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

934 MARCELLUS. MARCELLUS.
Octavia. It was evidently to the influence of husband of Octavia; but Drumann has satisfactorily
Pompey, combined with that of his cousin M. shown that they relate to his cousin, the subject of
Marcellus, that he was indebted for his elevation the present article.
to the consulship at the comitia of the year 51; and 15. M. CLAUDIUS, C. F. C. W. MARCELLUS, son
during the year of his office he showed himself a of the preceding and of Octavia, the daughter of
zealous and uncompromising advocate of the party C. Octavius and sister of Augustus. He must have
hostile to Caesar. His measures were, however, been born in the year B. C. 43, and was a youth of
very much impeded by the opposition of his col- promising talents and engaging manners, having
league, L. Aemilius Paullus, as well as of the tribune been brought up with great care by his mother, a
C. Curio, both of whom, though previously hostile, woman of superior understanding, as well as of the
had been recently gained over by Caesar. The highest virtue. As early as B. C. 39 he was belatter is said to have endeavoured to corrupt Mar- trothed in marriage to the daughter of Sex. Pomcellus also, but to have found him inaccessible to pey, as one of the conditions of the peace concluded
bribes. (Appian, B. C. ii. 26.) On the 1st of in that year between Pompey and Octavian (Dion
March, B.. 50, Marcellus brought before the Cass. xlviii. 38); but the marriage never took
senate, as previously arranged, the question of place, as Pompey's death, in B. C..35, removed the
superseding Caesar in his command; but the in- occasion for it.
terposition of Curio prevented any conclusion being In B. C. 29 Augustus, on his return from Egypt,
come to at that time; and afterwards the illness distributed a congiarium, in the name of young
of Pompey and the elections for the ensuing year Marcellus, to the boys of the Roman populace
caused the question to be again postponed. The (id. ii. 21); and in B. C. 25 we find him, together
consul, however, succeeded in obtaining a decree of with Tiberius, presiding at the games and specthe senate for withdrawing from Caesar two of his tacles exhibited by Augustus at the foundation of
legions, under pretence that they.were wanted his new colony of Emerita in Spain. (Id. liii. 26.)
for the Parthian war; but as soon as the troops It was apparently' in the same year that Augustus
arrived in Italy they were detained at Capua, to adopted him as his son, at the same time that he'wait for further orders. Meanwhile, repeated dis- gave him his daughter Julia in marriage (Plut.
cussions took place in the senate in. regard to Ant. 87; Dion Cass. liii. 27), and caused him to
Caesar, Curio still insisting that if he was compelled be admitted into the senate with praetorian rank,
to resign his command, Pompey should do so too; and with the privilege of suing for the consulship
while Marcellus in vain endeavoured to force on a ten years before the legal period. Shortly afterdecree in pursuance of the views of himself and the wards (in B. C. 24), the young Marcellus was
more violent party. At length, a rumour having elected curule aedile for the ensuing year, and disarrived that Caesar was actually marching upon tinguished his magistracy by the magnificence of
Rome -with four legions, the consul once more took the games which he exhibited, on occasion of which
the opportunity to propose that Pompey should be the whole forum was covered over with an awning,
immediately placed at the head of the forces then as well as the theatres themselves, which were
in Italy; but having again failed in obtaining the hung with splendid tapestries. Augustus himself
consent of the senate, he took the extraordinary did every thing in his power to contribute to the
step of investing Pompey with the command by effect of this display, in which Octavia also bore
his own personal authority, supported only by that an important part. (Dion Cass. liii. 28, 31; Proof the two consuls elect, C. Marcellus and L. Len- pert. iii. 18. 13-20; Plin. H. N. xix. 1.) But
tulus., (Caes. B. G. viii. 54, 55; Dion Cass. xl. Marcellus was not destined to survive the year of,59-64; Appian, B. C. ii. 27-31; Plut. Pomp. this his first office: in the autumn of B. C. 23,
58, 59.) almost before the end of the games and shows, he
The violence with which Marcellus urged matters was attacked by the disease, of which he died
to a crisis at this time is strangely'contrasted with shortly after at Baiae, notwithstanding all the skill
his timidity and helplessness when the war had and care of the celebrated physician Antonius
actually broken out, and which exceeded, according Musa. He was in the 20th year of his age (Proto Cicero, that of all others of his party. He used pert. 1. c.), and was thought to have given so much
his utmost endeavours with Cicero to induce him promise of future excellence, that his deathl was
not to quit Italy, in order that he might himself mourned as a public calamity; and the grief of
have an excuse for remaining: but even when the Augustus, as well as that of his mother, Octavia,
orator reluctantly followed Pompey and the senate was for a time unbounded.
to Epeirus, Marcellus could not make up his mind On the'other hand, his untimely fate was so
to do the same; he remained in Italy; and pro- favourable to the views of Livia as to give rise to
bably, from this circumstance, coupled with his the suspicion, probably unfounded, that she had
relationship to Caesar, readily obtained the forgive- been the means of hastening it. (Dion Cass. liii.
ness of' the conqueror. Thus, in B. C. 47, he was 33.) The rising favour of Marcellus with Augustus
able to intercede with the dictator in favour of his had led to the general expectation that he would
cousin, M. Marcellus, who was then still in exile: name him his successor; and it is probable that
and at a later period we find him, enjoying, as the he would have done so had the life of the young
husband of Octavia, a place of high consideration. man been prolonged; but he evidently deemed
He is repeatedly' mentioned by Cicero in the year him as yet unequal to the charge; and in a severe
44, and must have lived till near the close of B. c. illness, which endangered his own life at the be41, as his widow, Octavia, was pregnant by him ginning of the year 23, Augustus had certainly
when betrothed to Antony in the following year. destined Agrippa to succeed to the management of'(Cic. ad Fam. iv. 4, 7, 11, ad Att. x. 15, xv. affairs in case of his death, a circumstance which
12, pro Marc. 4, 1 1, Phil. iii. 6; Dion Cass. xlviii. gave rise to great jealousy between the two, and to
31.) Orelli has referred many of these passages the temporary removal of Agrippa from Rome.
to C. Marcellus, M. f., whom he considers as the (Ibid. 31, 32.)