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

952 MARIUS. MARIUS.
abridged, and of which he gives a short analysis Still, whatever may have been the exact con(De Libris Pspriis, c. 3, vol. xix. p. 25). Galen'dition of the Marian family, it was certainly one of
frequently mentions him in terms of commendation, no importance. Marius was born at a time when
and says he was one of the restorers of anatomical a large number of the Roman aristocracy, of whom
science (De Hippocr. et Plat. Deer. viii. 1, vol. v. the Scipios may be regarded as the type, were inp. 650). He appears also to have written a com- troducing into Rome a taste for Greek literature,
mentary on the aphorisms of Hippocrates, which is refinement, and art. These innovations were
twice quoted by Galen (Comment. in Hippocr. strongly resisted by the elder Cato and the friends
"4Aphor." vii. 13, 54, vol. xviii. pt. i. pp. 113, 163). of the old Roman habits and mode of life, as
It is uncertain whether this anatomist is the having a tendency to corrupt and degrade the
same person as the Postumius Marinus, the phy- Roman character. If the father of Marius was
sician to the younger Pliny (Plin. Epist. x. 6); not a poor man, he certainly belonged to the oldand also whether he is the person whose medical fashioned party, and accordingly brought up his
formulae are quoted by Andromachus (Galen, De son in his native village, in ignorance of the Greek
Compos. 1/Jedicam. sec. Locos, vii. 2, vol. xiii. p. language and literature, and with a perfect con25) and Avicenna (Canon, v. 1, 8. p. 306, ed. tempt for the new-fangled habits and opinions
1595). [W. A. G.] which characterised the politer society of Rome.
MARION (Maplwv), tyrant of Tyre, which po- Marius thus grew up with the distinguishing
sition he obtained through the favour of Cassius, virtues and vices of the old Sabine character. He
when the latter. was in Syria, B. C. 43. Having was characterised at first by great integrity and
invaded Galilee, he made himself master of three industry; he had a perfect command over his pasforts in that country, but was again expelled from sions and desires, and was moderate in all his exit by Herod. (Joseph. Ant. xiv. 12. ~ ], B. J. i. penses; he possessed the stern and severe virtues
12. ~ 2.) [E. H. B.] of an ancient Roman, and if he had lived in earlier
MA'RIUS. 1. C. MARIUS, was born in B. C. times, would have refused, like Fabricius, the gold
157, at the village of Cereatae*, near Arpinum. of Pyrrhus, or have sacrificed his life, like Decius,
His father's name was C. Marius, and his mother's to save his country. But, cast as he was in an
Fulcinia; and the family, according to the almost age of growing licentiousness and corruption, the
concurrent voice of antiquity, was in very humble old Roman virtues degenerated into vices; love
circumstances. His parents, as well as Marius of country became love of self; patriotism, amhimself, are said to have been the clients of the bition; sternness of character produced cruelty,
noble plebeian house of the Herennii. So indigent, and personal integrity unmitigated contempt for
indeed, is the family represented to have been the corruption of his contemporaries. The character
from which the future saviour of Rome arose, that of Marius needed, above that of most men, the
young Marius is stated to have worked as a com- humanizing influences of literature and art, and
mon peasant for wages, before he entered the ranks there is much truth in the remark of Plutarch
of the Roman army (comp. Juv. viii. 246; Plin. (A'Iar. 2), " that if Marius could have been perH. N. xxxiii. 11; Aurel. Vict. Caes. 33). But suaded to sacrifice to the Grecian muses and graces,
although Marius undoubtedly sprang from an ob- he would never have terminated a most illustrious
scure family, yet it seems probable that his imme- career in an old age of cruelty and ferocity."
diate ancestors could not have been in such mean Marius first served in Spain, and was present at
circumstances as is usually represented. From his the siege of Numantia in B. C. 134. Here he disfirst entrance into public life, Marius never seems tinguished himself so much by his courage and his
to have been in want of money, and'it is difficult readiness to submit to the severer discipline which
to imagine how he could have acquired it so early, Scipio Africanus introduced into the army, that he
except by inheritance from his family. In ad- attracted the notice of this great general, and redition to which, his marriage with Julia, the aunt ceived from him many marks of honour. Scipio,
of the celebrated Julius Caesar, throws discredit indeed, even admitted him to his table; and on a
upon the common stories about his origin; as it is certain occasion, when one of the guests asked
unlikely that such an ancient patrician family Scipio where the Roman people would find such
should have given their daughter to one who had another general after his death, he is related to
been a labourer in the fields. There is, on the con- have laid his hand on the shoulder of Marius and
trary, no difficulty in understanding how these said, " Perhaps here." The military genius of
stories should have arisen. The Roman nobles Marius must have been very conspicuous to have
would naturally upbraid the aspirant to the higher called forth such a remark from the conqueror of
dignities of the state with his mean and lowvly Carthage and Numantia, and his natural abilities
birth; and the latter,'instead of betraying that for war were no doubt greatly improved by the
weakness on this point which has often' charac- experience he obtained under so great a master of
terized men who have risen from humble life, never the art. It happened strangely enough that Juattempted to deny the fact, but rather made it a gurtha, who was afterwards to measure his abilities
glory and a boast, that mean as' was his origin he against Marius, was serving at the same time with
could excel his high-born adversaries in virtue, equal distinction in the Roman army.
ability, and courage. At the same time we can The name of Marius does not occur again in
hardly give credit to the statement of Velleius history for the space of fifteen years, of the wars
Paterculus (ii. 11) that Marius was of an equestrian of which period, however, we have very little infamily (nates equestri loco); and we ought pro- formation. He doubtless continued to serve in the
bably to read agresti in this passage, instead of army, was unanimously elected military tribune by
equestri. all the tribes, and became so much distinguished
that he was at length raised to the tribunate of the
* Plutarch (Mar. 3) calls the village Cirrhaeaton, plebs, in B. c. 119, but not until he had attained the
but this is undoubtedly a corruption of Cereatae. age of thirty-eight years. Plutarch tells us (allcr. 4)