The Republic and The Laws (Oxford World's Classics) (42 page)

MARCELLUS, MARCUS CLAUDIUS
: consul 166 and 155. His policy of conciliation brought peace to nearer Spain from 151 to 143.
R.
1.
21
.

MARIUS, GAIUS
: c.157–86. Seven times consul. From an equestrian family in Arpinum, he served under Scipio at Numantia (134–3), married into the Julian family, enrolled troops from the Roman poor for his campaigns against Jugurtha in North Africa. After disposing of Jugurtha (
104),
he defeated the Teutones and Cimbri (German tribes) in 102 and
IOT.
He fought in the Italian war, but fled to Africa when Sulla seized Rome in 88. On Sulla’s departure, Marius raised troops and marched on Rome in 87. Sulla was declared an exile, and Marius entered on his seventh consulship in 86. He died early in that year. R. 1. 6; L. 1. 1, 2, 3, 4; 2. 56; 3.
36
.

MARS
: whatever his origins may have been, he was identified with the Greek war-god Ares at an early stage. In Roman myth he was the father of Romulus.
R.
2. 4; 6.
17
.

MASINISSA: C
.240–148. A prince of Numidia in North Africa who helped the Carthaginians against the Romans in Spain before 206. He was then won over by Scipio the elder, and was thereafter a loyal ally of Rome. As such he became master of all Numidia.
R. 6.
9
.

MEGILLUS
: a Spartan who figures in Plato’s
Laws. L.
r.
15
.

MELAMPUS
: a legendary Greek prophet who came to understand the speech of birds and animals. L. 2.
33
.

MERCURY
: the Roman equivalent of the Greek Hermes, and one of the seven planets, the others being Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, the sun, and the moon. The earth was not thought of as a planet. (Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, being invisible to the naked eye, were unknown in antiquity.) See the index to Manilius, Loeb edn. by G. P. Goold.
R.
6.
17
.

METELLUS, LUCIUS CAECILIUS
: consul 251. In Sicily, during the first Punic war, he captured the Carthaginian war elephants at Panormus (250).
R.
1.
1
.

METELLUS MACEDONICUS, QUINTUS CAECILIUS
: presided over the annexation of Macedonia in 148, then defeated the Greek forces of Critolaus in 146. This led to the destruction of Corinth and the settlement of Greece. Metellus was consul in 143. He overcame the Celtiberians in Hither Spain, preparing the way for its conquest. He was for many years an opponent of Scipio. For their shifting relations see Astin’s index.
R.
1.
31
.

METELLUS NUMIDICUS, QUINTUS CAECILIUS
: nephew of Macedonicus. Consul in 109, he fought against Jugurtha with some initial success, but was replaced by Marius in 108. In 100 the tribune Saturninus introduced a bill to obtain land for Marius’ veterans in the south of France, and obliged every senator to uphold it on pain of exile. Metellus alone chose exile. He was recalled in 99 or 98.
R. 1.
6;
L.
3.
26
.

MILTIADES
: he persuaded the Greeks to fight at Marathon (490). He then obtained command of an expedition against the island of Paros, which had supported the Persians. He failed to take it, however, and returned home wounded. He was punished with a heavy fine and died soon after. Cicero’s is a rather tendentious version of what happened.
R.
1.
5
.

MINOS:
prehistoric and semi-legendary king of Crete. His name has been given to the bronze-age civilization of Crete (3000–1000).
R.
2.
2
.

MOPSUS
: famous prophet, son of Apollo and Teiresias’ daughter. L. 2.
33
.

MUCIUS
: see Scaevola (
T).

MUCIUS
: see Scaevola (2).

MUMMIUS, SPURIUS
: an orator in the Stoic style; he accompanied Scipio to the east in 140–39.
R.
1. 18, 34; 3. 46–8; 5.
11
.

NAEVIUS, GNAEUS
: born in Campania c.270, he wrote an epic on the struggle with Carthage, tragedies on Greek and Roman themes, and numerous comedies. Though Cicero implies that he did not go far in criticizing politicians, there is a strong tradition that he was jailed for his remarks (Aulus Gellius 3. 3. 15). For his fragments see
ROL
2. 46–156.
R.
4. 11; L. 2.
39
.

NASICA
: see under Scipio (5).

