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

1212 NUMA. NUMA.
note. Persons of this name are first mentioned in Romulus. the senate at first would not allow the
the last century of the republic, but none of the election of a new king: every senator was to enjoy
Novii obtained the consulship till A. D. 78. the royal power in rotation as interrex. In this
NO'VIUS. 1. Q. Novius, a celebrated writer way a year passed. The people, being treated
of Atellane plays, was a contemporary of Pompo- more oppressively than before, were vehement in
nius, who wrote plays of the same kind, and of the demanding the election of a sovereign to protect
dictator Sulla. (Macrob. SOt. i. 10; Gell. xv. 13.) them. When the senate permitted it to be held,
The plays of Novius are frequently mentioned by the Romans and Sabines disputed out of which
Nonius Marcellus, and occasionally by the other nation the king should be taken. It was agreed
grammarians. A list of the plays, and the frag- that the former should choose him out of the latter:
ments which are preserved, are given, by Bothe. and all voices concurred in naming the wise and
(Poet. Lat. Scenic. Fraymnenta, vol. ii. p. 41, &c.) pious Numa Pompilius of Cures, who had married
2. L. Novius, a colleague and enemy of P. the daughter of Tatius.
Clodius in his tribunate, B. c. 58. A fragment of "It was a very prevalent belief in antiquity that
a speech of his is preserved by Asconius (in Cie. Numa had derived his knowledge from the Greek
Mil. p. 47, Orelli). Pythagoras; Polybius and other writers attempted
NOX. C[Nvx.] to show that this was impossible, for chronological
NU'CIUS, NICANDER (NicKavspos Nov'ctso), reasons, inasmuch as Pythagoras did not come
a native of Corcyra, born about the beginning of into Italy till the reign of Servius Tullius;
the sixteenth century, who was driven from his but an impartial critic, who does not believe that
own country by various misfortunes, and took the son of Mnesarehus was the only Pythagoras,
refuge at Venice. Here he was taken into the or that there is any kind of necessity for placing
service of Gerard Veltuyckus, or Veltwick (with Numa in the twentieth Olympiad, or, in fine, that
whomn he had been previously acquainted), who the historical personality of Pythagoras is more
was going as ambassador from the emperor Charles certain than that of Numa, will be pleased with
V. to the court of the Sultan Solyman, A. D. 1545. the old popular opinion, and will not sacrifice it to
He accompanied him not only to Constantinople, chronology.
but also over several other parts of Europe, and " When Numa was assured by the auguries that
wrote an account of his travels, which is still the gods approved of his election, the first care of
extant, and contains much curious and interesting the pious king was turned, not to the rites of the
matter. There is a MS. of this work in the Bod- temples, but to human institutions. HIe divided
leian library at Oxford (containing two books, the lands which Romulus had conquered and had
but not quite perfect at the end), from which the left open to occupancy. He founded the worship
second book has been edited in Greek with an of Terminus. It was not till after he had done
English translation under the direction of Dr. this that Numa set himself to legislate for religion.
Cramer, small 4to., 1841, London, printed for the He was revered as the author of the Roman cereCamden Society. In his introduction, Dr. Cramer monial law. Instructed by the Camena Egeria, who
has given a short analysis of the contents of the was espoused to him in a visible form, and who led
first book. There is another and more complete him into the assemblies of her sisters in the sacred
MS. of Nucius's Travels preserved in the Ambro- grove, he regulated the whole hierarchy; the ponsian library at Milan, consisting of three books, tiffs, who took care, by precept and by chastisefrom which there was, some years ago, an intention ment5 that the laws relating to religion should be
on the part of one of the officers of the library of observed both by individuals and by the state;
editing the work, but the writer is not aware that the augurs, whose calling it was to afford security
this intention has ever been put into execution. for the councils of men by piercing into those of
(Compare Dr. Cramer's Introduction to his edi- the gods; the flamens, Who ministered in the
tion.) [W. A. G.] temples of the supreme deities; the chaste virgins
NUMA MA'RCIUS. 1. The son of Marcus, of Vesta; the Salii, who solemnised the worship of
is described in the legend of Numa Pompilius as the gods with armed dances and songs. He prethe most intimate friend of that king. Marcius scribed the rites according to which the people
urged Numa to accept the Roman throne, accom- might offer worship and prayer acceptable to the
panied him from his Sabine country to Rome, gods. To him were revealed the conjurations for
there became a member of the senate, and was compelling Jupiter himself to make known his
chosen by his royal friend to be the first Pontifex will, by lightnings and the flight of birds: whereas
Maximus, and the depository of all his religious others were forced to wait for these prodigies from
and ecclesiastical enactments. It is related that the favour of the god, who was often silent to
Marcius aspired to the kingly dignity on the death such as were doomed to destruction. This charm
of Pompilius, and that he starved himself to death he learnt from Faunus and Picus, whom, by the
on the election of Tullus Hostilius. (Plut. Numn. advice of Egeria, he enticed and bound in chains,
5, 6, 21; Liv. i. 20.) as Midas bound Silenus in the rose garden. From
2. The son of the preceding, is said to have mar- this pious prince the god brooked such boldness.
ried Pompilia, the daughter of Numa Pompilius, At Numa's entreaty he exempted the people from
and to have become by her the father of Ancus the terrible duty of offering up human sacrifices.
Marcius. Numa Marcius was appointed by Tullus But when the audacious Tullus presumed to imi.
Hostilius praefectus urbi. (Plut. Nzrm. 21, Coriol. tate his predecessor, he was killed by a flash of;Tac. Ann. vi. 11.) lightning during his conjurations in the temple of
NUMA POMPI'LIUS, the second king of Jupiter Elicius. The thirty-nine years of Numa's
Rome. The legend of this king is so well told by reign, which glided away in quiet happiness, withNiebuhr (Hist. of Rome, vol. i. p. 237, &c.), from out any war or any calamity, afforded no legends
Livy and the ancient authorities, that we cannot do but of such marvels. That nothing might break
better than borrow his words. "' On the death of the peace of his days, the ancile fell from heaven,