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

930 VMARCELLUS. MARCELLUS.
her and magnificence of the spoils brought from drawn battle, in the second the Romans were deSyracuse. (Liv. xxvi. 21; Plut. Marc. 20, 22.) feated with heavy loss, and in the third'they are
Shortly after his triumph he was elected for the said to have gained a complete victory; notwithfourth time consul, together with M. Valerius standing which, Hannibal drew off his army unLaevinus. But scarcely had he entered on his molested towards Bruttium, while Marcellus was
office (B. c. 21.0) when he had to encounter a storm unable to follow him, on account of the number of
of indignation, raised against him by his proceed- his wounded. So severe indeed had been his
ings in Sicily. Notwithstanding the praises be- losses, that he shut himself'up within the walls of
stowed by the Roman writers, and still more by Venusia, and remained there in perfect inactivity
Plutarch (Afarc. 20; and see Cic. in Verr. ii. 2, during the remainder of the season, while Haniv. 52, 54), upon his moderation and clemency, it nibal moved up and down throughout the south of
is evident that his conduct was considered by Italy without opposition. Such conduct could not
many, even of his own countrymen, as having been fail to give much dissatisfaction at Rome,; and it
unnecessarily harsh. Deputies from the Sicilian was even proposed' by one of the tribunes that
cities now appeared at Rome, to lay their complaints Marcellus should be deprived of his command.
before the senate, where they met with powerful But on hearing of this motion he immediately
support; and though the governing body was hastened to Rome, and defended himself so sucunwilling to cast a slur upon Marcellus, and de- cessfully, that he was not only absolved from all
termined to ratify his past acts, yet the entreaties blame, but elected consul for the ensuing year,
of the Sicilians so far prevailed, that the two together with T. Quintius Crispinus. (Liv. xxvii.
consuls exchanged provinces, and it was arranged 7, 12-14, 20, 21; Plut. Marc. 25-27.)
that Marcellus, to whose lot Sicily had previously Before he entered on this, his fifth consulship,
fallen, should take the command in Italy against he was sent into Etruria to appease a threatened
Hannibal. (Liv. xxvi. 22, 26, 29-32; Plut. revolt of the Arretians, and succeeded in quieting
Marc. 23; Zonar. ix. 6.) From this time the their discontent for a time. After. he returned to
Sicilians appear to have changed their policy, and Rome, and was preparing to resume operations in
being freed from all immediate apprehensions from the field (B. c. 208), he was detained for some time
Marcellus, they endeavoured to conciliate his by unfavourable omens and the religious ceremonies
favour by every kind of honour and flattery: the deemed necessary, in order to avert the evils thus
Syracusans placed their city under the patronage threatened. At length he once more took the
of himself and his descendants, erected statues to command of the army at Venusia, and being joined
him, and instituted an annual festival, called the by his colleague Crispinus from Bruttium, they
Marcellea, which continued to be celebrated down'encamped with their combined forces between Veto the time of Verres. (Liv. xxvi. 32; Plut. Marc. nusia and Bantia. Hannibal's camp was at a short
23; Cic. in Verr. ii. 21, 63.) distance from them; between the two armies lay
Marcellus now joined the army in Apulia, where a wooded hill, which the two consuls imprudently
he was soon after enabled to strike an important proceeded to reconnoitre, escorted only by a small
blow, by the conquest of Salapia, which was be- body of horse, and in so doing fell into an ambustrayed into his hands by Blasius, one of the prin- cade of Numidians. A sharp skirmish ensued, but
cipal citizens of the place [BLASIUS], and this the Romans being far inferior in number, were
success was followed by the capture of two cities in quickly dispersed or put to the sword: Marcellus
Samnium, which had been occupied by Carthaginian himself was run through the body with a spear,
garrisons. Meanwhile, Hannibal had surprised and and killed on the spot: his colleague was with
destroyed the army of Cn. Fulvius at Herdonea; difficulty carried off the field severely wounded,
whereupon Marcellus hastened to oppose him, and Hannibal displayed a generous sympathy for the
check his victorious career. The two armies met fate of his fallen foe, and caused all due honours to
hear Numistro in Lucania, and a battle ensued, be paid to his lifeless remains. (Liv. xxvii. 21apparently without any decisive result, though the 23, 25-28; Plut. Mare. 28-30; Polyb. x. 32;
Romans claimed a victory.; and the remainder of Appian, Annib. 50; Zonar. ix. 9; Val. Max. i. 6.
the campaign was occupied with unimportant ~ 9.)
movements, Marcellus continuing to follow the There are few characters in Roman history of
steps of his wary antagonist, but carefully avoiding which the picture transmitted to us has been more
an engagement. So important, however, did he disfigured by partiality than that of Marcellus.
deem it not, to lose sight for a moment of the Car- Almost the whole account of his military operations
thaginian general, that he declined to repair to against Hannibal has been so perverted, that it is
Rome even in order to hold the comitia, and in difficult now to arrive at the truth; but it is startconsequence, by direction of the senate, named ling to find, after reading in Livy or Plutarch the
Q. Fulvius dictator for that purpose. (Liv. xxvi. details of his numerous victories over the Car38, xxvii. 1-5; Plut. 3iare. 24, 25; Appian, thaginian general, that Polybius expressly denied
Annib. 45-47.; Zopar. ix. 7; Val. Max. iii. 8. he had ever defeated Hannibal at all.'(Plut. Comnp.
ext. ~ 1.) Pelop. c. Mare. 1; and see Polyb. xv. ] 1.) The
During the following year (209) he retained the ambiguous character of many of his alleged victories
command of his army with the rank of proconsul, has been indeed already adverted to, and is sufin order that he might co-operate with the two ficiently apparent even from the accounts of the
consuls of the year, Fabius Maximus and Fulvius Romans themselves. It seems probable that many
Flaccus, against Hannibal. At the opening of the of these exaggerations have found their way into
campaign he was the first to oppose the Carthaginian history from the funeral oration of Marcellus by
general, whom he found near Canusium; and in the his son, which we know to have been used as an
neighbourhood of that city, according to the Roman authority by some of the earlier' annalists. (Liv.
historians, there ensued three successive actions xxvii. 27.) Still more unfounded is the reputation
between the two armies. Of these the first was a he seems. to have obtained for clemency and hu