
[♦] ‘soldier’ replaced with ‘soldiers’
Balbus, a mountain of Africa, famous for the retreat of Masinissa, after he had fought a battle against Syphax.
Lucius Balbus, a lawyer, &c., one among the pupils of Scævola.——A man killed by the assassins of the triumvirs.
Baleares, three islands in the Mediterranean, modernly called Majorca, Minorca, and Yvica, on the coast of Spain. The word is derived from βαλλειν, to throw, because the inhabitants were expert archers and slingers, besides great pirates. We are told by Florus, that the mothers never gave their children breakfast before they had struck with an arrow a certain mark in a tree. When a woman was married, she was not admitted to her husband’s bed before she had received the embraces of all her relations. The inhabitants were naturally of a lascivious propensity, and in their wars they required nothing but females and wine, and often exchanged four men for one woman. Strabo, bk. 14.—Florus, bk. 3, ch. 8.—Diodorus, bk. 5.
Balētus, a son of Hippo, who first founded Corinth. Paterculus bk. 1, ch. 3.
Balius, a horse of Achilles. Homer, Iliad, bk. 16, li. 146.
Balista, a mountain of Liguria. Livy, bk. 40, ch. 41.
Ballonŏti, a people of European Sarmatia. Flaccus, bk. 6, li. 160.