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

CENSORINUS.
tus securing certain immunities to the Jews. He
died in Asia in A. D. 2, when he was in attendance
upon C. Caesar, the grandson of Augustus. His
death was universally regretted: Velleius Paterculus calls him (ii. 102) " Vir demerendis hominibus genitus."
There are several interesting coins of the Marcia
gens, bearing upon them the names of C. Censorinus
and L. Censorinus; but it is impossible to determine to which of the preceding Censorini they belong. Five specimens of these coins are given
below. The first three contain on the obverse the
heads of Numa Pompilius and Ancus Marcius, the
second and fourth kings of Rome, because the

CENSORINTUS. 66'5
verse a youthful head, and on the reverse a horse
at full gallop; the fifth has on the obverse the
head of Apollo, and on the reverse, Silenus. (Eckhel, v. p. 245, &c.)

Marcia gens claimed to be descended from Ancus
Marcius [MARCIA GENS], and the latter was supposed to be the grandson of Numa Pompilius. In
these three coins Numa is represented with abeard,
(R
000000
and Ancus without, probably to mark the relation
between them of grandfather and grandson. The
obverse of the first contains the inscription NVMAE.
roMPeIe. ANCI. MARCI., and that of the second
NVMA. POMPILI. ANCVS. MARCI. The reverse of
QQ0oo 0
the first represents two arches, in one of which
Victory stands on a pillar, and in the other is the
prow of a vessel, with the moon above. The reverse of the second contains two prows also with a
figure of Victory; and both coins seem to have reference to the harbour of Ostia, which was built
by Ancus Marcius. The reverse of the third coin
represents a desultor riding with two horses, as he
was accustomed to leap from one to another in the
public games, while they were at full gallop. (Dict.
of Ant. s. v. Desultor.) The fourth and fifth coins
are of less importance: the fourth has on the ob

CENSORINUS (Appius Claudius), is ranked
by Trebellius Pollio among the thirty tyrants
[comp. AUREOLUS], although the number is complete without the addition of his name, and he belongs not to the reign of Gallienus, but of Claudius
Gothicus. Censorinus, having devoted his youth
and manhood to a military career, attained to the
highest dignities. He was twice consul, twice
praefect of the praetorium, thrice praefect of the
city, four times proconsul, and discharged at various periods the duties of numerous inferior appointments. Full of years, and disabled by an
honourable wound received in the Persian war,
under Valerian, he had retired to pass the evening
of his days on his estate, when he was suddenly
proclaimed emperor by a body of mutinous troops,
and invested with the purple at Bologna, in A. D.
270. Having, however, displayed a determination
to enforce strict discipline, he was forthwith put to
death by the same soldiers who had raised him to
a throne. If any genuine medals of this prince
exist, which is very doubtful, they have never been
described with sufficient accuracy to render them
of any historical value, or even to enable us to determine whether the names Appizs COlaudius formed
part of his designation. Birago, in his Numismata
(Mediol. 1683), quotes a Greek coin supposed to
indicate the third year of the reign of Censorinus;
but, since no account is given of the place where
it was preserved, it was in all probability a forgery,
especially as we have no reason to believe that the
pretender maintained his authority beyond the space
of a few days. Tillemont supposes, that the Victorinus mentioned by the younger Victor as having assumed the purple under Claudius is the same person
with our Censorinus. (Trebell. Pollio, Trig. Tyr.; Tillemont, Histoire des Empereurs, vol. p. 37.) [W.R.]
CENSORI'NUS, the compiler of a treatise entitled de Die Natali, which treats of the generation
of man, of his natal hour, of the influence of the
stars and genii upon his career, and discusses the
various methods employed for the division and
calculation of time, together with sundry topics
connected with astronomy, mathematics, geography,
and music. It affords much valuable information
with regard to the various systems of ancient chronology, and is constantly referred to by those who
have investigated these topics. The book is dedicated to a certain Q. Cerellius, whom the writer
addresses as his patron and benefactor (c. 1), and
was composed in the year A. D. 238, in the consulship of Ulpius and Pontianus (c. 21). Censorinus
terms Rome the "communis patria" of himself and
Cerellius (c. 16); and this fact, along with those
detailed above, comprise the whole knowledge we
possess with regard to the work and its author. A
fragment de Metris and lost tracts de Accentibus
and de Geonzmelria are ascribed, but upon no sure
evidence, totthis same Censorinus. Carrio, in hib