NEOPTOLEMUS
: son of Achilles. He played a major part in the capture of Troy. He also figured in drama.
R.
1.
30
.

NUMA POMPILIUS
: second king of Rome (715–673). He was credited with all the major religious institutions, including the calendar and priesthoods.
R.
2. 25, 26, 28, 29, 31, 33; 3. 47; 5. 3; L.
T.
4; 2. 23, 29,
56
.

OPIMIUS, LUCIUS
: consul 121, he led the attack on Gaius Gracchus, and was acquitted of the charges subsequently brought against him. Later, probably in 109, he was convicted of incompetence and corruption in dealing with Jugurtha.
R.
1.
6
.

ORITHYIA
: daughter of Erechtheus, mythical king of Athens. She was carried off by the north wind while playing by the Ilissus. L. 1.
3
.

PACUVIUS, MARCUS:
220-C.130. Nephew of Ennius. He wrote over a dozen versions of Greek tragedies and was considered one of the best exponents of the genre.
R.
i. 30; 3.
14
.

PANAETIUS:
C.
185–109. Pupil of Diogenes of Babylon. Came to Rome c.144 and joined Scipio’s group of friends. Head of the Stoa from 129–109. His form of Stoicism suited the practical Roman mind. Cicero drew on him extensively in the
De Officiis. R.
1. 15, 34;
L.
3.
14
.

PAPIRIUS CRASSUS, LUCIUS
: censor in 430 according to Cicero.
R.
2.
60
.

PAPIRIUS CRASSUS, PUBLIUS
: consul 430. His first name is Lucius in Livy.
R. z.
60
.

PAULUS MACEDONICUS, LUCIUS AEMILIUS
: father of Scipio Aemilianus: consul for the second time in 168, he finished the third Macedonian war by defeating Perseus at Pydna. Of the spoils he is said to have kept only Perseus’ library.
R.
1. 14, 23, 31; 6.
14
.

PEISISTRATUS
: ruler of Athens; he was expelled on more than one occasion before he finally returned in 546. He kept himself in power by mercenaries and hostages, but retained Solon’s constitution. He encouraged mining and agriculture, and his regime saw the beginnings of tragedy and the first recension of Homer. He acquired an Athenian power-base on the Hellespont.
R.
T.
68
.

PERICLES
: c.495–429. General, orator, and architectural patron, he is the most famous of all Greek statesmen.
R.
1. 25; 4.
11
.

PHAEDRUS:
c.
140–70, An Epicurean whom Cicero heard lecture in Rome before 88 and again ten years later in Athens. L. 1.
53
.

PHALARIS
: tyrant of Agrigentum in Sicily, c.570–550. He became a byword for cruelty by roasting his victims alive inside a bronze bull. R. 1.
44
.

PHIDIAS
: b. c.490, he was the most famous of all Greek sculptors, known for his huge statue of Athena Promachus (the Foremost Warrior), and the gold and ivory cult statues of Athena in the Parthenon and Zeus in the temple at Olympia. He also supervised the carving of the so-called Elgin Marbles.
R.
3.
44
.

PHILIP
: Philip II, King of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great; 382–36. A resourceful general and a shrewd diplomat, who united Macedonia, organized a professional army, and presided over a Greek federation.
R.
3. 15; 4.
13
.

PHILIPPUS, LUCIUS MARCUS
: consul 91. He opposed the programme of Livius Drusus and had it rescinded. As censor in 86, however, when Rome was controlled by Cinna, he enrolled the Italians as citizens. After 83 he supported Sulla. L. 2.
31
.

PHILOLAUS
: a Pythagorean of Croton or Tarentum in southern Italy. Born c.470. He wrote the first published account of Pythagoras’ cosmology. See Freeman 73–7 for his fragments (their authenticity, however, is debated).
R.
1.
16
.

PHILUS, LUCIUS FURIUS
: see Furius.

PHLIASIANS
: from Phlius in the north-east Peloponnese.
R. z.
8
.

PHOENICIANS
: in modern Lebanon and northern Israel. See Carthaginians.

PHRYGIANS
: in central Asia Minor.
L.
2.
33
.

PISIDIANS
: in southern Asia Minor.
R.
2.
33
.

