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

OPPIUS. OPTATUS. 39
11. L. OPPiUS, a Roman eques, was a witness probably struck in one of the provinces. (Eckhel,
on behalf of Flaccus, whom Cicero defended in vol. v. pp. 264, 265.)
a. c. 59. (Cic. pro Flacc. 13.) He is probably the
same as the L. Oppius, M. f., whom Cicero recommended to Quintius Gallius, and whom he calls
homo mii faamiliaris, and familiarissimus (ad Farm.
xiii. 43), and also the same as the L. Oppius,
whom Cicero recommended to Q. Philippus, proconsul in Asia, B.C. 54 (ad Fan. xiii. 73, 74).
12. P. or SP. OPPIUS, praetor, B. C. 44. (Cic.
P hilipp. iii. 10.)
13. M. OprPus, was proscribed together with
his father in B. c. 43. The father was unable to COIN OF Q. OPPIUS.
leave the city of his own accord on account of his
great feebleness through old age, but his son carried OPS, a female Roman divinity of plenty and
him on his shoulders and reached Sicily with him fertility, as is indicated by her name, which is
in safety. This instance of filial piety excited such connected with opimus, opulentus, inops, and copia.
admiration among the people, that he was after- (Fest. p. 186, &c. ed. Miller.) She was regarded
wards elected aedile; and as he had not sufficient as the wife of Saturnus, and, accordingly, as the
property to discharge the duties of the office, the protectress of every thing connected with agriculpeople contributed the requisite money for the pur- ture. Her abode was in the earth, and hence
pose, and on his death further testified their affec- those who invoked her, or made vows to her, used
tion towards him by burying him in the Campus to touch the ground (MLacrob. Sat. i. 10), and as
Martius. (Appian, B. C. iv. 41; Dion Cass. xlviii. she was believed to give to human beings both their
53.) He is often said to be the same as the M. place of abode and their food, newly-born children
Oppius, whom Cicero calls in a letter to Pompeius were recommended to her care. (August. de Civ.
(ad Alt. viii. 11, B) "vigilans homo et industrius," Dei, iv. 11, 21.) Her worship was intimately
but the modern editions have M. Eppius and not connected with that of her husband Saturnus, for
M. Oppius. she had both temples and festivals in common with
14. M. OPPIUS CAPITO, occurs on the coins of him; she had, however, also a separate sanctuary
M. Antonius, struck about B. C. 40, as propraetor on the Capitol, and in the vicus jugarius, not far
and praefectus classis. (Eckhel, vol. v. p. 264.) He from the temple of Saturnus, she had an altar in
may be the same as the Oppius Capito, a man of common with Ceres. (Liv. xxxix. 22; P. Vict.
praetorian rank, of whom Pliny (H. N. vii. 13. Req. Urb. viii.) The festivals of Ops are called
s. 15) relates that he had a scirrhus in his sto- Opalia and Opiconsivia, from her surname Conmach. siva, connected with the verb serere, to sow. (Fest.
15. OPPIUS CHARES, sometimes but erroneously 1. c.; Macrob. Sat. i. 10, 12.) [L,. S.]
called CARES, a Latin grammarian, who taught in O'PSIUS, had previously been praetor, and was
the province of Gallia togata towards the end of the one of the accusers of Titius Sabinus in A. D. 28,
republic, and continued his instructions to extreme on account of the friendship of the latter with Gerold age, when he had lost not only the power of manicus. (Tac. Ann. iv. 68, 71.)
movement, but even of sight. (Suet. de Ill. Gramnz. OPTATIANUS. [PORPHYRIUSj.
3.) This grammarian may be the Oppius, whose OPTA'TUS ELIPE'RTIUS, praefectus classis
work De Silvestribus Arboribus is referred to by in the reign of Claudius, brought the scar or char
Macrobius. (Saturn. ii. 14, 15.) Oppius is also fish (scari) from the Carpathian sea, and scattered
quoted by Festus (p. 182, ed. Miiller), in explan- them along the coasts of Latium and Campania.
ation of the meaning of the word ordinarius. For Elipertius Gelenius proposed to read'e libertis
16. OppIus GALLUS, whose scandalous treat- ejus. (Plin. H. IN. ix. 17. s. 29.) Macrobius calls
ment by M. Popilius is related by Valerius Maxi- this Optatus, Octavius. (Macrob. Saturn. ii. 12.)
mus (vii. 8. ~ 9). OPTA/TUS, bishop of Milevi in Numidia, and
17. OPPIUS STATIANUS, legate of M. Antonius hence distinguished by the epithet Milevitanus,
in his unfortunate campaign against the Parthians flourished under the emperors Valentinian and
in B. C. 36. When Antonius hastened forward to Valens, and must have been alive at least as late
besiege Phraata, he left Oppius with two legions as A. D. 384, if the passage (ii. 3) be genuine in
and the baggage to follow him; but Oppius was which mention is made of pope Siricius, who in
surprised by the enemy, and he and all his men that'year succeeded Damasus in the Roman see.
were cut to pieces. (Dion Cass. xlix. 25, 44; Of his personal history we know nothing except that
Plut. Ant. 38.) he was by birth a gentile, and that he is classed by
18. OPPIUS SABINUS, a man of consular rank, St. Augustine with Cyprian, Lactantius, Victorinus,
was sent against the Dacians in the reign of Domi- and Hilarius, as one who came forth from Egypt
tian, and perished in the expedition. (Eutrop. vii. (i.e. from the bondage of paganism) laden with
23; Suet. Dom. 6.) The name, however, does the treasures of learning and eloquence.
not occur in any of the consular fasti, whence He published a controversial treatise, still exsome have proposed to read Appius, instead of Op- tant, entitled De Schismate Donatistarum adversus
plus in Eutropius and Suetonius. Parmenianuum, comprised, as we gather from the
19. Q. OPP1us, known only from the annexed introduction and are expressly told by Jerome, in
coin, cannot be identified with certainty with any six books. Upon this testimony, which is fully
of the persons previously mentioned. The PR. after confirmed by internal evidence, the seventh book
the name of Q. OFPIvs may signify either praetor or now found in our copies has been deservedly propraefectus. The obverse represents the head of nounced spurious by the best judges, although
Venus, and the reverse Victory: the coin was some scholars still maintain that it ought to be reD 4