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

298 PHILO. PHIILO.
2. VOLERO PUBLILIUS P. F. VOLER. N. first instance in Roman history ill which a person
PHILO, consular tribune, B.C. 399. (Liv. v. 13; was invested with proconsular power. Philo sucFast. Capit.) ceeded in taking Palaepolis in the following year,
3. Q. PUBLILMUS Q. F. Q. N. PHILO, a distin- B. c. 326, in consequence of the treachery of two of
guished general in the Samnite wars, and the author its chief citizens, Charilaus and Nymphius, who
of one of the great reforms in the Roman consti- enticed the Samnite garrison out of the town, and
tution. He was consul B. C. 339, with Ti. Aemi- opened the gates to the Romans. Philo obtained
lius Mamercinus, and defeated the Latins, over a triumph on his return to Rome. (Liv. viii.
whom he triumphed. In the same year he was 22-26.)
appointed dictator by his colleague Aemilius Ma- In B. C. 320 Philo was consul a third time, with
mercinus, and, as such, proposed the celebrated L. Papirius Cursor. They were elected to the
Publiliae Leyes, which abolished the power of the consulship as being two of the most distinguished
patrician assembly of the curiae, and elevated the generals of their time, in consequence of the great
plebeians to an equality with the patricians for all defeat which the Romans had sustained in the
practical purposes. It would seem that great op- previous year near Caudium. Both consuls marched
position was expected from the patricians, and that into Samnium. Papirius, who had laid siege to
Philo was therefore raised to the dictatorship, that Luceria, was shut up in his fortified camp by the
the proposed reforms might be carried with the Samnite army, which had come to the relief of Luauthority of the highest magistracy in the state. ceria, and was reduced to great extremities. He
As he could not have been appointed dictator with- was, however, relieved from his difficulties by the
out the sanction of the senate, it has been inferred advance of the other army under Philo, who deby Niebuhr, with much probability, that the Pub- feated the Samnites and took their camp. (Liv. ix.
lilian laws were brought forward with the appro- 7, 13-15; comp. Niebuhr, Hist. of Rome, vol.
bation of the senate, which was opposed to the iii. p. 224, &c., who points out various improbanarrow-mindedness of the great body of the patri- bilities in Livy's account.)
cians. According to Livy (viii. 12) there were In B. C. 315 Philo was consul a fourth time, with
three Publilian laws. The first is said to have L. Papirius Cursor (Fast. Capit.; Diod. xix. 66).
enacted " that plebiscita should bind all Quirites" The consuls of this year are not mentioned by
(ut plebiscita onsees Quirites tenerent), which is to Livy, who simply says (ix. 22) that the new conthe same purpose as the subsequent lex Hortensia. suls remained at Rome, and that the war was conNiebuhr, however, supposes that the effect of the ducted by the dictator Q. Fabius.
lex Publilia was to render a senatusconsultmln a PHILO, VETU'RIUS. 1. L. VETURIUS L.
sufficient confirmation of a plebiscitum, and to make F. POST. N. PHII,O, was consul B. c. 220, with C
the confirmation of the curiae unnecessary; and Lutatius Catulus, two years before the commencethat the effect of the Lex Hortensia was to render un- ment of the second Punic war. The two consuls
necessary even the confirmation of the senate, and to are stated to have advanced as far as the Alps, and
give to tIle tributa comitia complete legislative force to have gained many people for the Romans;with(comp. Diet. of'Ant. s.V. Plebiscitum). The second out fighting; but we have no particulars of their
law enacted, " ut legum, quae comitiis centuriatis expedition. In the second year of the Punic war,
ferrentur, ante initum suffragium patres auctores B. C. 217, Philo was appointed dictator for the purfierent." By patres Livy here means the curiae, pose of holding the comitia, and in B. c. 210 he was
that is, the assembly of the patricians; and accord- censor with P. Licinius Crassus Dives, and died
ingly this law enacted that the curiae should con- while he held this office. (Zonar. viii. 20, p. 405,
firm (auctoresfieri; comp. Dict. ofAnt. s. v. Auctor) a.; Liv. xxii. 33, xxvii. 6).
the results of the votes respecting all lawvs brought 2. L. VETUrRIus L. F. L. N. PHII O, was curule
before the comitia centuriata, previous to the corm- aedile B.C. 210, and praetor B. c. 209, when he
mencement of the voting: in other words, the veto obtained the jurisdictio peregrina, and likewise
of the curiae in the enactment of laws by the cen- Cisalpine Gaul as his province. He remained
turiae, was abolished. The third law enacted that in Gaul as propraetor during the following year,
one of the two censors should necessarily be a B. C. 208, and next year, B. C. 207, he served
plebeian; and Niebuhr conjectures that there was under Claudius Nero and Livius Salinator, and
also a fourth law, which applied the Licinian law was sent to Rome along with Q. Caecilius Meto the praetorship as well as the consulship, and tellus to convey the joyful news of the defeat
which provided that in each alternate year the and death of Hasdrubal. It was mainly owing
praetor should be a plebeian. (Comp. Niebuhr, to his services in this war that he was elected
flist. of Rom2e, vol. iii. pp. 146, &c., 154, 418, consul in B. C. 207, with Q. Caecilius Metellus,
&c.; Arnold, Hist. of Rome, vol. ii. p. 154, &c.) who had shared with him in the glories of the
In B. C. 337 Philo was the first plebeian praetor; campaign. The two consuls received Bruttii as
in B. C. 335 he was magister equitum to the dictator their province, inl order to prosecute the war
L. Aemilius Matmercinus; and in B. C. 332 he was against Hannibal; but their year of office passed by
censor with Sp. Postumius Albinus: during this without any important occurrence, and Philo recensorship the Maecian and Scaptian tribes were turned to Rome to hold the comitia, while his coladded, and the Ronman franchise was given to the league remained in Bruttii. In B. c. 205 Philo was
Acerrani. (Liv. viii. 15-17; Vell. Pat. i. 14.) magister equitum to his former colleague Metellus,
Inl B.C. 327 Philo was consul a second time, who was nominated dictator for the purpose of
with L. Cornelius Lentulus. He was sent against holding the comitia. Finally he accompanied Scipio
Palaepolis in southern Italy, to which he laid siege; to Africa, and after the battle of Zama, B. C. 202,
bhrt as he was unable to take the town before the was sent to Rome to announce the glorious news of
expiration of his year of office, his imperium was the defeat of Hannibal. (Liv. xxvii. 6, 7, 22,
prolonged, with the title of proconsul, by means of xxviii. 9-11l, 33, xxix. 11, xxx. 38, 40; Cic.
a senatusconsulttum and a plebiscitum: this is the |iBrit. 11.)