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

RUFUS. RUFUS. 673
Caelius had paid considerable attention to liter- It has on the obverse the head of the Dioscuri
ature, and with no small success. He was an with RVFVS III VIR (that is, of the mint), and
elegant writer and an eloquent speaker; he pos- on the reverse a female figure with MAN. CORD.VS.
sessed an excitable temperament, and a lively (Eckhel, vol. v. p. 178.)
imagination; the speeches in which he accused
others were considered his master-pieces (Cic.
Brut. 79; orator iracundissimus, Senec. de Ira, O,
iii. 8). He was a friend of Catullus, who has
addressed two of his poems to him (Carm. lviii. c.), i
and he also lived, as has appeared from the above
account, on the most intimate terms with Cicero.
It was the latter circumstance apparently that led
Niebuhr to extenuate the faults of Caelius, and to COIN OF AM'. CORDIUS RUFUS.
ascribe to him virtues that he never possessed;
but Cicero's intimacy with the young profligate RUFUS, CORE'LLIUS, a friend of the
speaks rather to the prejudice of his own charac- younger Pliny, whom he looked up to as a father,
ter than in favour of his friend's morals. All the and of whom he always speaks with the highest
ancient writers, with the exception of Cicero, veneration and respect. Corellius had been a
who have occasion to mention Caelius, agree martyr to hereditary gout for 33 years; and at
in an unfavourable estimate of his character; length, in order to escape from the incessant painl
and independent of their testimony, his letters to which he suffered, he put an end to his life by voCicero, and the speech of the latter on his behalf, luntary starvation at the age of 67, at the comin which he attempts to clear his friend of the mencement of Trajan's reign. His virtues and his
charges brought against him, are sufficient of them- death form the subject of one of the letters of
selves to convince any attentive reader of the Pliny (Ep. i. 12), who also mentions him on many
worthlessness of his moral character. (Niebuhr, other occasions. (Ep. iv. 17. ~ 4, v. 1. ~ 5, vii. 11.
Kleine Schriften, vol. ii. p. 252; Meyer, Oratoruna ~ 3, ix. 13. ~ 6.)
Romanorum Fragrmenta, p. 458, &c., 2d ed.; Dru- RUFUS, CUIRTIUS, said to have been the
mann, Geschlichle Roms, vol. ii. p. 411, &c.; and son of a gladiator by some, followed in the train of
especially Suringar, M. Caelii Rzfi et 11. Tullii one of the quaestors to Africa for the purpose of
Ciceroais Epistolae mutuae, Lugd. Batav. 1846, in gain, and, while at Adrumetum, is reported to have
which all the authorities for the life of Caelius, seen a female of superhuman size, who prophesied
both ancient and modern, are printed at length.) to him that he would one day visit Africa as proRUFUS, CAESE'TIUS, proscribed by An- consul. Urged on by this vision, he repaired to
tony in B. C. 43, and killed. He owed his fate to Rome and obtained the quaestorship and praetora beautiful insula or detached mansion which he ship in the reign of Tiberius, at a later period the
had in the city, and which had taken the fancy of consular imperiumrn and triumphal ornaments, and
Fulvia, the wife of Antony. When his head was at length the government of Africa, as hald been
brought to Antony, he sent it to his wife, saying predicted (Tac. Ann. xi. 20, 21; Plin. ELp. vii. 27).
that it did not belong to him. (Appian, B. C. iv. Some modern writers suppose that this Cnurtius
29; Val. Max. ix. 5. ~ 4.) Rufus was the father of Q. Curtius Rufus, the
RUFUS, C. CALVI'SIUS, an intimate friend historian.
of the younger Pliny (Plin. Ep, i. 12. ~ 12, iv. 4), RUFUS, Q. CU'RTIUS, the historian. [CURwho has addressed several of his letters to him. TIus.]
(Ep. ii. 20, iii. 1, 19, v. 7, viii. 2, ix. 6.) RUFUS DOME'STICUS. [RUFINUS, liteRUFUS, CAMO'NIUS, of Bononia, a friend rary, No. 4.]
of Martial, died at an early age in Cappadocia. RUFUS, EGNA'TIUS. 1. L. EGNATIUS Ru(Mart. vi. 85.) FUS, a friend of Cicero, was a Roman eques, who
RUFUS CANI'NIUS, a native of Comum, appears to have carried on an extensive business in
and a friend and neighbour of the younger Pliny, the provinces as a money-lender, and a farmer of
was well versed in literature, and especially poetry. the taxes. Cicero frequently recommends him to
He appears also to have possessed some talent for the governors of the provinces; as, for instance, to
the composition of poetry, and meditated writing a Q. Philippus (ad Fanm. xiii. 73, 74), to Quintius
poem on the Dacian war (Plin. Ep. viii. 4). But Gallius (ad Farn. xiii. 43, 44), to Appuleius (ad
as most of his time was taken up in the personal Fasz. xiii. 45), and to Silius (ad Fasn. xiii. 47).
management of his estates, Pliny begs him to leave Both Cicero and his brother Quintus had pecuniary,
them to his bailiffs, and to devote his own time to dealings with him (ad Alt. vii. 18. ~ 4, x. 15. ~ 4,
the prosecution of his studies (Plin. Ep. i. 3). xi. 3. ~ 3, xii. 18. ~ 3).
There are also several other letters of Pliny ad- 2. M. EGN.ATIUS RUFUS, probably son of the
dressed to him, which all more or less urge him to preceding, was aedile in a. c. 20, and gained so
prosecute his literary pursuits, and undertake the much popularity in this office, principally through
composition of some poetical work. (Ep. ii. 8, iii. extinguishing the fires by means of his own ser7, vi. 21, vii. 18, viii. 4, ix. 33.) vants, that he obtained the praetorship for the folRUFUS, CA'NIUS, a Roman poet, to whom lowing year in opposition to the laws, which
Martial has addressed one of his epigrams. (Ep. enacted that a certain time should intervene beiii. 20.) tween the offices of aedile and praetor. EnRUFUS, CLAU'DIUS CRASSUS. [CLAU- couraged by this success, he endeavoured to secure
Dius, No. 12?.] the consulship for the following year, B. c. 18; but
RUFUS, CLU'VIUS. [CLuvIvs, No. 7.] as the consul C. Sentius Saturninus refused to
RUFUS, M'. CO'RDIUS, a name known to receive his name as one of the candidates, he enus only from coins, of which a specimen is annexed. tered into a plot with persons who were, like himVOL. IIm. X x