Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 1.djvu/785

Rh CLAUDIUS. uesceiulants, and, in his consnlsliip (b. c. 49')), sliewed great severity towards the plebeian debtors. (Liv. ii. 21, 23, 24, 27 ; Dionys. vi. 23, 24, 27, 30.) Next year, on the refusal of the commons to enlist, we find him proposing tlie appointment of a dicta- tor. (Liv. ii. 29.) We find him manifesting the same bitter hatred of the plebs at the time of the secession to the Mons Sacer, in b. c. 494 (Dionys, vi. 59, &c.), of the famine in 493 (Dionys. vii. 15), and of the impeachment of Coriolanus. (Dionys. vii. 47, &c.) He is made by Dionysius (viii. 73, &c.) to take a prominent part in opposing the agrarian law of Sp. Cassius. According to Pliny {H. N. XXXV. 3) he was the first who set up images of his ancestors in a public temple (that of Bellona). 2. App. Claudius App. f. M. n. Sabinus Re- GiLLKNSis, son of the preceding, was a candidate for the consulship in b. c. 482, but, through the opposition of the tribunes, did not succeed. (Dionys. viii. 90.) In 471 he was made consul by the patricians to oppose the Publilian rogations. He was baffled in his violent attempt to do so, and strove to revenge himself on the plebeians by his severity when commanding against the Aequians and Volscians. The soldiers became discontented and disobedient, and, when the enemy attacked them, threw away their arms and fled. For this he punished them with extreme severity. The next year he violently opposed the execution of the agrarian law of Sp. Cassius, and was brought to trial by two of the tribunes. According to the common story, he killed himself before the trial. (Liv. ii. 56-61; Dionys. ix. 43-45, 48-54; Nie- buhr, vol. ii. pp. 186, 219-228.) 3. C. Claudius App. f. M. n. Sabinus Regil- LKNSis, brother of the preceding (Dionys. x. 30 ; Liv. iii. 35), was consul in b. c. 460, when Appius Herdonius seized the Capitol. After it had been recovered, we find him hindering the execution of the promise made by Valerius respecting the Te- rentilian law. (Liv. iii. 15 — 21 ; Dionys. x. 9, 12 — 17.) Subsequently, he opposed the proposi- tion to increase the number of the plebeian tri- bunes and the lavr de Aventino publicando. (Dionys. X. 30, 32.) He was an unsuccessfiil candidate for the dictatorship. (Liv. iii. 35.) Though a staunch supporter of the aristocracy, he warned his brother against an immoderate use of his power. (Liv. iii. 40; Dionys. xi. 7-11.) His remonstrances being of no avail, he withdrew to Regillum, but returned to defend the decemvir Appius, when impeached. (Liv. iii. 58.) Incensed at his death, he strove to revenge himself on the consuls Horatius and Valerius by opposing their application for leave to triumph. (Dionys. xi. 49.) In 445 we find him strenuously opposing the law of Canuleius, and pro- posing to arm the consuls against the tribunes. (Liv. iv. 6.) According to Dionysius, however (xi. 55, 56), he himself proposed the election of military tribunes with consular power from both plebeians and patricians. 4. App. Claudius Crassus (or Crassinus) Regillensis SabinUvS, the decemvir, is commonly considered to have been the son of No. 2 (as by Livy, iii. 35) ; but, from the Capitoline Fasti, where the record of his consulship appears in the following form : Ap. Claudius Ap.f. M. n. Crassin. Regill. Sabinus II., he would appear to have been the same person. (See Niebuhr, vol. ii. note 7o4.) He was elected consul in b. c. 451, nnd on the CLAUDIUS. 707 appointment of the decemvirs in that year, he be- came one of them. Hia influence in the college beccame paramount, and he so far won the confi- dence of the people, that he was reappointed the following year. Now, however, his real character betrayed itself in the most violent and tyrannous conduct towards the plebeians, till his attempt against Virginia led to tlie overthrow of the de- cemvirate. Appius was impeached by Virginius, but did not live to abide his trial. According to Livy, he killed himself. Dionysius (xi. 46) Stiys, it was the general opinion that he was put to death in prison by order of the tribunes. (Liv. iii. 33, 35 — 58 ; Dionys. x. 64 — xi. 46.) For an account of the decem viral legislation, see Diet, of Ant. s.v. Twelve Tables. 5. App. Claudius Ap. p. Ap. n. Crassus (or Crassinus), the elder son of the decemvir, was consular tribune in B. c. 424. All that we are told of him is, that he was marked by a genuine Clau- dian hatred of the tribunes and plebeians. (Liv. iv. 35, 36.) 6. P. Claudius Crassus (or Crassinus), a younger son of the decemvir. (Liv. vi. 40.) 7. App. Claudius App. f. App. n. Crassus (or Crassinus), son of No. 5, was consular tribune in B. c. 403. It was this Appius who was the author of the important measure, that the proceedings of the tribunes might be stopped by the veto of one of the college. (Niebuhr, vol. ii. p. 439, note 965.) Livy (v. 3 — 6) puts into his mouth a speech in reply to the complaints of the tribunes, when, at the siege of Veii, the troops were kept in the field during the winter. He afterwards proposed to appropriate the spoil of Veii for the pay of the soldiers. (Liv. v. 1 — 6, 20.) 8. App. Claudius P. f. App. n. Crassus (or Crassinus), a son of No. 6, distinguished him- self by his opposition to the Licinian rogations, particularly as regarded the appointment of ple- beian consuls. In 362, on the death of the consul Genucius, he was appointed dictator to conduct the war against the Hemicans, when a victory was gained over them under his auspices. In 349 he was made consul, but died at the commence- ment of his year of office. (Liv. vi. 40 — 42, vii. 6, &c., 24, 25.) 9. C. Claudius App. f. App. n. Crassus (or Crassinus), son of No. 7, was named dictator in B. c. 337, but immediately resigned his office, the augurs having pronounced his appointment invalid. Who the C. Claudius Hortator, whom he made Master of the Horse, was, is not known. (Liv. viii. 15.) 10. App. Claudius C. f. App. n. Caecus, son of No. 9. It was generally believed among the ancients that his blindness was real, and there can be no doubt that such was the fact, though it is pretty certain that he did not become blind before his old age. The tradition of the occasion of his blindness is given by Livy, ix. 29. (See also Cic. de Scncct. 6, Ttisc. Disp. v. 38 ; Plut. lyirh. 18, 19 ; Diodorus, xx. 36 ; Appian, Samn. 10.) He was twice cunile aedile (Frontin. de Aquaed. V. 72), and in B. c. 312 was elected censor with C. Plautius, without having been consul previously. (Liv. ix. 29.) With the design of forming in the senate and people a party which should be sub- servient to him in his ambitious designs, he filled up the vacancies in the senate with the names of a large number of the low popular party, including