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

-526 PRISCUS. PRISCUS.
which was originally divided into eight books, mander of a legion in the war against Civilis, A. D.
according to Suidas. This is the most valuable 70. (Tac. Hist. iv. 79.)
account we have on Attila, and it is deeply to be PRISCUS, FULCI'NIUS. [FuLCINIUS.]
regretted that only fragments of it have come PRISCUS, HELVI'DIUS. 1. A legate of a
down to posterity: it was written after the death legion under T. Ummidius Quadratus, governor of
of Theodosius, which took place in A. D. 450. Syria, wassentbythelatteracrosstheTaurus, in A.D.
Priscus is an excellent and trustworthy historian, 52, in consequence of the disorders that had arisen
and his style is remarkably elegant and pure. through the conduct of Julius Pelignus, the governor
Suidas savs that he also wrote MeAEral P'Prroprcai, of Cappadocia (Tac. Ann. xii. 49). This Priscus
Declamaiiones Rhetoricae and Epistolae, which are must have been a different person from the celelost. Jornandes and Juvencus, the author of the brated Helvidius Priscus mentioned below, since
Life of Attila, borrowed largely from the History the latter did not obtain the quaestorship till the
of Priscus, whose name is often mentioned by reign of Nero, and the legates of the legions were
them, as well as by other Byzantine writers, as, usually chosen at that time from persons of higher
for instance, by Evagrius, who calls him rlarpica'os, rank in the state.
and by Theophanes, who calls him IleporKJd, both 2. The son-in-law of Thrasea Paetus, and, like
apparently mistakes or corruptions of the text. him, distinguished by his love of liberty, which he
The fragments of the History were first edited in at length sealed with his blood. He was born at
Greek by David Hoeschel, Augsburg, 1603, 4to; Tarracina*, and was the son of a certain Cluvius,
a Latin translation with notes, by Cantoclarus who had filled the post of chief centurion (primior Chanteclair, Paris, 1609, 8vo; the same re- pilus). His name shows that he was adopted by
pzi:ted together with the text, and revised by an Helvidius Priscus, perhaps by the Helvidius
Fabrot in the Paris edition of Exce-ptae (/e Leya- who is mentioned above. In his youth he devoted
tionibs, together with Dexippus, Menander, and himself with energy to the higher branches of study,
others; the same also in Labbe's Protrepticon, not, says Tacitus, to disguise an idle leisure under
Paris, 1648, fol. The latest and best edition, a pompous name, but in order to enter upon public
together with the other writers who have furnished duties with a mind fortified against misfortune.
the materials for the Excerpta de Lepaiiozibus, is, He chose as his teachers of philosophy those who
by Niebuhr, in the Bonn Collection of the Byzan- taught that nothing is good but what is honourable,
tines, 1829, 8vo. (Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vii. p. 539, nothing bad but what is disgraceful, and who did
540; Hanckius, de Script. Byzant.; Niebuhr's not reckon power, nobility, or any external things,
Notes on Priscus, in h:s edition mentioned above; either among blessings or evils. In other words he
Suidas, s. v. IlpiKeos IlavtirTs.) [W. P.] embraced with ardour the Stoic philosophy. So
PRISCUS, brother of the emperor Philippus T. distinguished did he become for his virtue and noHaving received the command of the Syrian bleness of soul, that when quaestor he was chosen
armies, by his intolerable oppression he gave rise by Thrasea Paetus as his son-in-law; and by this
to the rebellion of Iotapianus. [IOTAPIANUS.] connection he was still further strengthened in his
(Zosim. i. 18, 21.). [W. R.] love of liberty. He was quaestor in Achaia during
PRISCUS, a friend of the younger Pliny, who the reign of Nero, and by the way in which he dishas addressed several of his letters to him; one on charged the duties of his office, gained the love of
the death of Martial, another respecting the health the provincials. (Comp. Schol. ad Juv. v. 36.)
of Fannia, &c. (Ep. ii. 13, iii. 21, vi. 8, vii. 8, 19). Having obtained the tribuneship of the plebs in
Pliny himself nowhere in the letters mentions his A.D. 56, he exerted his influence to protect the poor
gentile name, but we find him called in the super- against the severe proceedings of Obultronius Sascription of one of the letters, Cornelius Priscozs: binus, the quaestor of the treasury. The name of
if this superscription is correct, he is probably the Priscus is not mentioned again for a few years.
same as the Cornelius Priscus, who was consul in His freedom of speech and love of independence
A.D. 93 [see below]. Some modern writers, could not prove pleasing to the court, and he, thereamong whom is Heineccius, thinks that the Priscus fore, was not advanced to any of the higher offices
to whom Pliny wrote is the same as the jurist Ne- of the state. It appears that he and his fatherratius Priscus, who lived under Trajan and Hadrian, in-law were even imprudent enough to celebrate in
and who was, therefore, a contemporary of Pliny. their houses republican festivals, and to coramemo[NERATIUS.] rate the birth-days of Brutus and Cassius.
PRISCUS, ANCHA'RIUS, accused Caesius "Quale coronati Thrasea Helvidiusque bibebant
Cordus, proconsul of Crete, of the crimes of repe- Brutorum et Cassii natalibus." (Juv. v. 36.)
tundae and majestas, in the reign of Tiberius, A. D.
21. (Tac. Ann. iii. 38, 70.) These proceedings reached the ears of the emperor;
PRISCUS, L. ATI'LIUS, consular tribune B. c. Thrasea was put to death [THRASEA], and Priscus
399 and 396, is spoken of under ATILInmS, No. 1. banished from Italy (A. D. 66). He retired with
The surname of Priscus is only given to him in the his wife, Fannia, to Apollonia in Macedonia, where
Capitoline Fasti. he remained till the death of Nero. He was rePRISCUS ATTALUS. [ATTALUS, p. 411.] called to Rome by Galba (A. D. 68), and one of
PRISCUS, T. CAESO'NIUS, a Roman eques, his first acts was to bring to trial Eprius Marcellus,
was appointed by Tiberius the minister of a new the accuser of his father-in-law; but as the sentioffice which he instituted, and which was styled a
voluptatibuso (Suet. Tib. 42.) * This statement depends only upon a correction
PRISCUS, CORNE'LIUS, consul, with Pom- of the text of Tacitus (Hist. iv. 5). Some manupeius Collega, in A. D. 93, the year in which Agri- scripts have Tarentium or Tarentinae municipio;
cola died. (Tac. Agr. 44.) See above PRIscus, but we find in the Florentine manuscript, Carecinae
the friend of Pliny. municipio, which has been altered, with much proPRISCUS, FA'BIUS, a legatus, the com- bability, into Tarracinae municil2io.