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

SCAPULA. SCAURUS. 735
2. P. SCAPTIus, a Roman citizen, who carried SCARPUS, L. PINA'RIUS, was placed by
on the trade of a negotiator, or money-lender, in Antonius over Cyrene and the neighbouring
the province of Cilicia. The town of Salamis in country with four legions, shortly before the battle
Cyprus owed him a sum of money; and in order to of Actium. After the loss of this battle, Antonius
obtain from the Salaminians what was due to him, sailed to Libya; but Scarpus, who saw that the
as well as the usurious interest which he chose to affairs of his former patron were desperate, refused
charge, App. Claudius, the predecessor of Cicero to receive him, put to death the messengers he had
in the government of Cilicia, had made Scaptius sent to him, and handed over his troops to Corpraefectus in the town, and had also placed nelius Gallus, the lieutenant of Augustus (Dion
some troops of cavalry at his disposal, for the Cass. li. 5, 9; comp. Plut. Ant. 69; Oros. vi. 19).
purpose of enforcing his claims. When Cicero There are several coins of this Scarpus extant,
succeeded Claudius in the province, M. Brutus, some of them bearing the name of Antonius, and
who was a friend of Scaptius, warmly recommended others that of Caesar (Octavianus). From the
his interests to Cicero; but the latter very properly latter circumstance we may infer that he was redeclined to be a party to such infamous proceed- appointed by Octavianus to the command of Libya,
lugs, recalled the cavalry from Cyprus, and refused when Cornelius Gallus was placed over Egypt
the praefecture to Scaptius, on the ground that such shortly afterwards. The following coin of Scarpus
an appointment ought not to be given to any ne- was struck when he served under Octavian.
gotiator. Scaptius is mentioned at a subsequent (Eckhel, vol. v. p. 272.)
period in Cicero's correspondence. (Cic. ad Att.
v. 21, vi. 1-3, xv. 13, Pseudo-Cic. ad Brut. i.
18.)
P. SCA'PULA, a usurer, to whom C. Quintius
owed money, B. C. 81. (Cic. pro Quint. 4.) bft P
SCA'PULA, OSTO'RIUS. 1. P. SCAPULA
OSTORIUS, succeeded A. Plautius as governor of
Britain, about A. D. 50, with the title of propraetor. COIN OF L. PINARIUS SCARPUS.
He had previously held the consulship, and his
name is inserted in some of the Fasti as consul SCATO or CATO, VE'TTIUS, one of the
suffectus in A. D. 46. He is characterised by Italian generals in the Marsic war, B. c. 90. He
Tacitus as bello egregius, and carried on the war defeated the consul L. Julius Caesar, and then adwith success against several of the British tribes. vanced against Aesernia, which was obliged to surAmong others, he defeated the powerful tribe of render through failure of provisions. He also
the Silures, took prisoner their king Caractacus, defeated the other consul, P. Rutilius Lupus, who
and sent him in chains to Rome [CARACTACUS]. fell in the battle (Appian, B.C. i. 40, 41, 43).
In consequence of this success he received the Cicero speaks of an interview at which he was
insignia of a triumph, but died soon afterwards in present, between Vettius and Cn. Pompey (Phil.
the province, worn out by the toils and anxieties xii. 11); and it is therefore not improbable that
of war. (Tac. Ann. xii. 31-39, Agr. 14.) the P. Ventidius, who is said by Appian to have
2. P. OSTORIUS SCAPULA, the son of the pre- been one of the Italian generals that defeated the
ceding, fought under his father in Britain, in A. D. army of Cn. Pompey, is the same person as the
50; and received the reward of a corona civica, for subject of this article. (Appian, B. C. i. 47, with
saving the life of a Roman citizen in battle. In the note of Schweigh.) We learn from Seneca (de
A. D. 62, he appeared as a witness in favour of Benef. iii. 23), that Vettius was taken prisoner,
Antistius Sosianus, who was accused of having and was stabbed to death by his own slave as he
recited in his house some libellous verses against was being dragged before the Roman general, and
the emperor Nero; but his services were repaid that he was thus delivered from the ignominy and
with ingratitude; for, in A. D. 64, the same Sosianus punishment that awaited him.
accused him to the emperor. He was condemned There is some difficulty respecting the orthoto death, and put an end to his own life. (Tac. Ann. graphy of the cognomen of Vettius.'Appian calls
xii. 31, xiv. 48, xvi. 14, 15.) him Cato, and the Insteius Cato, mentioned by
SCA'PULA, QUI'NTIUS. 1. T. QUINTIUS Velleius Paterculus (ii. 16) as one of the Italian
SCAPULA, a zealous partisan of the Pompeians, generals in this war, is probably the same as this
passed over into Spain with Cn. Pompeius the Vettius. In the best MSS. of Cicero (1. c.), howelder, son of the triumvir, and took the most active ever, we find Scato, which is probably the correct
part in organising the revolt against Caesar in that form, since Scato occurs as a Marsic cognomen in
province. The soldiers elected him and Q. Aponius the oration " Pro Domo" (c. 44), and it was
as their leaders; but on the arrival of Sex. Pom- natural enough that the obscure name of Scato
peius, who fled to Spain after the defeat of his should be changed into the celebrated one of Cato.
party at the battle of Thapsus in Africa, Scapula The praenomen of Vettius is also given differently.
surrendered the command to him. After the defeat In Cicero (I. c.) it is Publius; in Eutropius (v. 3),
of the Pompeians at Munda, in B. C. 45, Scapula, Titus; in Seneca (1. c.), Caius: the first of these
seeing that all was lost, fled to Corduba, and there is probably the most correct.
burnt himself to death on a pyre which he had SCAURI'NUS, a celebrated grammarian, was
erected for the purpose, after partaking of a splen- the instructor of the emperor Alexander Severus.
did banquet. (Appian, B. C. ii. 87, 105; Dion (Lamprid. Alex. Sev. 3.)
Cass. xliii. 29, 30; Cic. ad Fam. ix. 13; Auctor, SCAURUS signified a person who had a defect
B. Hisp. 33.) in his ankles or feet (Scaurumb, pravis fultum maule
2. P. QUINTIUS SCAPULA, mentioned by Pliny talis, Hor. Sat. i. 3. 47), and was used, like many
as an instance of sudden death. (Plin. H. N. vii. other words of a similar kind, as a cognomen in
53. s. 54.) several Roman gentes.