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

PRISCUJS. PRISCUS. 527
ments of Galba were doubtful, he dropped the accu- the enemies of Priscus to issue the fatal mandate;
sation. On the murder of Galba at the beginning for shortly afterwards he sent messengers to recall
of the following year (A. D. 69), he obtained from the executioners; and his life would have been
Otho the corpse of the emperor, and took care that saved, had it not been for the false report that he
it was buried (Plut. Galb. 28). In the course of had already perished. The life of Priscus was
the same year he was nominated praetor for the written by Herennius Senecio at the request of his
next year, and as praetor elect ventured to oppose widow Fannia; and the tyrant Domitian, in conVitellius in the senate. After the death of Vitellius sequence of this work, subsequently put Senecio to
ill December, A. D. 69, Priscus again attacked his death, and sent Fannia into exile for the third
old enemy Eprius Marcellus. The contest between time. Priscus left a son, who is called simply
them arose respecting the manner in which the am- JHelvidius, without any surname, and is therefore
bassadors were to be chosen who were to be sent spoken of under HELVIDIUS. (Tac. 4nn. xiii. 28,
to Vespasian; Priscus maintaining that they should xvi. 28, 33, 35, Hist. ii. 91, iv. 5-9, 43, 44, Agric.
be appointed by the magistrates, Marcellus that 2, Dial. de Orat. 5; Dion Cass. lxv. 7, lxvi. 12,
they should be chosen by lot, fearing that if the lxvii. 13; Suet. Vesp. 15; Plin. Ep. vii. 19.)
former method were adopted he might not be ap- PRISCUS, JAVOLE'NUS. [JAVOLENUS.]
pointed, and might thus appear to have received PRISCUS, JU'LIUS, a centurion, was apsome disgrace. Marcellus carried his point on this pointed by Vitellius (A. D. 69) praefect of the
occasion. Priscus accused him, shortly afterwards, praetorian guards on the recommendation of Fabius
of having been one of the informers under Nero, Valens. When news arrived that the army, which
but he was acquitted, in consequence of the support had espoused the side of Vespasian, was marching
which he received from Mucianus and Domitian. upon Rome, Julius Priscus was sent with Alphenus
Although Vespasian was now emperor, and no Varus at the head of fourteen praetorian cohorts
one was left to dispute the throne with him, and all the squadrons of cavalry to take possession
Priscus did not worship the rising sun. During of the passes of the Apennines, but he and Varus
Vespasian's continued absence in the East, Priscus, disgracefully deserted their post and returned to
who was now praetor (A. D. 70), opposed various Rome. After the death of Vitellius, Priscus put
measures which had been brought forward by an end to his life, more, says Tacitus, through shame
others with a view of pleasing the emperor. Thus than necessity. (Tac. Hist. ii. 92, iii. 55, 61, iv.
he maintained that the retrenchments in the public 11.)
expences, which were rendered necessary by the PRISCUS, JU'NIUS, praetor in the reign of
exhausted state of the treasury, ought to be made Caligula, was put to death by this emperor on acby the senate, and not left to the emperor, as the count of his wealth, though accused as a pretext of
consul elect had proposed; and he also brought other crimes. (Dion Cass. lix. 18.)
forward a motion in the senate that the Capitol PRISCUS, C. LUTO'RIUS, a Roman eques,
should be rebuilt at the public cost, and only with composed a poem on the death of Germanicus,
assistance from Vespasian. It may be mentioned, which obtained great celebrity, and for which he
in passing, that later in the year Priscus, as praetor, was liberally paid by Tiberius. When Drusus fell
dedicated the spot on which the Capitol was to be ill, in A. D. 21, Priscus composed another poem on
built. (Tac. Hist. iv. 53.) On the arrival of the his death, anticipating, if he died, a still more
enmperor at Rome, Priscus was the only person who handsome present from the emperor, as Drusus
saluted him by his private name of Vespasian; was his own son, while Germanicus had been only
and, not content with omitting his name in all the his son by adoption. Priscus was led by his
edicts which he published as praetor, he attacked vanity to recite this poem in a private house in
both the person and the office of the emperor. presence of a distinguished company of women of
Such conduct was downright folly; he could not rank. He was denounced in consequence to the
by smart speeches and insulting acts restore the senate; and this body, anxious to punish the
republic; and if his sayings and doings have been insult to the imperial family, condemned Priscus
rightly reported, he had only himself to thank for to death, without consulting Tiberius, and had
his fate. Thus we are told by one of his admirers him executed forthwith. The proceeding, howthat Vespasian having forbidden him on one occa- ever, displeased Tiberius, not through any wish to
sion from appearing in the senate, he replied, save the life of Priscus, but because the senate had
" You can expel me from the senate, but, as long presumed to put a person to death without asking
as I am a member of it, I must go into the house." Ihis opinion. He therefore caused a decree of the
-" Well, then, go in, but be silent."-" Don't senate to be passed, that no decrees of the body
ask me for my opinion, then, and I will be silent." should be deposited in the aerarium till ten days
-" But I must ask you."-" Then I must say had elapsed; and as they could not be carried into
what seems to me just."-" But if you do I will execution till this was done, no one could in
put you to death." -" Did I ever say to you that future be executed till ten days after his condemI was immortal? You do your part, and I will nation. (Tac.Ann. iii.49-51; Dion Cass. lvii. 20.)
do mine. Yours is, to kill; mine, to die without It is recorded of this Lutorius Priscus that he paid
fear; yours is, to banish; mine, to go into exile Sejatnus the enormous sum of 50,000,000 sesterces
without sorrow." (Epictet. Dissert. i. 2.) After (quinquenties sestertiumn) for an eunuch of the name
such a specimen of the way in which he bearded of Paezon. (Plin. H. N. vii. 39. s. 40.)
the emperor, we cannot be surprised at his banish- PRISCUS, Q. MU'STIUS, consul suffectus,
ment. His wife Fannia followed him a second A. D. 163 (Fasti).
time into exile. It appears that his place of PRISCUS, NERA'TIUS. [NERATIUS.]
banishment was at no great distance from the PRISCUS, Q. NO'NIUS, consul A. D. 149 with
capital; and he had not been long in exile before he Ser. Scipio Orfitus (Fasti).
was executed by order of Vespasian. It would PRISCUS, NO'VIUS, was banished by Nero,
seem that the emperor was persuaded by some of in A. D. 66, in consequence of his being a fiiend of