Mar cell us Marcus Claudius

, a famous Roman general, who, after the first Punic war, had the management of an expedition against the Gauls, where he obtained the Spolia opima , by killing with his own hand Viridomarus the king of the enemy. Such succe rendered him popular, and soon after he was entrusted to oppose Annibal in Italy. He was the first Roman who obtained some advantage over this celebrated Cart hag in i an, and showed his countrymen that Annibal was not invincible. The troubles which were raised in Sicily by the Cart hag in i ans at the death of Hieronymus, alarmed the Romans, and Mar cell us, in his third consulship, was sent with a powerful force against Syracuse. He attacked it by sea and land, but his operations proved ineffectual, and the invention and industry of a philosopher [ See: Arch i me des ] were able to baffle all the efforts, and to destroy all the great and stupendous machines and military engines of the Romans during three succe ive years. The perseverance of Mar cell us at last obtained the victory. The inattention of the inhabitants during their nocturnal celebration of the festivals of Diana, favoured his operations; he forcibly entered the town, and made himself master of it. The conqueror enriched the capital of Italy with the spoils of Syracuse, and when he was accused of rapaciousne , for stripping the conquered city of all its paintings and ornaments, he confe ed that he had done it to adorn the public buildings of Rome, and to introduce a taste for the fine arts and elegance of the Greeks among his countrymen. After the conquest of Syracuse, Mar cell us was called upon by his country to oppose a second time Annibal. In this campaign he behaved with greater vigour than before; the greatest part of the towns of the Samnites, which had revolted, were recovered by force of arms, and 3000 of the soldiers of Annibal made prisoners. Some time after an engagement with the Cart hag in i an general proved unfavourable; Mar cell us had the disadvantage; but on the morrow a more succe ful skirmish vindicated his military character, and the honour of the Roman soldiers. Mar cell us, however, was not sufficiently vigilant against the snares of his adversary. He imprudently separated himself from his camp, and was killed in an ambuscade in the 60th year of his age, in his fifth consulship, A.U.C. 546. His body was honoured with a magnificent funeral by the conqueror, and his ashes were conveyed in a silver urn to his son. Mar cell us claims our commendation for his private as well as public virtues; and the humanity of the general will ever be remembered who, at the surrender of Syracuse, wept at the thought that many were going to be exposed to the avarice and rapaciousne of an incensed soldiery, which the policy of Rome and the laws of war rendered inevitable. Virgil , Æneid , bk. 6 , li. 855 .— Paterculus , bk. 2 , ch. 38 .— Plutarch , Lives , . ――One of his descendants, who bore the same name, signalized himself in the civil wars of Cæsar and Pompey, by his firm attachment to the latter. He was banished by Cæsar, but afterwards recalled at the request of the senate. Cicero undertook his defence in an oration which is still extant.――The grandson of Pompey’s friend rendered himself popular by his universal benevolence and affability. He was son of Mar cell us, by Octavia the sister of August us. He married Julia, that emperor’s daughter, and was publicly intended as his succe or. The suddenne of his death, at the early age of 18, was the cause of much lamentation at Rome, particularly in the family of August us, and Virgil procured himself great favours by celebrating the virtues of this amiable prince. See: Octavia . Mar cell us was buried at the public expense. Virgil , Æneid , bk. 6 , li. 883 .— Suet on i us , August us .— Plutarch , Mar cell us .— Seneca , de Consol at i one ad Marciam .— Paterculus , bk. 2 , ch. 93 .――The son of the great Mar cell us who took Syracuse, was caught in the ambuscade which proved fatal to his father, but he forced his way from the enemy and escaped. He received the ashes of his father from the conqueror. Plutarch , Mar cell us .――A man who conspired against Vespas i an.――The husband of Octavia the sister of August us.――A conqueror of Britain.――An officer under the emperor Julian.――A man put to death by Galba.――A man who gave Cicero information of Cat i line’s conspiracy.――A colleague of Cato in the questorship.――A native of Pamphylia, who wrote an heroic poem on physic, divided into 42 books. He lived in the reign of Marcus Aurelius.――A Roman drowned in a storm, .