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

MARCIA OENS. MARCIANUrS.
curious tale are made elsewhere. [Vol. I. p. 648, B. c. 310. The only patrician family in this geuns,
b.] She continued to live with Hortensius till the as is remarked above, was that of CORIOLAN Us'
-death of the latter, in B. C. 50, after which she the names- of the plebeian families in the time of
returned to Cato, who left her behind in Rome, the republic are CENSORINUS, CRISPUs, FIGULUS,
placing his family and property under her care, Lino, PHILIPPUS, RALLA,REX, RUFUS, RUTILUS,
wheln he fled from the city with the rest of the SEPTIMUS, SERMO, TREMULUS. The only cognoaxristocratical party on Caesar's approach in B. C. 49. mens which occur on coins are Censorinus, Libo,
(Appian,-B. C. ii. 99; Plut. Cat. min. 25, 39, 52; Philippus. A few persons are mentioned without
Lucan, ii. 329, &c.) any surname: they are given under MARCIUS.
5. The wife of Fabius Maximus, the friend of MARCIA'NUS, emperor of the East (A. D.
Augustus, learnt from her husband the secret visit 450-457), was the son of an obscure but respectof the emperor to his grandson Agrippa, and in- able man, who had served in the imperial armies.
formed Livia of it, in consequence of which she He was born either in Thrace or in Illyricum,
became the cause of her husband's death, A. D. 13 about A. D. 391; and at an early age he entered
or 14. (Tac. Ann. i. 5.) We learn from Ovid the imperial army. Of his earlier history we are
PFast. vi. 802) that she belonged to the family of acquainted with a few trifling stories and adventhe Philippi. Her name also occurs in the epistle tures. His way to fortune was slow, for in 421,
which Ovid addressed to her husband (Ex Pont. at the age of thirty, he was still a common soldier,
i. 2). or, perhaps, a non-commissioned officer. Some years
6. The daughter of Cremutius Cordus, who was afterwards he attached himself to the famous
Tut to death in the reign of Tiberius, is sp3ken of general Aspar, and subsequently to his son Ardainlder CORDUS. [Vol. I. p. 851, b.] burius, as private secretary, obtaining, at the same
7. MARCIA FtYRNILLA, the second wife of the time, the office of captain of the guards. During
emperor. Titus, was divorced by her husband after fifteen, or perhaps nineteen years, he continued iii
the death of their daughter Julia. (Suet. Tit. 4.) the service of those eminent men, and found ample
Some commentators propose changing the name of opportunities for developing his military talents.
F ur-illa into Fulvia or Fulvilla, on the authority He accompanied Aspar in his unfortunate campaign
of a coin which bears the legend cIovAiLa ZECa-'4s. against Genseric, king of the Vandals in Africa, in
But the coin is of rather doubtful authority; and 431, when he was made a prisoner of war; but on
evenif it be genuine it may refer to Fulvia Plautilla, account of his reputation, and perhaps for services
the wife of Caracalla. It is very improbable that which history does not record, obtained his release,
a-coin should be struck in honour of a woman that and returned to Constantinople. His history
had been divorced, and that the title of Augusta during the following nineteen years is veiled in
should be-given to her. (Eckhel, vol. vii. p. 364.) obscurity; and it is only from subsequent events~
MA'RCIA. 1. The mistress of Quadratus, that we are allowed to conclude that he distinwho was slain by Conmmodus, became the favourite guished himself in no ordinary degree; for the
concubine of Commodus himself. From her he emperor, Theodosius the Younger, having died in
adopted the title of Amatzonizs. She was one of 450, his widow, the celebrated Pulcheria, offeredthe most active among the conspirators, who com- her hand and the imperial title to Marcian, onm
passed his destruction. She subsequently became condition that he would not prevent her from conthe wife of Eclectus, his chamberlain, also a con- tinuing the state of virginity which she had
spirator, and was eventually put to death by hitherto enjoyed; and Marcian, who was then
Julianus, along with Laetus, who also had been about sixty, consented to it gladly, and marriedactively engaged in the plot. We are told appa- the chaste empress, who was then above fifty.
rently by Xiphilinus, that -she was friendly to the At that time Marcian held the rank of tribune and
Christians, for whom, through her influence with senator; and- he was so favourably known among
the emperor, she procured many advantages. (Dion the people, that his elevation to supreme power
Cass. lxxii. 4, lxxiii. 16.) [COMMaODUS, ECLEC- was received by them with applause and demonTus, LAETUS, QUADRATUS.] strations of joy. His coronation took place on the
2. The first wife of Septimius Severus. She 24th of August, 450; and the whole transaction,
died before her husband became emperor; and as it seems, was so little premeditated, and was
after his elevation he erected statues to her memory. settled in so short a time, that Valentinian, the(See authorities on SEVERus..) [W. R.] emperor of Rome, was not even asked to give his
MA'RCIA GENS, originally patrician, after- consent, which he did, however, at a later period,:
wards plebeian-likewise. WVe also, but not so for he stood in great want of the assistance of a
frequently, find the name written Martius. This man- like Marcian, who, to military renown, acgens claimed to be descended from Ancus Marcius, quired in the war against the Vandals and Perthe fourth king of Rome (Suet. Caes. 6; Val. Max. sians, joined a kind disposition and accomplished
iv. 3. ~ 4; Ov. Fast. vi. 803); and hence one of diplomatic skill.
its- families subsequently assumed the name of Rex, Both the Eastern and the Western empire were
and the heads- of Numa Pompilius and Ancus then in great apprehension from the unbounded
Marcius were placed upon the coins of the gens. ambition and power of Attila, who had no sooner'
[See the coins under Ca-NSORINUS and PHILIPPUS.] heard of the election of Marcian than he despatched
But notwithstanding the claims to such high an- ambassadors to him, demanding, in an imperative'
tiquity made by the Marcii, no patricians of this tone, the tribute which the younger Theodosius
name, with the exception of Coriolanus, are men- had engaged to pay annually to the king of the
tioned in the early history of the republic, and it Huns. "I have iron for Attila," was the emwas not till'- after the enactment of the Licinian peror's stern answer, " but no gold." Upon this
laws that any member of the gens obtained the Apollonius was sent into Attila's camp to negotiate:
consulship. The first Marcius who reached this the continuance of peace, and was charged with
dignity was C.- Marcins Rutilus - Censorinus, in presents for the barbarian, which- he -was to deliver