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

HIRTIUS. HIRTIUS. 497
his assassins, and as a well-wisher to the public 64; Cic. Phil. vii. 4, xi. 8, xiii. 10; Dion Cass.
good and the new constitution, to Antony. But xlvi. 29; Plut. Cic. 45; Vell. Pat. ii. 61; Suet.
Hirtius was not qualified to cause or to control a Octav. 10; Tac. Ann. i. l 0);- but on the fourth,
revolution, and he took refuge at Puteoli from the Cicero and the oligarchy failed in their motion to
despotic arrogance of Antony and the threats of have Antony declared a public enemy, and for the
the veterans. (Cic. ad Fam. xvi. 24, ad Att. xiv. city to assume the sagum. (Cic; Ph1l. vi. 3.) It
9, 11.) Occasionally, indeed, he mediated between was resolved-and the resolution was supported by
the latter and the party of Brutus and Cassius (ad Hirtius and the Caesarian party-to try negotiaFain. xi. 1), and his moderation led the conspira- tion, and to send delegates to his camp at Mutina.
tors to hope that through Cicero they might convert Hirtius, on whom the lot fell, was despatched in
the tolerant Caesarian, who, though abhorring their February, although still enfeebled by sickness, to
act, did not renounce their intercourse, into an Cisalpine Gaul. He immediately attacked Anactive partisan. Cicero discouraged, and secretly tony's outposts, and drove them from Claterna; then,
derided their hopes (ad Alt. xiv. 20, 21, xv. 5). uniting his forces with those of Octavius at Forum
But Hirtiu%, though inconvertible, was a useful Cornelii, he, as consul, took the chief command,
friend to the opponents of Antony. Atticus applied and laid up both armies in winter-quarters. (App.,
to him for the protection of his estates near Bu- B. C. iii. 65; Cic. ad Pam. xii. 5.)
throtum in Epeirus against the veterans whom Hirtius did not wish for open, at least not imCaesar had established in the neighbourhood (ad mediate, collision with Antony, and the senate
Att. xv. 1, 3, xvi. 16). To Brutus and Cassius desired to have in the field a superior officer to
who had requested his aid, he gave the good advice Octavius. (Dion Cass. xlvi. 35.) Antony, whom
not to return to Rome, where their destruction by these movements compelled to divide his forces,
Antony and the veterans was certain (ad Fam. xi. addressed a letter to HIirtius and Octavius jointly,
1), nor to leave Italy and appeal to arms when remonstrating with them for being the dupes of
their success might be doubtful (ad Att. xv. 6), Cicero and his faction, and for weakening the Caeand he had previously urged Dec. Brutus to quit sarian party by division. Without replying to it,
the city, where his presence only -led to daily Hirtius forwarded this letter to the senate, and an
bloodshed (ad Fain. xi. 1). Both at this (B.c. 44) acute and acrimonious dissection of it forms the
and at an earlier period of the revolution (45, 46, substance of Cicero's thirteenth Philippic. During
&c.), Cicero's letters show the importance he at- some weeks of inactivity, Hirtius omitted no means
tached to his relations with Hirtius. When of throwing supplies into Mutina, or of encourage.
writing confidentially, indeed, he ranks him with ment to Dec. Brutus to hold out against the incesthe other " Pelopidae," that is, the Caesarian sant assaults of Antony, and the more dangerous
chiefs, whom he wished never to hear of or see again progress of famine. (Front. St-at. iii. 13. ~ 7, 14.
(ad Fam. vii. 28, 30); but to Pompey, Brutus, and ~ 3; Plin. I1. N. x. 53.) Towards the end of
the senatorian party, he represents himself as on March his colleague, Pansa, crossed the Apennines,
the best terms with Caesar's favourite (vi. 12). At and reaching Bononia, which Hirtius and Octavius
the baths of Puteoli, in April, B. c. 44, their daily had previously taken, was defeated on the followintercourse was renewed, and Cicero again gave ing day by Antony at Forum Gallorum, and, as it
lessons in oratory to Hirtius and his colleague elect, proved, mortally wounded in the battle. (Cic. ad
Vibius Pansa (ad Alt. xiv. 12, 22; Suet. de Clar. Fain. x. 30; comp. Ov. Fast. iv. 625.) Hirtius,
I/et. i.). His treatise de Fato Cicero represents as however, retrieved this disaster on the same evenarising out of a discussion with Hirtius at Puteoli ing, by' suddenly attacking Antony on his return
in the same year (de Falo, 1). Hirtius left Cam- to the camp at Mutina. Honours, on Cicero's
pania to attend the senate summoned for the first motion, had scarcely been decreed by the senate to
of June by Antony (ad Ait. xv. 5), but. finding Hirtius for his victory (Cic. Phil. xiv.), when news
himself in danger from the veterans, he returned to arrived at Rome of the rout of Antony on the 27th,
his Tusculan villa (ad Att. xv. 6). In the autumn the deliverance of Mutina, and the' fall of Hirtius
of this year Hirtius was disabled from attendance in leading an assault on the besiegers' camp. (Ad
in the senate by sickness (ad Fain. xii. 22), from IFain. x. 30, 33,'xi. 9, 10, 13, xii. 25,. Phil. xiv. 9,
which he never perfectly recovered (Phil. i. 15, 10, 14; App. B. C. iii. 66-71; Dion Cass. xlvi.
vii. 4, x. 8). According to Cicero, the people 36-39; Plut. Ant. 17, Cic. 45; Vell. Pat. ii. 61;
offered vows for his restoration, and at such a crisis Liv. Epit., 119; Eutrop. vii. 1; Oros. vi. 18
the moderate and unambitious Hirtius was of no Zonar. x. 14.) Octavius sent the bodies of the slain
mean worth to the commonwealth. consuls, with a numerous escort, to Rome, where
According to a decree of the senate passed in the they were received with extraordinary'honours,
preceding December (Cic. Phil. iii. ad Fam. xi. 6), and publicly buried in the Field of Mars. The
Hirtius and Pansa summoned the senate for the grief and dismay at their fall was universal: the
ist of January, B. C. 43. After the usual sacrifices, company of contractors for funerals refused any rethey proceeded to the capitol, and laid before a nu-. compense for their interment (Val. Max. v. 2. ~ 10;
merous meeting the general state of the common- App. B. C. iii. 76; Vell. Pat. ii. 62); and the day
wealth, and the rogation respecting honours to of their death became an epoch of chronology.
Octavius Caesar, Dec. Brutus, and the martial and (Ovid. Trist. iv. 10, 6; Tibull. iii. 5, 18.) Yet,
fourth legions. The debate was opened by Hirtius however calamitous to the commonwealth, the fall
and his colleague, who declared their attachment to of Hirtius and his colleague was probably fortunatethe existing constitution, and exhorted'the senate for themselves. They could not have long hinto similar firmness and consistency. (Phil. v. 1, dered the union of Antony and Octavius, and they
12, 13, 35, vi. 1; Dion Cass. xlv. 17; App. B. C. would have been among the first victims of proiii. 50.) The discussion lasted four days. On the scription. To Octavius their removal from the
second the decree for honours to Brutus' Octavius, scene was so timely, that he was accused by many
and the legions, was passed (App. B. C. iii. 51- of murdering them. (Dion Cass. xlvi. 39; Suet.
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