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

~1(4 MA MAMER CINUS. MAMERCINUS.
and thus gave rise to the mutiny which) proved warmly supported the agrarian law: in each yeai
fatal both to herself and to her son, who is said it was no doubt the. execution of the Cassian law
to have upbraided her with his dying breath as which he endeavoured to carry into effect. In this
the cause of his destruction. Their death took year he was to some extent successful. WTithout
place in Gaul, early in the year A. D.235. (For disturbing the occupiers of the public land, some
authorities, see CARACALLA; ELAGABALUS; land which had been taken from the Volsci in the
SEVERUS.) [W. R.] preceding year was assigned to the plebs, and a
colony sent to Antium. Mamercus carried on war
against the Sabines again in this year. (Liv. iii.
1; Dionys. ix. 59; Diod. xi. 74; comp. Niebuhr,
/ 1 trVC~ (~~~ Hist. of Rome, vol. ii. pp. 229, 230.)
Ao~ E 8 M 0 C 23. MAM, AERMILIUS M. F. MAMERCINUS, conX Nk~ f.Y & sular tribune in B.C. 438. (Liv. iv. 16; Diod.
xii. 38.) In B.c. 437 he was nominated dictator,
to prosecute the war against the Veientines and
Fidenates, because Fidenae had revolted in the
COIN OF JULIA MAMAEA. previous year to Lar Tolumnius, the king of Veii.
He appointed L. Quinctius Cincinnatus his magister
MAMERCI'NUS or MAMERCUS, the most equitum, and gained a brilliant victory over the
ancient family of the patrician Aemilia Gens, and forces of the enemy, and obtained a triumph in
one of the most distinguished of all the Roman consequence. (Liv. iv. 17-20; Eutrop. i. 19;
families in the early ages of the republic. The Lydus, de Magistr. i. 38.) It was in this battle
family professed to derive its name from Mamercus that Lar Tolumnius is said by Livy to have been
in the reign of Numa, to whom indeed all the killed in single combat by Cornelius Cossus; but
Aemilii traced their origin. [MAMERCUS; AEMILIA it is very doubtful whether this event happened in
GENS.] This family, like many of the other dis- this year. [See Cossus, No. 2.] Indeed the
tinguished families in early Roman history, dis- conquest of the Fidenates and the death of Lar
appears about the time of the Samnite wars. The Tolumnius is referred by Niebuhr to B. C. 426, in
name Mamercus was very early used as a prae- which year Aemilius Mamercinus is stated to have
nomen in the Aemilia gens, and continued to be so been dictator for the third time. And it is not
employed, especially by the Aemilii Lepidi, long improbable, as Niebuhr remarks, that " some
after the family of this name had become extinct. member of the Aemilian house found matter in
In the same way we find that Cossus, which was legendary traditions for an apocryphal panegyric
originally a family-name of the Cornelii, was re- on this Aemilius: in this panegyric more dictatorvived as a praenfomen by the Cornelii Lentuli, ships were probably ascribed to him than he ever
after the family of the Cossi had sunk into oblivion. really filled, and the exploits achieved under. his
[Cossus.] auspices, as well as his own, were referred to
1. L. AEMILIUS MAM. F. MAMERCUS, consul definite years, which they did not belong to. (Hist.
for the first time in B. C. 484 with K. FABIUs of Rome, vol. ii. p. 458.)
VIBULANUS, conquered the Volsci and Aequi, ac- But, returning to the ancient authorities, we find
cording to Livy, but suffered a defeat from them, that Aemilius Mamercinus is put down as dictator
according to the statement of Dionysius, who also a second time in B. C. 433 with A. Postumius Tusays that Mamercus was in consequence ashamed bertus as his magister equitum. He was appointed
to go into the city for the purpose of holding the to the dictatorship through fear of an impending
comitia. (Liv. ii. 42; Dionys. viii. 83-87; Diod. war in Etruria, but this passed off, and he had no
xi. 38.) He was consul a second time in B. C. occasion to leave the city. In this year he carried
478 with C. Servilius Structus Ahala, and defeated a law limiting to eighteen months the duration of
the Veientines before the walls of their city with the censorship, which had formerly lasted for five
great slaughter. He subsequently concluded a years. This measure was received with great aptreaty with them on terms which the senate re- probation by the people; but the censors then in
garded as too favourable, and was in consequence office were so enraged at it, that they removed him
denied the honour of a triumph. (Liv. ii. 49; from his tribe, and reduced him to the condition of
Dionys. ix. 16, 17; Died. xi. 52.) He was consul an aerarian. (Liv. iv. 23, 24.) He is named as
a third time in B.C. 473 with Vopiscus Julius dictator a third time in B. C. 426 with A. Cornelius
Julus. For the events of this year see JULUS, Cossus as his magister equitum. It was probably
No. 3, where the authorities are given. We learn in this year, as we have already stated, that he
from Dionysius (ix. 51) that he supported in B. C. conquered the Veientines and Fidenates, and took
470 the agrarian law, on account of his hostility to Fidenae, fnot in his first dictatorship, though Livy
the senate for having denied him a triumph. and other ancient authorities speak of a victory
2. TIB. AEMILIUS L. F. MAM. N. MAMERCUS, gained over these people in each of these years.
son of No. 1, was consul in 3. c. 470 with L. Va- (Liv. iv. 31-34; Ores. ii. 13; Died. xii. 80.)
lerius Potitus. Their year of office was one of 4. M'. AEMILIUS MAM. F. M. N. MAMERconsiderable agitation, on account of the agrarian CINUS, son of No. 3, was consul in B. c. 410 with
law and the trial of App. Claudius. Tib. Mamercus C. Valerius Potitus Volusus. (Liv. iv. 53; Diod.
supported the law along with his father, because xiii. 76.) He was also three times consular tribune,
the latter had been wronged by the senate. first in B. C. 405, a second time in B. C. 403, and a
[No. 1.] He also led an army into the country of third time in B.C. 401. (Liv. iv. 61, v. 1, 10.)
the Sabines, but did not perform anything of 5. C. AEMILIUS TiB. F. Tin. N. MAMERCINUS,
consequence. (Liv. ii. 61, 62; Dionys. ix. 51, consular tribune in B. C. 394, carried on the war
55; Diod. xi. 69.) He was consul a second time with his colleague Sp. Postumius Albinus against
in B. C. 467 with Q. Fabius Vibulanus, and again the Aequi. He was consular tribune again in B. C.