Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 2.djvu/747

LENTULUS. the consulship, though Caesar tried to put him down by implicating him in an attempt on Pompey's life (Cic. in Vaiin. 10 ; com p. ad Att. ii. 24). In 57, he was one of the priests to whom was referred the question whether the site of Cicero's house was consecrated ground (Z>e Ilanisp. Resp. 6, comp. pro Dom. 49, 52). He is also mentioned as one of the judges in the case of P. Sextius, b. c. 56 {in Vatin. l. c, ad Q. Fr. ii. 3, 5). He died in the same year, much praised by Cicero {ad Att. iv. 6). 34. L.Cornelius L. f. Lentulus, son of the last, and also flamen of Mars {ad Att. iv. 16, 9, xii. 7, adQ. Fr. m. 1, 15). He defended M. Scaurus, in b. c. 54, when accused of extortion (Ascon. ad Cic. Scaur, c. 1): he accused Gabinius of high treason, about the same time, but was sus- pected of collusion {ad Q. Fr. I. c, ad Att. iv. 16, 9). In the Philippics he is mentioned as a friend of Antony's ; and he was appointed by the latter to a province, but made no use of the appointment, in B.C. 44 {PMlifyp. iii. 10). He struck coins as priest of Mars ( Ultor), B. c. 20, to commemorate th» recovery of the standards fi-om the Parthians,by Augustus (Dion Cass. liv. 8 ; Vaill. Cornel. No. 38). 35. Lentulus Cruscellio, of unknown origin, was proscribed by the triumvirs in b. c. 43; he escaped, and joined Sext. Pompeiusin Sicily, where his wife Sulpicia joined him, against the will of her mother Julia. (Val. Max. vi. 7. § 3 ; Appian, B. C. iv. 39.) [H. G. L.] 36. Cn. Cornelius L. f. Lentulus, consul b. c. 18, with P. Lentulus Marcellinus. (Dion Cass. liv. 12.) 37. Cn. Cornelius Cn. p. Lentulus Augur, consul b. c. 14, with M. Licinius Crassus, He was a man of immense weath, but of a mean and pusillanimous spirit. His wealth excited the avarice of Tiberius, who caused him so much fear that at length he put an end to his life, leaving his fortune to the emperor (Dion Cass. liv. 12 ; Senec. de Benef. ii. 27 ; Suet. Tib. 49). This Cn. Lentulus, who is always spoken of as Augur, must not be confounded with Cn. Lentulus Gaetulicus [No. 39]. (See Lipsius, ad Tac. Ann. iv. 44.) The Auifur Lentulus spoken of by Tacitus {Ann. iii. 59) in A. D. 22, must, therefore, be the same as the preceding. 38. L. Cornelius L. f. Lentulus, consul B. c. 3, with M. Valerius Messallinus. (Lidex, ad Dion Cass. Iv. ; Suet. Calb. 4.) By some au- thorities he is called Cneius, but Lucius seems to be the correct praenomen (see Pighius, ad. Ann.). He would seem to have been a brother of No. 36, and may possibly have been the same as No, 34, the son of L. Lentulus Niger [No. 33.]. 39. Cossus Cornelius Cn. f. Lentulus Gae- tulicus, son probably of No. 37, is sometimes called Cn. Cornelius Lentulus Cossus. The former, however, is more usual ; but as we find on coins both cossvs cn. f. lentvlvs, and on. lentvlvs cossvs, it would seem that he might be called in- differently either Cneius or Cossus (Pighius, vol. iii. p. 53i). Cossus was originally a family name in the Cornelia gens, and was first assumed as a praenomen by this Lentulus. [Cossus.] Lentulus was consul B. c. 1, with L. Calpumius Piso, and in a. n. 6 was sent into Africa, where he defeated the Gaetuli, who had invaded the king- dom of Juba. In consequence of this success he received the surname of Gaetulicus and the orna- LENTULUS. 753 menta Irlumplialia. (Dion Cass. Iv. 28 ; Veil. P:it. ii. 116 ; Flor. iv. 12. ^ 40 ; Oros. vi. 21 ; Tac. Ann. iv. 44.) On the accession of Tiberius in a. d. 14, he accompanied Drusus, who Avas sent to quell the mutiny of the legions in Pannonia. The mu- tineers were especially incensed against Lentulus, because they thought that from his age and military glory he would judge their offences most severely ; and on one occasion he narrowly escaped death at their hands. Cn. Lentulus is again mentioned in a. D. 16, in the debate in the senate respecting Libo, also in A. d. 22 in the debate respecting Silanus, and again in a.d. 24, when he was falsely accused of majestas, but Tiberius would not allow the charge to be prosecuted. He died a. d. 25, at a very great age, leaving behind him an honourable reputation. He had endured poverty, says Tacitus, with patience, acquired a great fortune by honest means, and enjoyed it with moderation. (Tac. Ann. i. 27, ii. 32, iii. 68, iv. 29, 44 ; Dion Cass. Ivii. 24.) 40. Cossus Cornelius Cossi f. Cn. n. Lentu- lus, was consul a. d. 25, with M. Asinius Agrippa. According to the Fasti, he would appear to be a son of the preceding. (Tac. Anri. iv. 34 ; Fasti Cons.) 41. Cn. Cornelius Cossi f. Cn. n. Lentulus Gaei ulicus, a st)n of No. 39, was consul a. d. 26, with C. Calvisius Sabinus. He afterwards had the command of the legions of Upper Germany for ten years, and was very popular among the troops, by the mildness of his punishments and his merciful rule. He was also a favourite with the army in Lower Germany, which was commanded by L. Apronius, his father-in-law. His influence with the soldiers is said to have saved him on the fall of Sejanus, to whose son he had promised his daughter. He was the only one of the relations and con- nections of Sejanus whom Tiberius did not put to death ; and Tacitus is disposed to believe the re- port, that Lentulus sent to the emperor to assure him of his allegiance, as long as he was allowed to retain the command of the army, but intimating that he would raise the standard of revolt, if he were deprived of his province. Tiberius thought it more prudent to leave him alone ; but Caligula, thinking his influence with the soldiers too dan- gerous, put him to death in A. D. 39, apparently without exciting any commotion. Lentulus was succeeded in the command of the army in Upper Germany by Galba, who was subsequently emperor. (Veil. Pat. ii. 116 ; Tac. Ann. iv. 42, 46, vi. 30 ; Dion Cass. lix. 22 ; Suet. (Mb. 6, Claud. 9) Lentulus Gaetulicus was an historian and a poet. Of his historical writings, which are quoted by Suetonius {Culig. 8), no fragments even are extant ; and of his poems we have only three lines, which appear to have belonged to an astronomical poem, and which are preserved by Probus in his scholia on Virgil's Georgics (i. 227): they are given by Meyer in the Anthologia Latina {Ep. 113). The poems of Lentulus seem to have been for the most part epigrams, and to have been distinguished by their lascivious character (Mart. Praef. i. ; Plin. Ep. v. 3. $ 5 ; Sidon. Apoll. Ep. ii. 10, p. 148, Carm. ix. p. 256). There are nine epigrams in the Greek Anthology, inscribed with the name of Gaetulicus, who is supposed by many modern writers to have been the same as the Lentulus Gaetulicus men- tioned above ; but on this point see Gaetulicus. 42. Cossus (Cossi f.) Cornelius Lentulus, probably son of No. 40, was consul a. d. 60, with