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

6 CTAVIIS. OCTAVIUS.
family. In consequence of the intermarriages in sacrorum. He was praetor in B.C. 168, and had
this family, part of this stemma repeats a portion as his province the command of the fleet in the war
of the stemma in Vol. I. p. 430, and also of the against Perseus. After the defeat of Persens at
stemma of the Drusi given in Vol. I. p. 1076; Pydna, by the consul Aemilius Paullus, Octavills
but it is thought better for the sake of clearness sailed to Samothrace, where the king had taken
to make this repetition. refuge. Perseus surrendered himself to Octavius,
There are a few other persons of the name of who thereupon conducted him to the consul at
Octavii, who were not descended from Cn. Octavius Amphipolis. In the following year, 167, Octavius
Rufus, or whose descent cannot be tIaced. Most sailed to Rome with the booty which had been
of them bore cognomens under which they are gained in the war, and on the 1st of December, in
given, namely, BALBUS, LIGUR, 5IARsus, NASO: that year, he obtained the honour of a naval
those who have no cognomens are given under triumph. (Liv. xliii. 17, xliv. 17, 18, 21, 35, xlv.
Octavius after the descendants of Cnu. Octavius 5, 6, 33; Polyb. xxviii. 3, 5; Vell. Pat. i. 9;
Ruffis. Plut. Aemil. Paull. 26; Plin. H.N. xxxiv. 3. s. 7;
OCTAVIA'NUS. [AUGUSTUS.] Festus, s. v. Octaviae.)
OCTAVIUS. 1. CN. OCTAVIUS RUFUS, quaes- The wealth which Octavius had obtained in
tor about B. C. 230, may be regarded as the founder Greece enabled him to live in great splendour on
of the family. [OCTAvIA GENS.] Suetonius calls his return to Rome. He built a magnificent house
him Caius; but this is probably a mistake, as on the Palatine, which, according to Cicero (de OIf.
Drumann has remarked, since the name of his i. 39), contributed to his election to the consulship,
eldest son was Cneius, and it was the rule among and he also erected a beautiful porticus, which is
the Romans for the eldest son to inherit the prae- spoken of below. He was consul with T. Manlius
nomen of his father. (Suet. Aug. 2.) Torquatus in B. C. 165, being the first member of
2. CN. OCTAVIUS, son of the preceding, was his family who obtained this dignity. In B. C. 162
plebeian aedile in B. C. 206 with Sp. Lucretius, and Octavius was sent with two colleagues into Syria,
was with him elected to the praetorship for the which was in a state of great confusion in consefollowing year, B. C. 205. Octavius obtained Sar- quence of the contentions for the guardianship of
dinia as his province, and captured off the island the young king Antiochus V.; and the Romans
eighty Carthaginian ships of burden. In the fol- therefore considered it a favourable opportunity for
lowing year, B. C. 204, he handed over the pro- enforcing the terms of the peace made with Anvince to his successor Tib. Claudius, but his impe- tiochus the Great, by which the Syrian monarchs
rium was extended for another year, and he was were prevented from having a fleet and rearing
commanded by the senate to keep watch over the elephants. But this embassy cost Octavius his
coasts in those parts with a fleet of forty ships. He life, for he was assassinated in the gymnasium at
was also employed in this year in carrying to the Laodiceia, by a Syrian Greek of the name of LepRoman army in Africa supplies of provisions and tines, at the instigation, as was supposed, of Lysias,
clothes. Next year, B. C. 203, his command was the guardian of the young king. [LEPTINrES.] A
again prolonged, and the protection of the coasts of statue of Octavius was placed on the rostra at
Sardinia was again entrusted to him; and while Rome, where it was in the time of Cicero. (Terent.
he was employed, as he had been in the preceding Iecy/r. titul.; Cic. de Fin. i. 7, Pkilirpp. ix. 2;
year, in carrying supplies to Africa, he was sur- Obsequ. 72; Polyb. xxxi. 12, 13,' 19-21; Apprised off the coast of Africa by a fearful storm, pian, ~Sr. 46; Plin. H. N. xxxiv. 6. s. ] 1, who
which destroyed the greater part of his fleet, con- confounds the last embassy of Octavius with a
sisting of 200 transport vessels and 30 ships of different one: comp. LAENAS, No. 5.)
war. Octavius himself, with the ships of wvar, ob- The porticns erected by Cn. Octavius was called
tained shelter under the promontory of Apollo. Porticuns Oclacvia, and must be carefully distinOctavius was present at the battle of Zamna, ill B.C. guished from the Porticus Octaviae, built by Au202, and Scipio placed so much confidence in him gustus in the name of his sister. [OCTAVIA, No. 2.1
that he commanded him after the battle to march The former was near the theatre of Pompey, by
upon Carthage with the land forces, while he him- the Flaminian circus. It contained two rows of
self blockaded the harbour with the fleet. In columns of the Corinthian order with brazen capiB. C. 201 Octavius returned w ith part of the fleet tals, and was hence also called the Porticus Corinto Italy, and handed over to the propraetor, M. thia. It was rebuilt by Augustus, who allowed
Valerius Laevinus, thirty-eighlt ships for the pro- it to retain its ancient name, but it appears to have
secution of the war against Philip of Macedon. been destroyed, or to have perished in some way,
But he was not long allowed to remain inactive. before the time of Pliny, as he speaks of it only
In B. C. 200 he was sent into Afirica as one of the from what he had read. (Vell. Pat. ii. 1; Festus,
three ambassadors to Cartlhage, Aasinissa, and s. v. Octaviae; Plin. -I. N. xxxiv. 3. s. 7; *1OllnVermina, the son of Syphax. In B. c. 194 he was msentumr Ancyralmnuz, p. 32. 1. 43, &c., ed. Franzius,
one of the commissioners for founding a colony at Berol. 1845; Miiller, Praefatio ad Festeum, p.
Croton in Southern Italy, and two years after- xxix.; Becker, R'mnisc/s. Alterthilln. vol. i. p.
wards, B.C. 192, just before the breaking out of 617.)
the war with Antiochus the Great, hie was sent 4. CN. OCTAVIUS, son of No. 3, was consul B. c.
into Greece in order to support the Roman interests 128, and was accustomed to speak in the courts of
in those parts. (Liv. xxviii. 38, 46, xxix. 13, 36, justice. (Cic. de Orat. i. 36.)
xxx. 2, 24, 36, xxxi. 3, 11, xxxiv. 45, xxxv. 23, 5. M. OCTAVIUS, may be, as Drumann has
xxxvi. 16.) stated, a younger son of No. 3, so far as the time
3. CN. OCTAVIUS, son of No. 2. In the winter at which he lived is concerned, but no ancient
of B. C. 170 he was sent into Greece as ambassador, writer speaks of him as his son. It would appear
with C. Popillius Laenas, and on his return to from Obsequens (c. ] 30) that he bore the surname
Romle in 169, he was elected one of the decemlviri of Caecina, but the readi;ig is perllhps faulty. iHe