Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 2.djvu/950

Rh 0B6 MARCELLUS. power of Pompey, and at the very commencement of his magistracy succeeded in preventing his being sent to Egypt with an army to reinstate Ptolemy Auletes. But not content with this, lie was con- stantly inveighing against him and his ambition in his speeches both to the senate and people : and though the former generally were disposed to concur with him in these sentiments, it is probable that these attacks of Marcellinus contributed to induce Pompey to draw closer the bonds which united him to his brother triumvirs, at the inter- view which took place this year at Lucca. (Cic. ad Fam. i. 1, 2, ad Q. Fr. ii. G ; Dion Cass, xxxix. 16, 18.) We hear very little of Marcellinus after the expiration of his consulship ; and the period of his death is wholly unknown. Cicero praises his eloquence, which displayed itself especially during the time that he was consul. {Brut. 70.) He held the sacerdotal office of one of the Epulones. (Id. de Har. resp. 10.) 23. (P.) Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus (probably a son of the preceding), was quaestor in the army of Caesar in B.C. 48, and commanded the part of his intrenchments near Dyrrhachium, which was attacked by Pompey. Marcellinus was de- feated with heavy loss, and saved only by the timely arrival of M. Antony to his support. (Caes, B. C. iii. 62 — 65 ; Ores. vi. 15.) The praenomen of this Marcellinus is unknown : it has been sup- posed that he was the father of the following, who is called P. F., but of this there is no proof. 24. P. Cornelius, P. f. Lentulus Marcel- linus, consul in B.C. 18. (Dion Cass. liv. 12, and Arff. liv.) Supposed to be a son of the pre- ceding, but he may have been a grandson of No. 21. It is probable that the coin above described (p. 9.31, b.) was struck by him rather than by No. 21, to whom it has been generally ascribed. (Riccio, Motiete Consolari, p. 52.) The following Marcelli are also mentioned in history, of whose relation to either of the above families nothing is known. 25. M. Claudius Marcellus, plebeian aedile ins. c. 216. (Liv. xxiii. 30.) 26. M. Claudius Marcellus, tribune of the plebs in b.c. 171. (Liv. xlii. 32.) 27. M. Claudius Marcellus, praetor in b. c. 1 37, was killed by lightning during the year of his office. (Jul. Obseq. 83.) 28. M. Claudius Marcellus, an associate and friend of Catiline, and one of those who took part in his conspiracy, b. c. 63. On the discovery of their designs, he endeavoured to get up an insur- rection among the Pelignians ; but this was quickly suppressed by the praetor, L. Bibulus, and Mar- cellus himself put to death. (Cic. in Catil. i. 8 ; Oros. vi. 6.) 29. C. Claudius M. p. Marcellus, son of the preceding. He took part in all his father's plans, and appears to have thrown himself into Capua with a view of exciting the slaves and gladiators there to revolt ; but being driven from thence by P. Sestius, took refuge in Br uttium, where he was put to death. (Ck.pro Sest. 4; Oros. vi. 6.) [E. H.B.] MARCELLUS, CORNE'LIUS, a Roman se- iiator in Nero's reign, was involved with others [Fabatus Calpurnius] in the charge of being priyy to the crimes of Lepida, the wife of C. Cas- sias, A. D. 64. Marcellus eluded punishment on tliis occasion, but he was put to death by Galba's order in Spain, A. d. 68 (Tac. Arm. xvi 8, Hist. i. MARCELLUS. 37), probably as a partisan of Nero's. (Comp, Plut. aa/b. 15.) [VV. B. I).] MARCELLUS, EMPFRICUS, was born at Burdigala {Bordeaux) in the fourth century after Christ. He is said to have held the office of " magister officiorum " under Theodosius the Great, A. D. 379 — 395, and to have lost this post under his successor Arcadius. He was a Christian, but it seems doubtful whether he was really a physician, though he is sometimes called " Archiater." He is the author of a phar- maceutical work in Latin, " De Medicaraentis Em- piricis, Physicis ac Rationabilibus," which he says in the preface he compiled for the use of his sons. It is of little value, and contains many charms and superstitious absurdities, as might have been an- ticipated when he tells us, that he inserted in the work not only the medicines approved of by phy- sicians, but also those recommended by the common people {agrestes et plebeii). It was first published in 1536, fol. Basil., and is inserted in the collection of medical writers published by Aldus, Venet. 1547, and H. Stephens, Paris, 1567. (Sprengel,//2,s<. de la Med. vol. ii. ; Choulant, Handh. der B'uclier- hunde fur die. Aeltere Medicin.) [W. A. G.] MARCELLUS, E'PRIUS, born of an obscure y family at Capua, rose by his oratorical talents to -' distinction at Rome in the reigns of Claudius, Nero, and Vespasian. (Dialog, de Orator. 8 ; Schol. Vet. ad Juv. Sat. iv. 81.) On the depo- sition of L. Silanus, A. d. 49, Marcellus was ap- pointed to the vacant praetorship, which, however, was so nearly expired that he held it only a few days, or perhaps hours. (Tac. Ann. xii. 4 ; comp. Suet. Claud. 29.) At the beginning of Nero's reign Marcellus was proconsul of a portion of Asia Minor, probably of Pamphylia, for in A. D. 57, after his return to Rome, the Lycians, who since their annexation by Claudius, in a. d. 43, were attached to that province (Dion Cass. Ix. 17), ac- cused him of malversation. His eloquence, or rather his wealth, procured an acquittal, and some of his accusers were banished as the authors of an unfounded and frivolous charge. (Tac. Ann. xiii. 33.) Marcellus now became one of the principal delators under Nero. He was able, venal, and unscrupulous, and he accordingly acquired wealth, influence, and hatred. In A. d. 66, he seconded Cossutianus Capito [Capito Cossutianus] in the impeachment of Thrasea Paetus, and for his exer- tions received from Nero an extravai.'ant fee (id. Ann. xvi. 23, 26, 28, 33). The fortunes of Mar- J cellus were for a time shaken by Nero's death. I He became in turn the object of attack — by Hel- vidius Prisons, Thrasea 's son-in-law, as a delator, and by Licinius Caecina, a partisan of Otlio's [Caecina, No. 10], as a favourer of Vitellius, a. d. 69. (Tac. Hist. ii. 53, iv. 6.) His contest with Helvidius Priscus in tlie senate, a. d. 70, when the mode of appointing the delegates to Ves- pasian in Egypt was debated, is sketched by Ta- citus {Hist. iv. 6 — 8) with a brevity that leaves nothing obscure. From Helvidius and Caecina Marcellus escaped as much through the dislocation of the times, the feebleness of the emperor, and the fears of the senate, as by his own eloquence and address. But Helvidius assailed him a third time on the old charge of delation, and, on this occasion, his talents, backed indeed by his strong interest with Mucianus and Domitian, rescued him. (Dialog, de Oral. 8, comp. 5.) He ingra*