PESO FRUGI, LUCIUS CALPURNIUS
: tribune in 149, he established a court for cases of extortion. Consul in 133 and censor in 120. His history of Rome from its foundations in 7 volumes was a factual record without any ornaments (Cicero,. De
Oratore
2. 53); but stylistic embellishment could also involve distortion. L. 1.
6
.

PITTACUS OF MYTILENE
(the main city of Lesbos):
c
.650–570. He was legislator between 590 and 580. One of his laws doubled the penalty for all offences committed under the influence of drink. L. 2.
66
.

PLATO
: c.429–347. Cicero, in the present works, was mainly interested in his
Republic
and
Laws;
apart from the content, he was influenced by Plato’s handling of dialogue. R. 1. 16, 22, 29, 65; 2. 3, 22, 51; 4. 4, 5; L. 1. 15, 55; 2. 6, 14, 16, 38, 41, 45, 67, 69; 3. 1, 5, 14,
32
.

PLAUTUS, TITUS MACCIUS
: a prolific and popular writer of Graeco-Roman comedy in the late third and early second centuries.
R.
4.
11
.

POLEMO OF ATHENS
: head of the Academy from 314–270. L. 1.
38
.

POLLUX
: see Castor.

POLYBIUS
: b.
C
.200, died after 118. A major Greek historian who recorded the rise of Rome in 40 books from 220–146. He ascribed Rome’s supremacy to her mixed constitution, her army, and her early development. Though rather dull, he was a scholarly and honest writer. An important source for Livy.
R.
1. 34; 2. 27; 4.
3
.

POLYIDUS
: a mythical Corinthian prophet and miracle-worker. L. 2.
33
.

POMPEIUS, QUINTUS
: consul 141; he took over from Metellus in Spain, but failed to subdue the inhabitants of Numantia. He made a treaty with them, but denied having done so. The Senate recognized that the treaty had been made, but refused to honour it.
R.
3.
28
.

POMPEY
: Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, 106–48. He became consul in 70 with Crassus though not legally entitled to that office. They dismantled Sulla’s constitution and restored the tribunes’ powers. When Pompey returned to Rome in 62 after reorganizing Asia Minor, Cicero hoped that he and the Senate could be induced to work together. This, however, proved impossible. The Senate refused to ratify Pompey’s settlement, and so he combined with Crassus and Caesar to overthrow the Senate’s authority. This was the so-called First Triumvirate. Though the partnership was renewed in 55, Crassus was killed in 53, and Pompey and Caesar became enemies. This culminated in the civil war (49–45) from which Caesar emerged victorious. (Pompey was defeated at Pharsalus and then murdered in Egypt.)
L.
r. 8; 2. 6; 3. 22,
26
.

POPILLIUS LAENAS, GAIUS
: son of Laenas (see above). Following the defeat of the consul L. Cassius’ army in the valley of the Garonne (107), Popillius saved the survivors by surrendering half of the baggage and giving hostages to the Tigurini. He was therefore prosecuted for treason by Coelius Caldus. L. 3.
36
.

PORCH
: (I) In 199 the tribune Publius Porcius Laeca gave the right of appeal to Romans in Italy and the provinces.

(2)In 198 or 195 Marcus Porcius Cato prohibited the flogging of citizens without appeal.

(3) In 184 the consul Lucius Porcius Licinus protected them from summary execution when on military service.
R.
2.
54
.

POSTUMUS COMINIUS
: consul 493 with Spurius Cassius.
R.
2.
57
.

PROCULUS JULIUS
: a farmer from Alba Longa, who had come to Rome for the day, claimed that the ascended Romulus had appeared to him (Livy 1. 16).
R.
2. 20; L. 1.
3
.

PUBLICOLA
: see Valerius.

PUBLIUS PINARIUS
: censor in 430.
R.
2.
60
.

PYTHAGORAS OF SAMOS
: emigrated to Croton c.531. He believed in the cycle of reincarnation from which the soul might obtain release by ritual purity. He was a pioneer in mathematics and musical theory.
R.
T. T
6; 2. 28, 29; 3.
19
.

QUIRINUS
: the deified Romulus. For the name, which is linked with the Quirinal hill and with
Quirites
(the formal name of the citizen body), see Ogilvie 84.
R.
2. 20; L. 1. 3; 2.
19
.

RAMNES
: one of the three tribes of early Rome. The name was supposed to be derived from Romulus.
R.
2.
36
.