Elianus, Claudius

a Roman, who lived about the middle of the third century of the Christian æra. Besides others, we have of him a work, in 14 books, entitled, Various or Miscellaneous History, which may be considered as one of the earliest collections of ANA. The value of it does not consist in that the compiler has written, but in the pa ages of lost writers that he has been the means of preserving. Printed in Paris, 1805. Ælius. There were several Romans of this name, the most remarkable of whom is Q. Æl. Pætus, son of Sextus, or Publius. As he sat in the senate-house, a woodpecker perched on his head: upon which a soothsayer exclaimed, that if he preserved the bird, his house would flourish and Rome decay; and if he killed it, the contrary must happen. Hearing this, Ælius, in the presence of the senate, bit off the head of the bird. All the youths of his family were killed at Cannæ, and the Roman arms were soon attended with succe .