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

HO lTENSI US. "HORTENSIUS. 0527
as their instrument. Hence followed (in B. c. 60) hand to havenhim detained yet longer (ad tt.' v. 1T;;
the coalition of Pompey with Caesar and Crassus comp. ib. 2, &c.). There seems to have been really
(erroneously called the first triumvirate). Horten- no ground for these suspicions, and we must set
sius now drew back from public life, seeing pro- them down to the naturally susceptible and irritable
bably that his own party must yield to the arts temper of Cicero. It must be confessed, moreover,
and power of the coalition, and yet not choosing that the conduct of some of his great friends,
to forsake it. From this time to his death (in B. C. Pompey in particular, had been such as to justify
50) he confined himself to his advocate's duties. suspicions of others.
He defended Flaccus, accused of extortion in Asia, The character of Hortensius was rather fitted:
jointly with Cicero, and took occasion to extol the to conciliate than to command-to call forth regl:d
acts of the latter in his consulship (ad Att. ii. 25). rather than esteem. He was not, as we have seen,
He also pleaded the cause of P. Lentulus Spinther, at all scrupulous about the means he took to. gain:
against whom Pompey had promoted an accusation verdicts; but in considering this, we must not;
for his conduct respecting Ptolemy Auletes, though forget the low state of Roman manners (not to
Cicero, fearing a second banishment, declined the speak of morals) at this period. Personally le
office (ad Fam. i. 1, ii. 1). He joined Cicero again seems to stand above suspicion of corruption. Yet
in the defence of Sextius, and again allowed him his enormous wealth was not all well gotten; for Cito speak last (pro Sext. ii. 6). When the latter cero quotes a case in which Hortensiusdid not scruple;
was in his province (B. C. 51), Hortensius defended to join Crassus in taking possession of the inherithis own nephew, M. Valerius Messalla, who was ance of Minuc. Basilius, though, from the circum-:
accused of bribery in canvassing for the consulship. stances, he must have, known that the will under:
He was, as usual, successful; but the case was so which he claimed was a forgery. (De Ofic. iii.
flagrant, that, next day, when Hortensius entered 18; cf. Parad. vi. I; Val. Max. ix. 4, ~ 1.) And'
the theatre of Curio, he was received with a round though he was honest as quaestor, though he would'
of hisses-a thing mainly remarkable, because it not accept a province to drain it of its riches, yet
was the first time lie had suffered any thing of the no doubt he shared the plunder of provinces, not
kind (ad Fans. viii. 2). In the beginning of April, immediately indeed, but in the shape of large fees
B. c.'50, he appeared for the last time, with his and presents from the Dolabellas and other persons
wonted success, for App. Claudius, accused de like Verres, whom he so often and so successfully
majestate et ambitu by Dolabella, the future son- defended. He liked to live at Rome and his villas;
in-law of Cicero. He died not long after. Cicero he loved an easy life and -a fair fame,, had little
received the news of his death at Rhodes, as he ambition, and therefore avoided all acts that might
was returning home from his province, and was have made him amenable to prosecution. The
deeply affected by it (ad Att. vi. 6; comp. Brut. 1.) same easy temper, joined as it often is. with a kind
In the above sketch of Hortensius's life, we have heart and generous disposition, won him many
kept Cicero constantly in view, for it im from him friends; and perhaps we may say that he had no
-his speeches and letters, and other works-that enemies. He lived to a good age, little disturbed
we owe almost all our knowledge of his great rival. by ill health, surrounded by all that wealth can
It may be well to recur to the relation in which give, alive to all his enjoyments, with as much of
they stood to each other at different times. We active occupation as he desired, without being dishave seen that up to Cicero's consulship, in 63 turbed by the political turbulence of his times. He
B. C., they were continually opposed, professionally died just at the time when civil war broke out, a
and politically. After this period they usually complete specimen of an amiable Epicurean.
acted together professionally —for Hortensiuis re- His eloquence was of the florid or (as it was
tired (as we have seen) from political life in the termed) " Asiatic" style (Cic. Brut. 95), fitter for
year 60. Hortensius, in his easy way, seems to hearing than for reading. Yet he did write his
have.yielded without much struggle to Cicero; yet speeches-on occasions at least (Cic. Brut. 96;
the latter seems never quite to have got over jea- Val. Max. v. 9. ~ 2). His voice was soft and
0l-sy for his former rival. When he was driven musical (Brut. 88); his memory so ready and
into exile by: Clodius (in 58), Hortensius appears retentive, that he is said to have been able to cometo have used his influence to procure his return; out of a sale-room and repeat the auction-list backyet Cicero could not be persuaded but that he was wards (Senec. Praef. in Controv. 1). We need
playing a -part, and was secretly doing his utmost not refer to Cicero (Brut. 88, in Caecil. 14) to perto keep him from Rome. Atticus in vain endea- ceive what use this must have been to him as an,
voured to undeceive him. (Ad Q. Frat. i. 3, 4, ad advocate. His action was very elaborate, so that'
Att. iii. 9.) On his return, indeed, he made public sneerers called him Dionysia-the name of a wellacknowledgment of his error, and spoke very hand- known dancer of the day (Gell. i. 5); and the
somely of Hortensius (pro Sext. 16-19, post Redit. pains he bestowed in arranging the folds of his toga
13, 14), and soon after he was named by Hor- have been recorded by Macrobius (Saturn. ii. 9).
tensius and Pompey to fill the place in the college But in all this there must have been a real grace
of augurs, made vacant by the death of Q. Me-' and dignity, for we read that Aesopus and Roscius,
tellus Celer (Brut. 1, Plilipp. ii. 2, 13); yet, the tragedians, used to follow him into the forum
when Atticus begged him to dedicate some work to take a lesson in their own art.
to Hortensius, he evaded the request (ad Att. iv. Of his luxurious habits many stories are told.
6);-for the little treatise De Gloria, inscribed His house on the Palatine was that afterwards
" Hortensius,"' was not written till 45 B. c., after occupied by Augustus (Suet.. Aug. 72); but this
the death of the orator. The same feelings recur was comparatively simple and modest. In his
in Cicero's letters from his province. In his ex- villas no expense was spared. One he had near
treme anxiety to return at the expiration of his Bauli, described by Cicero (Acad. Prior. ii. 3);
year, he continually expresses his fears that Hor- a second in the Ager Tusculanus; but the most
tensius is playing him false, and working under- splendid was that: near Laurentum. Here he laid