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

928 MARCELLUS. MARCELLUS.
colleague Cn. Cornelius Scipio, both of whom were by the execution of seventy of the leading men of
eager to carry on the war. (Polyb. ii. 36; Plut. the opposite party, and again withdrew to the hills
Alfarc. 6.) The Gauls hereupon summoned to above Suessula. But neither he nor Gracchus were
their assistance 30,000 of their brethren, the Gae- able to avert the fate of Casilinum, which fell into
satae, from beyond the Alps; but notwithstanding the hands of Hannibal before the close of the
this reinforcement, they did not prevent the two winter. (Liv. xxii. 35, 57, xxiii. 14-17, 19
consuls from invading the plain of the Po, and Plut. Marc. 9-11; Appian, Annib. 27; Cic.
laying siege to Acerrae. In order to create a Brut. 3.)
diversion, one division of the Gaulish army, con- Marcellus was soon after summoned to Rome, to
sisting of 10,000 men, crossed the Po, and laid consult with the dictator L. Junius Pera and his
siege in their turn to the -town of Clastidium. master of the horse, Tib. Gracchus, concerning the
Hereupon Marcellus, with a large body of cavalry future conduct of the war: he was then invested
and a small force of infantry, hastened to oppose with the rank of proconsul, and returned to take
them, and a battle ensued, which ended in the the command of the army in Campania. Meantotal defeat and destruction of the Gaulish detach- while, news arrived at Rome that Postumius, who
ment. The action was commenced by a combat of had been chosen one of the consuls for the year
cavalry, in which Marcellus slew with his own 215, had been killed in Cisalpine Gaul; and the
hand Britomartus or Viridomarus, the king, or at people unanimously elected Marcellus to supply his
least the leader, of the enemy. After this brilliant place. But the senate, who were unwilling to
exploit he rejoined his colleague before Acerrae, admit of. two plebeian consuls at the same time,
which soon after fell into their hands, and was declared that the omens were unfavourable, and
followed by the conquest of Mediolanum, the most Marcellus, in obedience to the augurs, resigned the
important city of Cisalpine Gaul. The Insubrians consulship, and repaired once more to the army in
now submitted at discretion, and the two consuls Campania as proconsul. (Liv. xxiii. 24, 25, 30had the glory of having put a termination to the 32; Plut. Marc. 12.) His principal exploit that
Gallic war. Great part of the credit of the cam- we find recorded during this year was the relief of
paign, according to Polybius, would seem to have Nola, which he a second time successfully defended
belonged to Scipio, but Marcellus alone was ho- against Hannibal; and though the Carthaginian
noured with a triumph, which was rendered con- general had been lately joined by Hanno with a
spicuous by the spoils of Viridomarus, carried as a powerful reinforcement, Marcellus not only repulsed
trophy by the victor, and afterwards dedicated by him from the walls, but (if we may believe the
him as spolia opima in the temple of Jupiter accounts transmitted to us) defeated him with
Feretrius. This was the third and last instance considerable slaughter; and this success was imin Roman history in which such an offering was mediately followed by the desertion to the Romans
made. (Polyb. ii. 34, 35; Plut. Marc. 6 —8; of a large body of Numidian and Spanish horse.
Zonar. viii. 20, p. 404; Val. Max. iii. 2. ~ 5; (Liv. xxiii. 39, 41-46; Plut. Marc. 12.)
Eutrop. iii. 6; Flor. ii. 3; Aur. Vict. de Vir. Ill. At the election of the consuls for the ensuing
45; Oros. iv. 13; Fast. Capit. ap. Gruter, p. year (214) Marcellus was appointed for the third
297.) time, with Fabius Maximus for his colleague.
From this time we hear no more of Marcellus Such a pair of consuls (says Livy) had not been
until the alarming progress of Hannibal in Italy, seen for many years. Yet their operations during
and especially his victory at the lake of Thrasy- the ensuing campaign were not marked by any
mene, compelled the Romans to look out for tried decisive results: Marcellus returned to his old
and able soldiers, to whom'they could confide the camp near Nola, and a third time repulsed an
conduct of the war, and Marcellus was appointed attempt of Hannibal upon that city; whereupon
one of the praetors for the year 216. He was at first the Carthaginian general marched away to Tarendestined to take the command in Sicily, but while tum, and the two consuls took advantage of his
he was still occupied at Ostia with the preparation absence to lay siege to the small but important
of a fleet for this purpose, he was suddenly recalled town of Casilinum. The Campanian garrison of
to Rome, in consequence of the disastrous defeat of this fortress, after an obstinate defence, were adthe two consuls at Cannae. By the orders of the mitted to a capitulation by Fabius, but Marcellus
senate he threw a body of 1500 men, which he had broke in upon them as they were quitting the city,
raised for the expedition to Sicily, into Rome itself, and put them all to the sword, except about fifty,
while he hastened with one legion to Canusium, who escaped under the protection of Fabius. (Liv.
and after collecting there the shattered remains of xxiv. 9, 13, 19.) After this Marcellus returned
the consular army, drew them off into Campania, to Nola, from whence he was ordered by the senate
where he encamped near Suessula. Meanwhile, to proceed to Sicily, apparently before the close of
the important city of Capua had opened its gates to the summer of B. C. 214. (lb. 20, 21.) On his
Hannibal, and Nola would have followed its ex- arrival in that island he found affairs in a very
ample, had not Marcellus received timely notice of unsettled state. The death of Hieronymus, which
the danger from the aristocratic party in that city, had at first appeared favourable to the Roman
who were favourably disposed towards Rome. He cause, had eventually led to a contrary result; and
accordingly hastened thither with the forces under Hippocrates and Epicydes, two Carthaginians by
his command, threw himself into the town, and on birth, had obtained the chief direction of affairs at
the approach of Hannibal made a sudden sally, by Syracuse. [EePIcYDES.] Marcellus, however, at
which he repulsed the Carthaginians with some first determined to try the effect of negotiation:
loss. The success thus obtained (though evidently his ambassadors obtained a favourable hearing, and
greatly magnified by the Roman annalists), was even induced the Syracusans to pass sentence of
important from its' moral effect, as the first check, banishment against Hippocrates and Epicydes.
however slight, that Hannibal had yet received. These two leaders were at the time at Leontini, at
Marcellus now secured Nola to —the Roman interest, the head of a considerable force, but they were