A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

CORV US.
Pomponius (Dig. 1. tit. 2. s. 8. E 35), which has
given occasion to much controversy. He says
that Coruncanius was the first who publicly professed law, since, before his time, jurists endeavoured to conceal the jus civile, and gave their
time, not to students, but to those who wanted
their advice. The statement as to the early concealment of the law has been supposed to be
fabulous (Puchta, Institutionen, i. p. 301); but
here it is proper to distinguish between the rules
applicable to ordinary dealings on the one hand,
and the technical regulations of the calendar, of
procedure and of religious rites, on the other.
Schrader (in Hugo's Civil. Mag. v. p. 187) assumes
that it was usual for jurists before Coruncanius to
admit patrician students-those at least who were
destined for the college of pontiffs-to learn law
by being present at their consultations with their
clients. He further thinks that Coruncanius did
not profess to give any systematic or peculiar instruction in the theory of law, and certainly there
are passages which prove that such theoretic instruction was not common in the time of Cicero.
(Cic. Brut. 89, de Amic. 1, de Leg. i. 4, de Of. ii.
13.) Schrader therefore comes to the conclusion,
that Coruncanius first publicly professed law only
in this sense, that he was the first to allow plebeians and patricians indiscriminately to learn law
by attending his consultations. This interpretation, though it is ingenious, and has found favour
with Hugo (R. R. G. p. 460) and Zimmern (R.
R. G. i. ~ 53), appears to us to be very strained,
and we think Pomponius must have meant to convey, whether rightly or wrongly, first, that before
Coruncanius, it was not usual for jurists to take
pupils; and, secondly, that the pupils of Coruncanius were not left to gain knowledge merely by
seeing business transacted and hearing or reading
the opinions given by their master to those who
consulted him, but that they received special instruction in the general doctrines of law.
The two Coruncanii who were sent B. c. 228 as
ambassadors from Rome to Teuta, queen of Illyricum, to complain of the maritime depredations of
her subjects, and one of whom at least was put to
death by her orders, were probably the sons of the
jurist. (Appian, de Rebus Illyr. 7; Polyb. ii. 8;
Plin. H. N. xxxiv. 6.) By Polybius they are
called Caius and Lucius; by Pliny, P. Junius and
Tiberius.
Titus for Tiberius, and Coruncanus for Coruncanius, are ordinary corruptions of the jurist's name.
(Rutilius, Vitae JCtorum, c. 5; Heineccius,
Hist. Jzr. Civ. ~ 118; Schweppe, R. R. G. ~ 127;
L. A. Wiirffel, Epist. de Ti. Coruncanio, Hal.
1740.) [J. T. G.]
CORVUS, a surname in the Aquillia and Valeria gentes. In the latter, the lengthened form
Corvinus was adopted after the time of M. Valerius Corvus. [See below, No. 3, and CORVINUs.]
1. L. AQUILLIUS CORVUs, consular tribune in
B. c. 388. (Liv. vi. 4.)
2. M. VALERIUS CORVUs, one of the most illustrious men in the early history of the republic,
was born about B. c. 371 in the midst of the struggles attending the Licinian laws. Being a member
of the great Valerian house, he had an early opportunity of distinguishing himself, and we accordingly find him serving in B. c. 349 as military tribune in the army of the consul L. Furius Camillus
in his campaign against the Gauls. His celebrated

CORVUS. 861
exploit in this war, from which he obtained the
surname of " Corvus," or " Raven," is, like many
other of the achievements of the early Roman heroes, mingled with fable. A Gallic' warrior of
gigantic size challenged to single combat any one
of the Romans. It was accepted by Valerius after
obtaining the consent of the consul, and as he was
commencing the combat, a raven settled upon his
helmet, and, as often as he attacked the Gaul, the
raven flew at the face of the foe, till at length the
barbarian fell by the sword of Valerius. A general
battle then ensued, in which the Gauls were entirely defeated. The consul presented Valerius
with ten oxen and a golden crown, and the grateful people elected him, in his absence, consul for
the next year, though he was only twenty-three
years of age. He was consul in B. c. 348 with
L. Popillius Laenas. There was peace in that
year both at home and abroad: a treaty was made
with Carthage. (Liv. vii. 26, 27; Gell. ix. 11;
Val. Max. viii. 15. ~ 5; Eutrop. ii. 6.)
In B. c. 346 Corvus was consul a second time
with C. Poetelius Libo. He carried on war against
the Volsci, defeated them in battle, and then took
Satricum, which he burnt to the ground with the
exception of the temple of Mater Matuta. He
obtained a triumph on his return to Rome. (Liv.
vii. 27; Censorin. de Die Nat. 17.)
In B. c. 343 Corvus was consul a third time
with A. Cornelius Cossus Arvina. Young as he
was, Corvus was already regarded as one of the
very first generals of the republic, and the state
therefore looked up to him to conduct the war
against the Samnites, which had broken out in
this year. His popularity with the soldiers was
as great as his military talents, and he consequently
possessed unbounded influence over his troops. He
was distinguished by a kind and amiable disposition, like the other members of his house; and in
the camp he was in the habit of competing with
the common_ soldiers in the athletic games which
amused their leisure hours. It was fortunate for
the Romans that they had such a general in the
great struggle they were now entering upon. After
a hard-fought and most bloody battle, Corvus entirely defeated the Samnites on mount Gaurus
above Cumae: a battle which, as Niebuhr remarks,
seldom as it is mentioned, is one of the most memorable in the history of the world, since it was a
presage of the result of the great contest which had
then begun between Sabellians and Latins for the
sovereignty of the world. Meanwhile the colleague
of Corvus had been in the greatest danger in the
mountain passes near Caudium, where the Romans
met with such a disaster twenty-one years afterwards; but the army was saved by the valour of
P. Decius. Corvus seems to have joined his colleague shortly afterwards, and with their united
forces, or with his own alone, he gained another
brilliant victory over the Samnites near Suessula.
Forty thousand shields of those who had been
slain or had fled, and a hundred and seventy standards are said to have been piled up before the
consul. His triumph on his return to Rome was
the most brilliant that the Romans had yet seen.
Corvus gained these two great victories in his
twenty-ninth year, and he is another instance of
the fact which we so frequently find in history,
that the greatest military talents are mostly developed at an early age. (Liv. vii. 28--39; Appian,
Sumn. 1.)