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

CALPURNIUS.
TFins, in others as Gains, in a great number the
pra enemen is altogether wanting, while the only
evidence for the detersination of the epoch when
ho flourished rests upon the gratuitous assumption
that he is identical with the Junius or Jelius Ga-lpInnins commemorated hy Vopiscus in the life of
Carus. In like manner we are left in uncertainty
whether we ought to consider the term Sicules as
a cognomen, or as an appellation pointing out his
native country, or as an epithet hestowed upon
him becanse he cultivated the same style of composition with the Syracusan Theocritus. Some
have sought to prove, from internal evidence, that,
like the Mantuan bard, he was raised from a hsmhls station hy the favour of some exalted patron,
hut this hypothesis receives no support from the
passages referred to, and those who have attempted
in a similar manner to ascertain the precise epoch
when he flourished have arrived at conflicting conclesious. Even if the dedication to Nemessanus is
genuine, and this is far from certain, it does not
necessarily follov, that this most he the same Nemessanus who was contemporary with Numerianus.
The literary merits of Calpurnios may he hriefly
discussed. In all that relates to the mechanism of
his art he deserves much praise. His versification
is smooth, flowing, and sonorous, and his diction
for the most part pisre and elegant, although from
heing toe elahorately finished it is sonetimes tinged
with affectation. In all the higher departments he
can advance no claim. to our admiration. He imitates closely the Eclogues of Virgil, and like Virgil
is deficient in the simplicity, freshness, and reality
which lend such a charm to the Idylls of Theocritus-a deficiency which he awkwardly endeavoens to supply hy occasionally foisting harsh and
ncouth expressionos into the mouths of lis speakers.
lie evidently was a careful student of Horace,
Tibullus, Propertins, Juvenal, and Statius, for we
can often detect their thoughts and even their expressions, unless, indeed, we are disposed to adopt
the absurd notions advocated hy Ascensius, that
he belonged to time Augustan age, and might thus
have been copied hy the others instead of borrowing0 from them.
In the oldest MSS. and editions the whole
eleven eclogues are attribsted to Calposrnius. Ugoletus, upos the authority of a single MS., separated
the last four from the rest, assigniing them to
Nemesianus; but independent of thle feeble atthority upon which this change was introduced, the
tone and spirit of the whole eleven is so exactly
uniform, that we might at once conclude with confidence that they were productions of the same
pen, and this has been satisfactorily established
by Werusdorf.
The Editie Princeps is without place or date,
hut is usually found appended to the Silius Italicus
printed at Rome iso 1471, by Sweynheim and
Pasnartz. The snext us antiquity is that of Venice,
1472. The most valuable modern editions are
those contained in the Poetas Latini Minores of
Burmaun (Leida, 1731), asd in the Poetas Latini
Minores of Werunsforff (Alteub. 1780), asd in
Lemairs's Classics (Paris, 1824). The text has
been recently revised with sucs care hy Gleeser.
(Getting. 1842.) [W. R.]
CALPU'RNIUS ASPRE'NAS, [AsPRENAS.]
CALPU'RNIUS CRASSUS. [CResSue.]
CALPU'RNIUS FABA'TUS. [FcaBvUs.]
CALPU'R;NJUS FLACCUS. [F~accus.]

CALVENA. 583
CALPI'RNIUS GALERIA'NUS. [GALERMANUS.]
CALPU'RNIUS SALVIA'NUS.[SALVIANtTS.]
CALVA, a surname of Venus at Rome, which
is derived hy some from the verb clveere, to mock
or annoy, and is helieved to refer to the caprices of
lovers. Others relate, that Ancus Marcius dedicated the temple of Venus Calva near the Capitol
at the time when his wife's hair began to fall off;
whereas a third account connects the foundation of
this temple with the war against the Gauls, during
which the Roman women were said to have cut o-ff
their hair for the purpose of miaking bo-w-strings of
it. (Serv. ad Jee. i. 724; Lactant. i. 20, 27.)
Hartung (Die R1ef. d. RJno. ii. p. 251) thinkrs the
last account the most probable, and believes that
the name referred to a real or symbolical cutting
off of the hair of brides on their marriage day.
(Comp. Pers. Sot. ii. 70, with the Schol.) [L. S.]
CALVASTER, JU'LIUS, a laticlave tribune
of the soldiers under Dositian, took part in the
revolt of Antonins in Germ-any, but was pardoned
because he pretended that Iis intercourse with
Antonius was confined to a licentious connexion.
(Dion Case. lxvii. 11; Suet. Doms. 10.)
CALVE'NA, C. MATIUS, usually called
Matins, without his cognomen Calvena, which he
received on account of his baldness, belonged to
the equestrian order, and was one of Caesar's most
intimate friends. He was a learned, amiable, and
accomplished nman; but, through Iis love of retirement aid literature, ho took no part in the
civil var, and did net avail himself of Caesar's
friesdship to obtain any public offices in the state.
Unlike many, who called themselves the friends of
Caesar, he took no part in the conspiracy against
his life, but on the contrary was deeply affected by
his death. lie immediately espoused the side of
Octavianus, with whom he became very intimate
and at his request, and in memory of his dTeparted
friend, he presided over the games which Octavianus exhibited in a. c. 44, on the completion of the
temple of Venus Genetrix, in honour of Caesar's
victories. The conduct of Mllatins excited the
wrath of Caesar's murderersa; and there is a beautiful letter of his to Cicero (ad Feas. xi. 28), in
which he justifies lis conduct, avows his attachment to Caesar, and deplores his loss.
Matius was also an intimate friend of Cicero
and Trebatins. Cicero first speaks of him in a
letter to Tieb-tius, written in B. c. 52, in which
he congratulites the latter upoo having become a
friend of I-tius, whom lie calls " soshvissiuus
doctossnmusnque home " (ad Fasin. vii. 15); but
Cicero himself iad been intimate with him sumn
time before. Mmatius paid Cicero a visit at his
Fornmian vil- in a. c. 49, when he was on lis way
to join Caesar at Bromndusinm; and when Cicero
returned to Italy after the battle of Pharsalia, in
B. c. 48, greatly alarmic at t e reception which
Caesar might give him, AMatius met him at Brundusium, did Ills best to console him, and promosed
to exert his influence with Caesor tos otanilo his
pardon. From that time till Caesar's death, Al-itins and Cicero appear to ha-ve seen a, good deal of
one another; aid he is frequ ently mentioned by
Cicero in thi period immediately following Caesar's
death. (Cic. ad Alt. ix. 11, 12, 1h, a,, ad esiovi.
12,.d All. xiv. 1,2,5 4,95, 9, xv, 2, xvi. 11, hut
the fullest information respecting Matius is ime ti
tavo letters cod, Fessez vi. 27, 98.