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

638 QUIRINUS. RABIRIUS.
reconciliation of Menelaus and Helena, — the tary abilities and active services that he gained the
sacrifice of Polyxena at the tomb of Achilles, — consulship under Augustus. He was subsequently
the embarkation of the Greeks, -the scattering of sent into Cilicia, where he subdued the Homonatheir ships, and the death of Ajax. denses, a fierce people dwelling in Mount Taurus;
In phraseology, similes, and other technicalities, and in consequence of this success, he received the
Quintus closely copied Homer. The materials for honour of the triumphal ornaments. In B. c. 1,
his poem he found in the works of the earlier poets or a year or two afterwards, Augustus appointed
of the epic cycle. But not a single poetical idea of him to direct the counsels of his grandson C. Caehis own seems ever to have inspired him. He was sar, then in Armenia; and on his way to the East
incapable of understanding or appropriating any he paid a visit to Tiberius, who was at that time
thing except the majestic flow of the language of living at Rhodes. Some years afterwards, but not
the ancient epos. His gods and heroes are alike before A. D. 5, he was appointed governor of Syria,
devoid of all character: every thing like pathos or and while in this office he took a census of the
moral interest was quite beyond his powers. Of Jewish people. This is the statement of Josephus,
similes (not very original in their character) he and appears to be at variance with that of Luke,
makes copious use. With reapect to chronology who speaks as if the census or enrolment of Cyrehis poem is as punctual as a diary. But his nius was made at the time of the birth of Christ.
style is clear, and marked on the whole by purity This discrepancy has given rise to much discussion
and good taste, without any bombast or exag- and various explanations, of which the reader will
geration. There can be little doubt that the find an able account in Winer's Biblisches Realwork of Quintus Smyrnaeus is nothing more than w;rterbuch, s. v. Quirinius.
an amplification or remodelling of the poems of Quirinus had been married to Aemilia Lepida,
Arctinus and Lesches. It is clear that he had whom he divorced; but in A. D. 20, twenty years
access to the same sources as Virgil, though there after the divorce, he brought an accusation against
is nothing from which it would appear that he had her, because she pretended to have had a son by
the Roman poet before his eyes. He appears, him. She was at the same time accused of other
however, to have made diligent use of Apollonius. crimes; but the conduct of Quirinus met with
The first edition of Quintus was published by general disapprobation as harsh and revengeful.
Aldus Manutius in 1504 or 1505, from a very faulty Tiberius, notwithstanding his dissimulation, was
MS. Laur. Rhodomannus, who spent thirty years evidently in favour of the prosecution, as he was
upon the correction and explanation of the text of anxious to conciliate Quirinus, who had no chilQuintus, published an improved edition in 1604. dren, and might therefore be expected to leave his
But the standard edition, founded on a collation property to the emperor. Quirinus died in A. D.
of all the extant manuscripts, is that of Tychsen, 21, and was honoured with a public funeral, which
Strasburg, 1807. It is also printed along with Tiberius requested of the senate. (Dion Cass. liv.
Hesiod, Apollonius, &c., in Didot's edition, Paris, 28; Tac. Ann. ii. 30, iii. 22, 48; Suet. Tib. 49;
1840. A smaller poem on the Twelve Labours of Strab. xii. p. 569; Joseph. Antiq. xviii. 1. ~ 1;
Hercules, ascribed to Quintus Smyrnaeus, is extant St. Luke, ii. 1; comp. Acts of Apost. v. 37.)
in MS. (Bernhardy, Grundriss der Griecha. Litteratur, vol. ii. p. 246, &c.; Tychsen, Comment.
de Quinti Smnyr2naei Paralip., Gittingen, 1783; R.
the materials of which are also contained in his
edition.) [C. P.M.] C. RABI'RIUS, defended by Cicero in the
QUIBRUNA'LIS, CLO'DIUS, praefectus of the year of his consulship, B. c. 63, in a speech still
rowers at Ravenna, anticipated his condemnation extant. II1 B. C. 100 L. Appuleius Saturninus, the
by taking poison, A. D. 56. (Tac. Ann. xiii. 30.) tribune of the plebs, had been declared an outlaw
QUIRI'NUS, according to Dionysius of Hali- by the senate, besieged in the Capitol, and put to
carnassus (ii. 48), a Sabine word, and perhaps to death with his accomplices, when he had been
be derived from qui-is, a lance or spear. It occurs obliged to surrender through want of water. This
first of all as the name of Romulus, after he had had happened in the consulship of Marius, who
been raised to the rank of a divinity, and the fes- had been compelled to conduct the attack, and had
tival celebrated in his honour bore the name of been supported by the leading men in the state.
Quirinalia (Virg. Aen. i. 292; Cic. De Nat. Deor. Among the few survivors of the actors in that
ii. 24; Ov. Am. iii. 8. 51, Fast. iv. 56, 808, vi. scene, was the senator C. Rabirius, who had since
375, Met. xv. 862.) Owing to the probable lived in retirement, and had now attained a great
meaning of the word it is also used as a surname age. As nearly forty years had elapsed, it would
of Mars, Janus, and even of Augustus. (Ov. Fast. have appeared that he could have had no danger to
ii. 477; Serv. ad Aen. vii. 610; Sueton. Aug. 22; apprehend on account of the part he had taken in
Macrob. Sat. i. 9; Virg. Georg. iii. 27; Lydus, De the affray; and he would doubtless have been
Mens. p. 144; comp. ROMULUS.) [L. S.] allowed to continue undisturbed, had not Caesar
QUIRI'NUS, P. SULPI'CIUS. 1. Censor judged it necessary to deter the senate from resortB. C. 42 with L. Antonius Pietas, and consul suf- ing to arms against the popular party, and to
fectus B. c. 36 in the place of M. Cocceius Nerva frighten every one in future from injuring the sacred
(Fasti). person of a tribune, even in obedience to the senate's
2. Consul B. C. 12 with M. Valerius Messalla. decree. Caesar, therefore, resolved to make an exIt would appear from his name that he was the ample of Rabirius, and accordingly induced the
son of the preceding; but the language of Tacitus tribune, T. Labienus, whose uncle had perished
(Ann. iii. 48) implies that he was of obscure origin. among the followers of Saturninus, to accuse RabiThis historian relates that he was a native of rius of having murdered the tribune. To make the
Lanuvium, and had no connection with the ancient warning still more striking, Labienus did not proSulpicia gens; and that it was owing-to his mili- cced against him on the charge of majestas, but re