Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 2.djvu/941

MARCELLUS. consulate of Justinian the Great, in 534. The latter part is contained in the edition of Jo. Sir- mond, Paris, 1619, 8vo. The compilation of Mar- cellinus, who lived probably at tlie end of the fifth and in the beginning of the sixth century of our era, is not without some value, and is often quoted by modem historians. {Fahr'ic. Biil. Lai. vo. il. p. 616.) [W. P.] MARCELLI'NUS, CORNE'LIUS LE'N- TULUS. [Marcelt-us, Claudius.] MARCELLI'NUS, EGNA'TIUS, a quaestor in a provincial government whose integrity towards the treasury is highly commended by the younger Pliny. (Plin. Ep. iv. 12.) [W. B. D.] MARCELLI'NUS, FA'BIUS, quoted by Lam- pridius {Alex. Sev. 48) as the author of a biography of Trajan, and ranked by Vopiscus (Prob. 2) among historians of the second class, such as Pharius Maximus, Suetonius Tranquillus, Julius Capitolinus, and Lampridius. [W. R.] MARCELLUS CLAU'DIUS. Marcellus was the name of the most illustrious plebeian family of the Claudia gens. Plutarch states (Marc. 1) that the conqueror of Syracuse was the first person who bore this cognomen, but this is certainly a mistake. At what time it was first introduced we know not, but the first person of the name who appears in history is the consul of B. c. 331. [No. 1.] STEMMA MARCKLLORUM. 2. M. Claud. Marcellus, Cos. B. c. '287. 3. M. Claud. Marcellus. I 4. M. Claud. Marcellus, Cos. quinque. Cos. I. b. c. '222. MARCELLUS. m 8. M. CI. Marcellus, Cos. ter. Cos. I. b. c. 166. 9. M. CI. Marcellus. 1 I I 10. M. CI. Marcellus, 13. C. CI. Marcellus, ■ed. cur. b. c. 91. pr. b. c. 80. J I I I 14. C. CI. Marcellus, 11. M. CI. Marcellus, 12. C. CI. Marcellus, Cos. b.c 60, Cos. B. c. 61. Cos. B. c. 49. m. Octavia. 15. M. CI. Marcellus, aed. cur. b. c. 23, m. Julia. 16. M. Claudius Marcellus, legate u. c. 90. 17. M. CI. Marcellus Aeseminus, 21. P. Com. Lentulus Marcel- a young man b. c. 70. linus, m. Cornelia. 18. M. CI. Marcellus Aeseminus, 22. Cn. Com. Lentulus Marcel- qu. B. c. 48. linus, Cos. b. c. 66. 19. M. CI. Marcellus Aeseminus, 23. (P.) Com. Lentulus Marcel- Cos. B. c. 22, m. Asinia. linus, qu. b. c. 48. 20. M. CI. Marcellus Aeseminus, 24. P. Com. Lentulus Marcel- fl A. D. 20. linus, Cos. b. c. 18. Of uncertain Origin. 25. M. CI. Marcellus, Aed. pleb. B.C.216. 26. M. CI. Marcellus, Trib. pleb. B. c. 171. 27. M. CI. Marcellus, pr. B. c. 157. 28. M. CI. Marcellus, Soc. CaUl. B. c. 63. 29. M. CI. MarceUus. I. M. Claudius Marcellus was consul in B. c. 3§1, the year that was distinguished for the execution of above seventy Roman matrons on the charge of poisoning. In 327 he was named dic- tator, for the purpose of holding the comitia, but his nomination was set aside by the augurs, on pretence of some informality, a proceeding vehe- mently arraigned by the tribunes of the people, who justly attributed the conduct of the augurs to their unwillingness to see a plebeian dictator. (Liv. viii. 18,23.) 2. M. Claudius Marcellus, probably a son of the preceding, was consul in B. c. 287 with C. Nautius Rutilus. (Fast. Sic.) 3. M. Claudius Marcellus, father of No, 4, is wholly unknown to us, except that he bore the same name as his illustrious son. (Fast. Capit. ; Plut. Marc. 1.) Drumann conjectures that the M. Claudius who was delivered up by the Romans to the Corsicans for having concluded an igno- minious treaty is the one in question, and not, as usually supposed, M. Claudius Glicia. [Glicia.] 4. M. Claudius M. f. M. n. Marcellus, the most illustrious of all those who bore this name, celebrated as five times consul, and the conqueror of Syracuse. We know very little of his early life, and he is a remarkable instance of a man who, though his character was chiefly marked by the daring courage and impetuosity of youth, did not attain to any great distinction until a comparatively late period of life. The year of his birth is un- certain, but it may be placed before B, c. 268, as we are told that he was above sixty years old when he obtained his fifth consulship. (Plut. Marc. 28 ; Liv. xxvii. 27.) Plutarch tells us that he was trained up in military service from his earliest youth, so as to have received rather an im- perfect education in other respects. In war, on the contrary, he early distinguished himself, es- pecially by his personal achievements, ever seeking single combats with the most daring warriors among the enemy, and uniformly coming olf vic- torious. On one occasion during the first Punic war, he had the opportunity of saving his brother's life by his personal exertions. (Plut. Marc. 1.2.) But whatever reputation he may have thus earned as a soldier, it does not appear to have opened to him the path to public honours until a much later period. The first office that we hear of his filling is that of curule aedile, apparently about B. c. 226. It was while holding this magistracy that he was compelled to bring a charge against C. Scantilius Capitolinus, his colleague in the aedileship, for having oflfered an insult of the grossest kind to his son Marcus. [No. 5.] Capitolinus was convicted, and condemned to pay a heavy fine, the produce of which was applied by Marcellus to the purchase of s,acred vessels for the temples. (Plut. Marc. 2 ; Val. Max. vi. 1. § 7.) About the same time also, according to Plutarch, he obtained the oflSce of augur, a distinction he probably owed to the de- cided attachment which he manifested through life to the aristocratic party in the state. It was not till the year 222 that Marcellus obtained his first consulship. The war with the Gauls, which a few years before had excited so much alarm at Rome, was then drawing to a close : the Boians had already submitted, and the Insu- brians, terrified at the repeated defeats they had sustained from the consuls of the preceding year, P. Furius and C. Flaminius, now sent to sue for peace. Their overtures were, however, rejected, mainly at the instigation of Marcellus and his