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

MARCELLUS.- MARCELLUS. 935
The obsequies of Marcellus were celebrated with the questionable part he had acted on this occasion
the greatest magnificence by Augustus, who him- Marcellus at first incurred the resentment of
self pronounced the funeral oration over his re- Caesar, but was afterwards restored to favour.
mains, after which they. were deposited in the (Hirt. B. Aler. 57-64; Dion Cass. xlii. 15, 16.)
mausoleum lately erected for the Julian family. 19. M. CLAUDIUS, M. F. MARCELLUS AESERAt a subsequent period (B. C. 14) Augustus dedi- NINUs, consul in B. c. 22. (Dion Cass. liv. 1, and
cated in his name the magnificent theatre near the Arg.) Perhaps the same with the preceding. He
Forum Olitorium, of which the remains are still married Asinia, the daughter of C. Asinius Pollio,
visible. But the most durable monument to the who was consul in B. c. 40.
memory of Marcellus is to be found in the well- 20. M. CLAUDIUS, M. F. MARCELLUS AESERknown passage of Virgil, which must have been NINUS, son of the preceding. When a-boy he
composed and recited to Augustus and Octavia broke his leg while acting in the Trojan games
before the end of the year 22. (Dion Cass. liii. before Augustus, a circumstance of which his
30-32, liv. 26; Vell. Pat. ii. 93; Plut. Marc. grandfather, Asinius Pollio, complained so loudly
30; Suet. Oct. 63; Tac. Ann. i. 3, ii. 41, Hist. i. that the custom was abolished. (Suet. Oct. 43.)
1.5; Propert. iii. 18; Virg. Aen. vi. 860-886; He was trained with much care by his grandServ. ad Virg. 1. c.; Donat. Vit. Virg.) father in all kinds of oratorical exercises, and
16. M. CLAUDIUS MARCELLUS, called by Cicero, gave much promise as an orator. (Senec. Epit.
for distinction's sake, the father of Aeserninus. Controy. lib. iv. praef.) In A. D. 20 he was one of
(Brat. 36.) We have no account of his connection those whom Piso requested to undertake his dewith the main branch of the Marcelli, the family fence on the charge of having poisoned Germanicus,
of the conqueror of Syracuse: the pedigree, as but he declined the office. (Tac. Ann. iii. 11.)
made out by Drumann, though not in itself im- It is probable that ASINIUS MARCELLUS who
probable, is wholly without authority. He is first is mentioned by Tacitus (Ann. xiv. 40) as a
mentioned as serving under Marius in Gaul in great-grandson of Pollio, was a son of this AeserB. C. 102, when he bore an important part in the ninus.
defeat of the Teutones near Aquae Sextiae. (Plut. 21. P. CORNELIUS LENTULUS MARCELLINUS,
JxIarc. 20, 21.) In B. C. 90 his name occurs as was a son of No. 16, and brother of No. 17 (Cic.
one of the lieutenants of L. Julius Caesar ill the Brut. 36), who must have been adopted by some
Marsic war: and it appears that after the de- one of the Cornelii Lentuli, though we know not
feat of the consul by Vettius Cato, Marcellus threw by whom. (See Orell. Onom. Tull. p. 177.) He
himself, with a body of troops, into the strong is mentioned by Cicero (I. c.) as an orator of confortress of Aesernia in Samrnium, where he held siderable merit, and figures as one of the lieuteout for a considerable time, but was at length nants of Pompey in the war against the pirates,
compelled to surrender for want of provisions. B.c. 67. (Appian, Mit/sr. 95.) It appears that
(Appian, B. C. i. 40, 41; Liv. Epit. lxxiii.) It lie married a Cornelia, of the family of the Scipios.
is doubtless from some circumstance connected (Orell. I. e.)
withi this siege that his son derived the surname of 22. CN. CORNELIUS, P. F. LENTULUS MARAesenlinus. There is little doubt that it is this CELLINUS, son of the preceding. (Dion Cass. Arg.
M. Marcellus who appears as one of the judges in xxxix.) He is first mentioned as zealously supthe trial of P. Quintius, B. C. 81 (Cic. pro Quint. porting the cause of the Sicilians against Verresi
17), and to whom Cicero also alludes as having a while yet a young man, B. C. 70. (Cic. Div. in
deadly feud with the orator L. Crassus (pro Font. Caecil. 4, in Verr. ii. 42.) He next appears in
7). He was himself a speaker of no ordinary B. c. 61, as supporting his kinsman, L. Lentulus
merit. (Cic. Brut. 36.) Crus, in the accusation of Clodius, for violating the
17. M. CLAUDIUS, M. F. MARCELLUS AESER- mysteries of the Bona Dea. (Schol. Bob. ad Cic.
NINUS, is mentioned by Cicero as a young man at in Clod. p. 336, ed. Orell.) In B. c. 59 he held
the trial of Verres (B. C. 70), on which occasion he the office of praetor, and presided at the trial of
appeared as a witness. (Cic. Verr. iv. 42, where, C. Antonius, the colleague of Cicero. (Cic. in
however, several editions give his name as C. Mar- Vatin. 11; Orell. Onom. Tull. p. 177.) The folcellus.) lowing year he repaired to Syria, and administered
18. M. CLAUDIUS MARCELLUS AESERNINUS, that province for nearly two years, during which
quaestor in Spain in B. C. 48, under Q. Cassius his time was principally taken up with repressing
Longinus. Drumann supposes him to be a son of the predatory incursions of the neighbouring Arabs.
the preceding, with whom Orelli, on the contrary, (Appian, Syr. 51.) But he returned to Rome
regards him as identical. (Onomast. Tnllian.) soon enough to sue for the. consulship.at the elecCassius sent him with a body of troops to hold tions of the year 57, and was chosen for the enpossession of Corduba, on occasion of the mutiny suing year, together with L. Marcius Philippus.
and revolt excited in Spain by his own exactions. Before the close of the same year also he took a
But Marcellus quickly joined the mutineers, prominent part in favour of Cicero, after the return
though, whether voluntarily or by compulsion, is of the latter from exile, and exerted himself zeanot certain; and put himself at the head of all the lously and successfully to procure the restoration
troops assembled at Corduba, whom he retained in of his house and property. (Cic. ad Att. iv. 2, 3,
their fidelity to Caesar, at the same time that he ad Q. Fr. ii. 1, de Har. resp. i. 7.) During the
prepared to resist Cassius by force of arms. But year of his consulship (B.C. 56), Marcellinus opthough the two leaders, with their armies, were posed a vigorous resistance to the factious violence
for some time opposed to one another, Marcellus of Clodius and of the tribune C. Cato; and by his
avoided coming to a general engagement; and on conduct in this respect earned from Cicero the
the arrival soon after of the proconsul, M. Lepidus, praise of being one of the best consuls he had ever
he hastened to submit to his authority, and place seen. (Ad Q. Fr. ii. 6.) At the same time he
the legions under his command at his disposal. By endeavoured to check the ambition and restrain the
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