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

1268 VIRGINIA. VIRGINIA.
with notes. The editions, translations, commen- evening. Virginius immediately obtained leave
taries, and essays on Virgil form an enormous mass of absence, and was already on his way to Rome,
of literature, iu which the poet is rather buried when the messenger of Appius arrived, instructing
than embalmed. [G. L.] his colleagues to detain him.
VIRGUNIA. 1. The daughter of L. VIrgi- Early next morning Virginins and his daughter
nius, a brave centurion, the attempt made upon came into the forum with their garments rent,
whose chastity by App. Claudius was the imme- The father appealed to the people for aid, warning
diate cause of the downfall of the Decemvirs, who them that all were involved in a like calamity.
had in violation of law continued in possession of Icilius spoke still more vehemently; and the
their power at the beginning of B. c. 449. The women in their company sobbed aloud. But, instory ran that Virginia was a beautiful and inmo- tent upon the gratification of his lust, Appius cared
cent girl, betrothed to L. Icilius, who had ren- nought for the misery of the father and the girl.
dered his tribuneship memorable by his law which He came into the forum attended by a great train
assigned the Aventine to the plebeians. The of clients, and took his seat upon the tribunal.
maiden had attracted the notice of the decemvir M. Claudius renewed his claim. Appius hastened
App. Claudius. He at first tried bribes and al- to give sentence, by which he consigned the maiden
lurements; but when these failed, he had recourse to the party who claimed her as his slave, until a
to an outrageous act of tyranny, which he could judge should decide the matter. M. Claudius
perpetrate with all the greater ease, as her father stept forward to take possession of the maiden, but
was absent from Rome, serving with the Roman was driven back by the people. Thereupon Aparmy on Mount Algidus. One morning, as Vir- pius, who had brought with him to the forum a
ginia, attended by her nurse, was on her way to large body of armed patricians and their clients,
her school, which was in one of the booths round ordered his lictors to disperse the mob. The
the forum, M. Claudius, a client of Appius, laid people drew back in affright, leaving Virginius and
hold of the damsel and claimed her as his slave. his daughter alone before the judgment-seat. All
The cry of the nurse for help brought a crowd help was gone. The unhappy father then prayed
around them; but M. Claudius said that he did the decemvir to be allowed to speak one word to
not mean to use violence, and that he would bring the nurse in his daughter's hearing, in order to
the case before App. Claudius for decision. All ascertain whether she was really his daughter.
parties went accordingly before the decemvir. The request was granted; Virginius drew them
In his presence Marcus repeated the tale he had both aside, and snatching up a butcher's knife from
learnt, asserting, that Virginia was the child of one one of the stalls, plunged it in his daughter's
of his female slaves, and had been imposed upon the breast, exclaiming, "There is no way but this to
reputed father by his wife, who was childless. keep thee free." In vain did Appius call out to
He further stated that he would prove this to stop him. The crowd made way for him, and
Virginius, as soon as he returned to Rome, and he holding his bloody knife on high, he rushed to the
demanded that the girl should meantime be handed gate of the city, and hastened to the Roman camp.
over to his custody as his slave. The friends of The result is known. Both camp and city rose
the maiden, on the other hand, pleaded that by against the decemvirs, who were deprived of their
the old law, which had been re-enacted in the power, and the old form of government was restored.
Twelve Tables, it was provided that every person L. Virginius was the first who was elected tribune,
who was reputed to be free, and whom another and he hastened to take revenge upon his cruel
claimed as his slave, was to continue in possession enemy. By his orders Appius was dragged to prison
of his rights, till the judge declared him to be a to await his trial, and he there put an end to his
slave, though he was bound to give security for his own life in order to avoid a more ignominious death.
appearance in court. They therefore offered to M. Claudius, who had claimed the maiden as his
give security for the maiden, and begged the de- slave, was condemned to death, but Virginius himcemvir to postpone his judgment till her father self did not allow the last sentence of the law to
could be fetched from the camp. Appius, however, be carried into effect, but permitted him to go into
replied that the girl could not in any case be free; exile. (Liv. iii. 44-58; Dionys. xi. 28-46;
that she must belong either to her father or her Val. Max. vi. 1. ~ 2.) Cicero in one passage calls
master, and that as her father was absent, -he ad- the father Decimus Virginius (de Rep. ii. 37), but
judged her to the custody of M. Claudius, who in another passage he gives him the praenomen
was to give sureties to bring her before his judg- Lucius, in conformity with the other ancient writers,
ment-seat when the case should be tried. At this (de Fin. ii. 20).
unjust sentence the crowd exhibited signs of the 2. The daughter of Aulus, was a patrician by
greatest indignation. P. Numitorius, the maiden's birth, but married to the plebeian L. Volumnius
uncle, and Icilius, to whom she was betrothed, Flamma, who was consul in B. C. 307 and 296.
spoke so loudly against the sentence, that the mul- In consequence of her marriage the patrician women
titude began to be roused. Appius, fearing a riot, excluded her from the worship of the goddess
said that he would let the cause stand over till the Pudicitia, and she thereupon dedicated a chapel to
next day; but that then, whether her father ap- the plebeian Pudicitia. (Liv. x. 23.)
peared or not, he should know how to maintain VIRGI'NIA or VERGI'NIA GENS, patrithe laws and to give judgment according to justice. cian and plebeian. Verginius is usually found in
The greatest exertions, however, were necessary MSS. and inscriptions, but modern editors geneto bring Virginius to the city, lest Appius should rally adopt the other orthography, Virginius. The
have detained him in the camp. Accordingly, patrician branch of the gens was of great antiquity,
while Appius was kept in court receiving bail for and frequently filled the highest honours of the
the appearance of Virginia on the following day, state during the early years of the republic. They
two of the friends of the family made all haste to all bore the cognomen of TRIcosTUs, but were
time camp. They reached the camp the same divided into various families with the surnames of