GALLIO, JuniusAnnaeus, proconsul or “deputy” of Achaia at the time of the apostle Paul’s first visit to Corinth (53 a,d.), was the son of Μ. Annaeus Seneca, a Roman eques and rhetorician, and was born at Cordova about the beginning of the Christian era. His mother’s name was Helvia; and L. Annaeus Seneca, the philosopher, and L. Annaeus Mela, the geographer, were his full brothers, his own proper name being Marcus Annaeus Novatus. After he had received a careful education from his father at Cordova, he went to Rome, where he attracted the notice of L. Junius Gallio, a rhetorician of some repute, who ultimately adopted him, thus conferring the name by which he is usually known. The terms on which he lived with his kindred and with the world are well illustrated in the epithet “dulcis” applied to him by Statius (Silv., ii. 7, 32), and by Seneca (Nat. Qu., 4 pref.—“nemo mortalium uni tam dulcis est quam hic omnibus ”). It is probable that Gallio shared the misfortunes of his brother when the latter, having incurred the enmity of Messalina, was banished to Corsica; and that both returned together to Rome when Agrippina had selected Seneca to be tutor to Nero. Towards the close of the reign of Claudius, Gallio received the proconsulship of the newly constituted senatorial province of Achaia (Acts xviii. 12), but seems to have been compelled by ill health to resign the post within a few years (Pliny, H. N., xxxi. 33; Seneca, Hp. civ.). In the fifth year of Nero we hear of him as having been again in Rome (Dio Cassius, lxi. 20, 21), and on the same authority we learn that he finally became one of the last victims of that emperor (lxii. 25). The statement of Jerome in the chronicle of Eusebius, that Junius Gallio “frater Senecae, egregius declamator, ...

was the name of the brother of Seneca, the philosopher. He was at first named Marcus Annæus Novatus; but, being adopted by Lucius Junius Gallio, he took the name of his adoptive father. The Emperor Claudius made him proconsul of Achaia. He was of a mild and agreeable temper. To him his brother Seneca dedicated his books, “Of Anger.” He shared in the fortunes of his brothers, as well when out of favour as in their prosperity at court. At length, Nero put him, as well as them, to death. The Jews were enraged at St. Paul for converting many Gentiles, and dragged him to the tribunal of Gallio, who, as proconsul, generally resided at Corinth, Acts xviii, 12, 13. They accused him of teaching “men to worship God contrary to the law.” St. Paul being about to speak, Gallio told the Jews, that if the matter in question were a breach of justice, or an action of a criminal nature, he should think himself obliged to hear them; but, as the dispute was only concerning their law, he would not determine such differences, nor judge them. Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, was beaten by the Greeks before Gallio’s seat of justice; but this governor did not concern himself about it. His abstaining from interfering in a religious controversy did credit to his prudence; nevertheless, his name has oddly passed into a reproachful proverb; and a man regardless of all piety is called “a Gallio,” and is said “Gallio-like to care for none of these things.” Little did this Roman anticipate that his name would be so immortalized.