Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 2.djvu/169

This page needs to be proofread.
loc cit.
loc cit.

FLACCUS. temple which he had vowed in Spain, and which was to be more magnificent than any other at Rome. For this purpose he took down half the roof of the temple of Juno Lacinia, in Bruttium, in order to use the marble slabs to foiin the roof of his new structure. The Bruttians suflfered the sacrilege from fear ; but when the ship containing the marble arrived at Rome, the manner in which the ornament had been obtained became known. The consuls summoned him before the senate, which not only disapproved of his conduct, but ordered the marble slabs to be sent back, and ex- piatory sacrifices to be offered to Juno. The com- mands of the senate were obeyed, but as there was no architect in Bruttium able to restore the marble slabs to their place, they were deposited in the area of the temple, and there they remained. After his censorship Q. Fulvius Flaccus became a member of the college of pontiffs ; but he began to show symptoms of mental derangement, which was looked upon by the people as a just punishment for the sacrilege he had committed against the temple of Juno. While in this condition, he received in- telligence that of his two sons who were serving in Illyricum, one had died, and the other was dan- gerously ill. This appears to have upset his mind completely, and he hung himself in his own bed- chamber, B. c. 173. (Liv. xxxix. 39, 56, xl. 1, 16, 30, &c., 35—44, 53, 59, xli. 27, xlii. 3, 28 ; Veil. Pat. i, 10, ii. 8 ; Appian, Hisp. 42 ; Val. Max. i. 1. $ 20, ii. 5. $ 7 ; Cic. in Verr. i. 41.) 6. M. Fulvius Q. p. M. n. Flaccus, a brother of No. 5, served as legate of his brother Quintus in Spain against the Celtiberians, B.C. 182. (Liv. xl. 30.) 7. M. Fulvius M. f. Q. n. Flaccus, a son of No. 6, and a friend of the Gracchi, was consul in B.C. 125, and was sent to the assistance of the Massilians, whose territory was invaded by the Sal- luvians ; and he was the first that subdued the transalpine Ligurians, over whom he celebrated a triumph. After the death of Tib. Sempronius Gracchus, in B. c. 129, he, Carbo, and C. Sempronius Gracchus had been appointed triumvirs agro divi- (iendo. Pie was a warm supporter of all that C. Gracchus did, especially of his agrarian law ; but he seems to have been wanting in that dignified and quiet, but steady conduct, which characterises the pure and virtuous career of C. Gracchus, who was more injured in public opinion than benefited by his friendship with M. Fulvius Flaccus ; for among other charges which were brought against him, it was said that he endeavoured to excite the Italian allies, by bringing forward in his consul- ship a bill to grant them the Roman franchise. In B.C. 122, he accompanied C. Gracchus into Africa to establish a colony at Carthage, for the senate was anxious to get rid of them, and in their absence to make energetic preparations against them. But both returned to Rome very soon. During the night previous to the murder of C. Gracchus, Flaccus kept a mob ready to fight against the senatorial party, and spent the night in drinking and feasting with his friends. At day- break he went with his armed band to seize the Aventine hill. C. Graccl^us also joined them, though refusing to use violence, and prevailed upon Flaccus to send his younger son to the forum to offer the hand for reconciliation to the senatorial party. Opimius refused, and demanded that his hither and Gracchus should surrender before any FLACCUS. 155 negotiations were commenced. Flaccus again sent his son ; but Opimius, anxious to begin the fight, arrested the boy, put him into prison, and advanced against the band of Flaccus, which was soon dis- persed. Flaccus and his elder son took refuge in a public bath, where they were soon discovered and put to death, B.C. 121. It cannot be said that M. Fulvius Flaccus had any bad motive in joining the party of the Gracchi, for all the charges that were brought against him at the time were not established by evidence ; but he was of a bolder and more determined character than C. Gracchus. Cicero mentions him among the orators of the time, but states that he did not rise above mediocrity, although his orations were still extant in the time of Cicero. A daughter of his, Fulvia, was married to P. Lentulus, by whom she became the mother of Lentulus Sura. Cicero ( pro Dom. 43) calls him the father-in-law of a brother of Q. Catulus, whence we may infer that he had a second daughter. A third daughter was married to L. Caesar, consul in B.C. 91; so that M. Fulvius Flaccus was the grandfather of L. Caesar, who was consul in B. c. 64. (Liv. Epit. 59, 61 ; Appian, B. C. i. 18,&c. ; Plut. Tib. Gracch. 18, C. Gracch. 10—16 ; Veil. Pat. ii. 6 ; Cic. Brut. 28, de Oral. ii. 70, in Cat. i. 2, 12, iv. 6 ; Schol. Gronov. ad Catil. p. 413 ; Cic. pro Dom. 38, Phil. viii. 4 ; Val. Max. v. 3. § 2, vi. 3. § 1, ix. 5. § 1 ; comp. Meyer, Frag. Oral. i2o/w. p. 219, 2d edit.) 8. M. Fulvius Flaccus was one of the Decem- viri A(/ro Samniti Appuloque metiendo dividen- doque, who were appointed in B. c. 201. He was married to Sulpicia, a daughter of Paterculus. (Liv. xxxi. 4 ; Solin, 7.) 9. Q. Fulvius Flaccus was praetor in Sar- dinia in B. c. 187 ; and after having been thrice a candidate for the consulship, he obtained it at length in b. c. 1 80, in the place of his step-father, C. Piso, who had died, and was said to have been poisoned by his wife Quarta Hostilia, in order to make room for her son. (Liv. xxxviii. 42, xl. 37.) 10. M. Fulvius Flaccus, one of the triumvirs who were appointed to conduct the colonies to PoUentiaand Pisaurum, in B. c. 184. (Liv. xxxix. 44.) 11. Ser. Fulvius Flaccus, was consul in b.c. 135, and subdued the Vardaeans in Illyricum. Cicero calls him a literary and eloquent man. He was on one occasion accused of incest, and was de- fended by C. Curio. (Liv. Epit. 56 ; Appian, /%r. 10 ; Cic. Brut. 21, 32, de Invent, i. 43; Schol. Bob. in Clod. p. 330, ed. Orelli.) 12. C. Fulvius Flaccus was consul in b.c. 134. An unsuccessful war had then been carried on for some time against the revolted slaves under Ennus in Sicily ; and he and his colleague under- took the command, though apparently with little success. (Liv. Epit. 56 ; Oros. v. 6.) [L. S.] FLACCUS, GRA'NIUS, as we learn from Paulus (Dig. 50. tit. 16. s. 144) wrote a book, De Jure Papiriano, which was a collection of the laws of the ancient kings of Rome, made by Pa- pirius [PapiriusJ. Granius Flaccus was a con- temporary of Julius Caesar, and Censorinus {De Die Nat. 3) cites his work De Indiyitamentis, which was dedicated to Caesar. The Indigita- menta treated of were probably invocations used in certain sacred rites, (Macrob. Sat. i. 17), and, according to some etymologists, the word is derived from indUf the old form for e«, and ciiare, signify-