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

MAURICIUS. MAURICIUS. -975
gard her as a marine divinity. (Plut. Camill. 5; Maurice spent his youth at the court of the emlOv. Fast. vi. 551, &c.; Cic. De Nat. Deor. iii. 19, peror Justin II.; and although he undoubtedly
T7scu2. i. 12.) A temple had been dedicated to served also in the army, his name does not become
Matuta at Rome by king Servius, and was restored conspicuous in history previous to 578. At that
by the dictator, Camillus, after the taking of Veii. period he was comes cubiculorum; and Tiberius
(Liv. v. 19, 23, xxv. 7, xli. 33.) Frequent men- had no sooner succeeded Justin (578) than he aption of a temple of Matuta at Satricum is made by pointed Maurice magister militum, and gave him
livy (vi. 33, vii. 27, xxviii. 11). [L. S.] the command in Mesopotamia against the Persians,
MAVORS. [MARS.] in place of the general Justinian, with whose
MAVO'RTIUS, the name prefixed to a poem military conduct the emperor was not satisfied.
in the Latin Anthology on the judgment of Paris. As Tiberius was considered to be the greatest
It is a cento from the writings of Virgil, and breaks captain of his time, he would not have entrusted so
off abruptly at the end of 42 lines. The author is important a command to an inexperienced courtier,
believed to be the Vettius Agorius Basilius Ma- and consequently one cannot but infer that he was
vortius, who was consul A. D. 527, the same who, perfectly acquainted with the great capabilities of
according to Bentley, arranged the works of Horace Maurice. The event fully justified the emperor's
in their present form, and who is supposed by a choice. A truce of three years had been made berecent critic, whose reasonings will not bear close tween Persia and the empire, extending to the
investigation, to have interpolated a number of whole of the frontier except Armenia, where war
spurious pieces, and introduced other organic was carried on as before. But Chosroes violated
changes. (Burmann, Antholog. Lat. i. 147, or No. the truce, and invaded Mesopotamia before the
282, ed. Meyer; Bentley, Praef. in Horat.; Peerl- Romans were at all aware of his hostile intentions.
kamp, Praef: ad Horat.) [W. R.] At this critical moment Maurice arrived in MesoMAURICIA'NUS,JU'NIUS, a Roman jurist, potamia, and forthwith began by restoring the
who wrote, according to the Florentine Index, six relaxed discipline of the troops: one of his first
books, Ad Leges, by which is meant Ad Leg. measures was the re-establishment of the ancient
Juliam et Papiam (Dig. 33. tit. 2. s. 23). The custom of the legions never going to rest at night
passage just cited shows that he was writing this before fortifying their camp. This custom had long
work in the time of Antoninus Pius (A. D. 138- since been neglected; and the favourite manoeuvre
161). There is one passage in the Digest from the of the Persians of surprising the Romans in' the
second book of Mauricianus De Poenis (2. tit. 13. night was thus rendered abortive.' At the opening
s. 3), which work is not mentioned in the Florentine of the campaign, however, the Persian general,
Index. He also wrote notes on Julianus (2. tit. 14. Tamchosroes, made himself- master of the ims.. 7. ~ 2; 7. tit. 1. s. 25. ~ 1), but in place of Mau- portant fortress of Thomane, and pushed as far as
ricianus some manuscripts have Martianus or Mar- Amida. Maurice soon drove him back, and in his
cianus in the two passages just cited. Mauricianus turn invaded the province of Arzanene, sending
is sometimes cited by other jurists. There are four some detachments beyond the Tigris. The first
excerpts from his writings in the Digest. [G. L.] campaign ended without any decisive battle. In
MAURI'CIUS, according to Capitolinus (Gor- the second campaign, 579, Maurice and his exceldian. tres, c. 7), was the name of the youth who lent lieutenant Narses-who must not be conheaded the conspiracy in Africa against Maximinus founded with Narses, the general of JustinianI. [MAXIMINUS], and proposed the elevation of the made a successful invasion of Media, and took up
proconsul, Gordian, and his son. [W. R.] their winter-quarters in Mesopotamia. In 580 he
MAURI'CIUS (MavplKcos), FLA'VIUS TI- crossed the Euphrates at Circesium (Circessus or
BE'RlUS, one of the greatest emperors of Con- Cercusium), a town situated in the angle made by
stantinople (A. D. 582-620), was descended from the Chaboras joining the Euphrates, with a view of
an ancient Roman family which settled in Asia marching across the desert upon Ctesiphon. His
Minor, perhaps some centuries previous to his plan was frustrated through the treachery of some
birth, which took place about A. D. 539, in the Arab allies, and he found himself unexpectedly
town of Arabissus, in Cappadocia. We give the compelled to make head against the main army of
genealogy of his family so far as it is known:- the Persians. The contest was sharp, and ended
with a total overthrow of the Persians, who eva..
Paulus, a native of Arabissus; a man of cuated whatever
talent and rank, raised still higher by cuated whatever places they held in Mesopotamia,
his son the emperor Maurice; m. Jo- and fled in confusion beyond the Euphrates. Now
1.I 5. Pets~us, duo'Chosroes offered peace, but Maurice peremptorily
l.Maulricius, 2.Pet.us,dux 3. Gordiana, 4.Theo- 5.Daliana. demanded the restoration of the great fortress of
emperor; hraciaeatsd m. Philip- etista. Dara, the bulwark of the empire, declining to acb. 559; Curopalata; Pus, or
succeeded murdered Philppicus, cept any indemnity in money, and the war was
Tiberius 682; by Phocas duX.murdered 602. Orientis. renewed with more fury than before (581). A
byoPhocas pitched battle, in which the Persian army was
Constantina, almost annihilated, and their commander, Tameldest
daughter of chosroes, died the death of a hero, concluded the
Tiburderius war, to the advantage of the Romans, and Maurice
60Pdhoere b hastened to Constantinople to surprise the emperor
605 or 607a
45I or 607. and'the nation with the welcome news that the./ heodosius 2' I' I'I most dangerous enemy of Greece was humbled,
1. Theodosius 2. Tiberius. 7. Anastasia. 10. Sopa- it. Maria,
Augustus, 3. Petrus. 8. Theo- tra. said to have and peace restored to the East. This was more
b. 585'; m. 4. Paulus. ctista. mar eriedx and Maurice
daughter of 5. Justinus. 9. Cleopatrae Hormisdas, than what even ierus
Gerinanus 6. Justinia- Althree king of having gained universal popularity by his brilliant
Patriius; nus? murdered by Persia,whiich
murdered by All five Phocas. is more victories, the emperor invited him to enter Conby Phocas. doubtful. stantinople in triumph (582),
by P~hocas. doabeful. i