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

FLAMINIUS. FLAMINIUS. 167
supposition that Flaminius brought forward his bill forward a bill to prevent Roman senators- from
in 232, and that it was not carried till four years engaging in mercantile pursuits; and C. Flalater; but even this supposition does not remove minius, although himself a member of the senate,
the difficulties. There is an anecdote relating to supported the bill. The optimates, who had bethe proceedings about his agrarian law which is fore hated him, now abominated him; but his
worthy of remark, as it shows that, although popularity with the people increased in the same
Flaminius may have been rather violent and san- proportion, in consequence of which he was elected
guine, he was yet of a very amiable dispositionL The consul a second time for B. C. 217, with Cn. Carsenatorial party not only abused him in every pos- vilius Geminus. Now it is said, that instead of
sible way, but threatened to declare him a public undergoing the solemn installation in the Capitol,
enemy, and to march an army against him, if he Flaminius, with his reinforcements, set out forthcontinued agitating the people; but he persevered. with to Ariminum, to undertake the command of
On one occasion, however, while he was haranguing the army of his predecessor, Tib. Sempronius
the people, his father called him from the rostra, Longus, and there entered upon his office in the
begging him to desist, and the son yielded to his usual form, with vows and sacrifices. This act
father. (Val. Max. v 4. ~ 5.) In B. C. 227, the was, of course, interpreted by his enemies as a
year in which, for the first time, four praetors were contempt for religious observances; in addition to
appointed, C. Flaminius was one of them, and re- which they said he ought to have remained at
ceived Sicily for his province. He performed the Rome for the purpose of celebrating the feriae
duties of his administration to the greatest satis- Latinae. But there are two reasons, either of
faction of the provincials; and upwards of thirty which would be sufficient to justify his conduct:
years later, when his son was curule aedile, the in the first place, he had reason to fear, that, unless
Sicilians attested their gratitude towards him by lie set out at once, his enemies would act as they
sending an ample supply of corn to Rome. (Liv. had done in his first consulship; and in the second
xxxiii. 42.) place, he may have seen that no time was to be
In B. C. 225, the war with the Cisalpine Gauls lost, for as it was it seems that Hannibal, who
broke out, of which, in the opinion of Polybius surely would not have waited for the Latin holi(1. c.), the agrarian law of Flaminius was the days, had already commenced his march towards
cause and origin; for the Gauls in the north of Etruria, before Flaminius undertook the command
Italy, he says, had become convinced that it was of the army of his predecessor, so that no time was
the object of the Romans to expel them from their to be lost..Our accounts, however, of the moveseats, or to annihilate them. In the third year of ments of Hannibal and Flaminius differ. Acthis wvar, B. C. 223, C. Flaminius was consul with cording to Zonaras (viii. 25), Flaminius had
P. Furius Philus, and both consuls marched to the reached Ariminum, when Hannibal began his
north of Italy. No sooner had they set out than march, whereas Livy (xxii. 2) makes Flaminius
the aristocratic party at Rome devised a means for proceed from Ariminum to Arretium, before Handepriving Flaminius of his office: they declared that nibal had begun to move; and Polybius (iii. 77)
the consular election was not valid on account of says that Flaminius marched from Rome directly
some fault in the auspices; and a letter was forth- to Arretium, and makes no mention of his going to
with sent to the camp of the consuls, with orders Ariminum. But however this may be, Hannibal
to return to Rome. But as all preparations had had advanced further south than Flaminius, who
been made for a great battle against the Insubrians was at Arretium, and thence set out in pursuit of
on the Addua, the letter was left unopened until the enemy, perhaps more rashly than wisely. On
the battle was gained. Furius obeyed the com- the border'of lake Trasimenus Hannibal compelled
mand of the senate; but C. Flaminius, elated by him to fight the fatal battle, on the 23d of June,
his victory, continued the campaign. When he 217, in which he perished, with the greater part
afterwards returned to Rome, the senate called him of his army. (Ov. Fast. vi. 765, &c.) This
to account for his disobedience; but the people catastrophe of a man like Flaminius was easily
granted him a triumph for his victory; and after its accounted for by his hypocritical enemies: he had
celebration, he laid down his office, either because at all times disregarded the warnings of religion,
the time had expired, or, as Plutarch (Mliarcell. 4) and he had broken up from Arretium, they said,
says, being compelled by the people to abdicate. although the signs had been against him. That
It seems to have been ill B. C. 221 that C. Flami- Livy judges unfavourably of Flaminius cannot be
nius was magister equitum to the dictator M. Minu- a matter of surprise, on account of the spirit which
cius Rufus; but both were obliged to resign imme- runs through his whole history; but from Polydiately after their appointment, on account of the bins we might have expected a more impartial
squeaking of a mouse, which had been heard im- judgment. There is, however, little doubt that
mediately after the election. (Plut. Marcell. 5; Polybius was biassed by his friend Scipio, who
Val. Max. i. 1. ~ 5, who erroneously calls the abhorred Flaminius, and probably saw in him
dictator Fabius Maximus.) The year after this only a precursor of the Gracchi. (Liv. xxi. 57,
event, 220, Flaminius and L. Aemilius Papus were 15, 63, xxii. 1, &c.; Polyb. ii. 32, &c., iii. 75, 77,
invested with the censorship, which is renowned &c., 80, &c.; Dionys. ii. 26; Solin. 11; Oros. iv.
in history for two great works, which were ex-.13; Flor. ii. 4; Sil. Ital. iv. 704, &c.; v. 107,
ecuted by Flaminius, and bore his name, viz. the &c., 653, &c.; Zonar. viii. 24, &c., Appian,
Circus Flanzinius and the Via Flaminia, a road flannib. 8, &c.; Plut. Fab. Max. 2, 3; Nep.
which ran from Rome through Etruria and Umbria, Hannib. 4; Eutrop. iii. 9; Plut. Tib. Gracch. 21;
as far as Ariminum. From a strange story in Cic. Brut. 14, 19, Acad. ii. 5, de IAvent. ii. 17,
Plutarch (Quaest. Rosn. 63), we may perhaps infer de Divin. i. 35, ii. 8, 31, de Nat. Deor. ii 3, de
that Flaminius raised the money required for these Leg. iii. 9; Val. Max. i. 6. ~ 7; Niebuhr, Lectur.
undertakings by the sale of newly-conquered lands. on the Hist. of Rome, vol. i.p. 180, &c., ed. L.
In B.C. 218, the tribune, Q. Claudius, brought Schmitz.)
1u 4