Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 2.djvu/164

150 fulness (Cic. de Off. iii. 29). Numa is said to have built a temple to Fides publica, on the Capitol (Dionys. ii. 75), and another was built there in the consulship of M. Aemilius Scaurus, 115 (Cic. de Nat. Deor. ii. 23, 31; iii. 18; de Leg. ii. 8, 11). She was represented as a matron wearing a wreath of olive or laurel leaves, and carrying in her hand corn ears, or a basket with fruit. (Rasche, Lex Num. ii. 1, p. 107.) 2em

 FIDICULA'NIUS, FA'LCULA. [.]

 FI'DIUS, an ancient form of filius occurs in the connection of Dius Fidius, or Medius fidius, that is, me Dius filius, or the son of Zeus, that is, Hercules. Hence the expression medius fidius is equivalent to me Hercules, scil. juvet. (Cic. ad Fam. v. 21; Plin. Epist. iv. 3.) Sometimes Fidius is used alone in the sense of the son of Zeus, or Hercules. (Ov. Fast. vi. 213; comp. Varro, de L. L. v. 66; Plaut. Asin. i. 1. 8; Varro, ap. Non. viii. 93.) Some of the ancients connected fidius with fides. (Festus s. v. medius.) 2em

 FI'GULUS, MA'RCIUS. 1., consul in 162. During the comitia for his election the leader of the centuria praerogativa died, and the haruspices declared the election void. Tib. Sempronius Gracchus, however, the consul who presided at the comitia, maintained their validity, and Figulus departed to his province, Cisalpine Gaul. But afterwards Gracchus wrote to the senate that he had himself committed an error in taking the auspices, and Figulus resigned the consulship. (Cic. de Nat. Deor. ii. 4, de Divin. ii. 35, ad Q. Frat. ii. 2; Val. Max. i. 1. § 3; Plut. Marcell. 5; Jul. Obseq. 74; Fast. Cap.) Figulus was again consul in 156. His province was the war with the Dalmatae in Illyricum. At first he allowed his camp to be forced by the Dalmatae, but afterwards, in a winter campaign, he successively took their smaller towns, and finally their capital, Delminium. (Polyb. xxxii. 24; Appian, Illyr. 11; Liv. Epit. xlvii.; Florus, iv. 12.)

2., the son of the preceding, a jurist of great reputation, was an unsuccessful candidate for the consulship. (Val. Max. ix. 3. § 2.)

3., consul in 64. In the debate on the sentence of Catiline's accomplices he declared for capital punishment (Cic. ad Att. xii. 21), and approved of Cicero's measures generally (Philipp. ii. 11.). In his consulship the senate abolished several illegal collegia, as prejudicial to the freedom of the comitia and to the public peace. (Ascon. in Pison. p. 7, ed. Orelli.) His tomb was of unusual costliness (Cic. de Leg. ii. 25). 2em

 FI'GULUS, P. NIGI'DIUS, a Pythagorean philosopher of high reputation, who flourished about sixty years. He was so celebrated on account of his knowledge, that Gellius does not hesitate to pronounce him, next to Varro, the most learned of the Romans. Mathematical and physical investigations appear to have occupied a large share of his attention; and such was his fame as an astrologer, that it was generally believed, in later times at least, that he had predicted in the most unambiguous terms the future greatness of Octavianus on hearing the announcement of his birth; and in the Eusebian Chronicle he is styled "Pythagoricus et Magus." He, moreover, possessed considerable influence in political affairs during the last struggles of the republic; was one of the senators selected by Cicero to take down the depositions and examinations of the witnesses who gave evidence with regard to Catiline's conspiracy, 63; was praetor in  59; took an active part in the civil war on the side of Pompey; was compelled in consequence by Caesar to live abroad, and died in exile  44. The letter of consolation addressed to him by Cicero (ad Fam. iv. 13), which contains a very warm tribute to his learning and worth, is still extant.

A. Gellius, who entertained the strongest admiration for the talents and acquirements of Figulus, says that his works were little studied, and were of no practical value, in consequence of the subtlety and obscurity by which they were characterised; but the quotations adduced by him (xix. 14) as specimens scarcely bear out the charge, when we consider the nature of the subject. The names of the following pieces have been preserved: De Sphaera Barbarica et Graecanica, De Animalibus, De Extis, De Auguriis, De Ventis, Commentarii Grammatici in at least twenty-four books. The fragments which have survived have been carefully collected and illustrated by Janus Rutgersius in his Variae Lectiones, iii. 16. (Cic. Tim. i., pro Sull. 14, ad Att. ii. 2, vii. 24, ad Fam. iv. 13; Lucan, i. 640; Suet. Octav. 94; Dion Cass. xlv. 1; Gell. iv. 9, x. 11, xi. 11, xiii. 10, 25, xix. 14; Hieron. in Chron. Euseb. Ol. clxxxiv.; Augustin, de Civ. Dei, v. 3; Brucker, Histor. Phil. vol. ii. p. 24; Burigny, Mém. de l'Académ. Inscrip., vol. xxix. p. 190.) 2em

 FI'MBRIA. 1., a homo novus, who, according to Cicero, rose to the highest honours in the republic through his own merit and talent. In 105 he was a candidate for the consulship, and the people gave him the preference to his competitor, Q. Lutatius Catulus; and accordingly, Fimbria was the colleague of C. Marius in his second consulship,  104. Fimbria must have acquired his popularity about that time, for we learn from Cicero (pro Planc. 21), that previously he had been an unsuccessful candidate for the tribuneship. What province he obtained after his consulship is unknown, but he seems to have been guilty of extortion during his administration, for M. Gratidius brought an action of repetundae against him, and was supported by the evidence of M. Aemilius Scaurus; but Fimbria was nevertheless acquitted. During the revolt of Saturninus, in 100, Fimbria, with other consulars, took up arms to defend the public good. Cicero describes him as a clever jurist; as an orator he had considerable power, but was bitter and vehement in speaking. Cicero, in his boyhood, read the speeches of Fimbria; but they soon fell into oblivion, for, at a later time, Cicero says that they were scarcely to be found any where. (Cic. pro Planc. 5, in Verr. v. 70, Brut. 34, 45, pro Font. 7, pro Rab. perd. 7, de Off. iii. 19, de Orat. ii. 22; Ascon. in Cornel. p. 78; Val. Max. vii. 2. § 4, viii. 5. § 2; J. Obsequ. 103, where he is erroneously called L. Flaccus.)

2., probably a son of No. 1, was one of the most violent partizans of Marius and Cinna during the civil war with Sulla. Cicero (pro Sext. Rosc. 12) calls him a homo audacissimus et insanissimus. During the funeral ceremonies of C. Marius, in 86, C. Fimbria caused an attempt to be made on the life of Q. Mucius Scaevola, and, as the latter escaped with a