The Lake Mareotis first
rose into importance after the founding of Alexandrea.
rose into importance after the founding of Alexandrea.
Charles - 1867 - Classical Dictionary
D.
It embraced, consequently, a period
of 282 years; but the first thirteen books, which con-
tained a sketch of the history of 256 years (from 96
to 352), are lost, and we have only the last eighteen.
These eighteen, however, form the moat important
part of the labours of Ammianus. In the first thir-
teen bcoks he merely arranged materials from writers
who had gone before him; although it must be ac-
knowledged, that ever, this part would have been in-
teresting for us, as many of the works from which he
selected are now lost. In the eighteen books, how-
ever, that remain to us, and which it is more than
probable the copyists transcribed separately from the
rest, Ammianus relates the events which occutred du-
ring his own time. As he often look an active part in
those, or, at least, was an eyewitness of most of them,
he relates them in the first person: when he details
what did not pass under his immediate inspection, he
is careful to obtain the requisite information from those
who are acquainted with the subject, and who took
part in the matter that is related: he does not pretend,
however, to give a complete history of his time, and
he passes in silence over events respecting which he
has neither accurate information nor positive docu-
ments. This part of his work, therefore, is less a his-
tory than what we would call at tho present day me-
moirs of his time. Ammianus Marcellinus was a well-
informed man, and possessed of great good sense and
excellent judgment. No writer was ever more entitled
to praise for candour and impartiality. He understood
well the art of clearly showing the connexion of events,
and of painting in striking colours the characters of
those individuals whom he introduces into his narra-
tive. In a word, he would in all probability have
oecn an accomplished historian had his lot been
cast in a more favourable age. Had he lived in the
golden period of Roman literature, the study of good
models and the society of enlightened men would
have perfected his historic talent, and have formed
his style in a purer mould. The latter would not,
as is too often the case in Ammianus, have been
destitute of that simplicity which constitutes one of
the great beauties of historical narrative, nor over-
oaded with ornaments and disfigured by turgid and
barbarous forms of expression. These faults, how-
ever, in the style of Ammianus, find an excuse in
the circumstances of his case. He was a stranger,
and wrote in a language not his own , neither did the
busy life which he had led in camps permit him to cul-
tivate the talent for writing which nature had bestowed
upon him His good qualities are his own; his de-
fects arc those of the times; and, in spite of these de-
fects, his style is conspicuous among all the writers
who were contemporary with him for a purity to which
they could not attain. --Ammianus Marcellinus is the
last pagan historian; for, notwithstanding all that some
maintain to the contrary, we have no certain proof of
his having been a Christian. A public man, enriched
with the experience acquired amid the scenes of an
active life, he relates the events connected with the
new religion introduced by Constant vie with sang-froid
and impartiality, and perhaps with the indifference of
a man who knew how to raise himself to a point of
view where he could perceive naught but masses and
results. He blamea with equal frankness the anti-
christian mysticism of Julian, and the religious intol-
? ? erance of Constantius and his bishops. He speaks
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? MAR
MAR
during me second Punic war, and was accustomed to
be called '. he sword of the Romans, as Fabius was
denominated I heir shield. We have a life of him by
Plutarch. --II. Marcus Claudius, held the consulship
withServius Sulpicius, B. C. 51. He was remarkable
for his attachment to republican principles, and his
uncompromising hostility towards Caesar; and it was
hu who proposed to the senate to recall that command-
er from his province in Gaul. After the battle of
i'Lirsalia, Marcellus went into voluntary exile, and
was not pardoned by Cansar until some considerable
interval had elapsed, and then only at the earnest in-
tercession of the senate. It was on this occasion that
Cicero delivered his speech of thanks to Caesar.
Marcellus, however, did not long survive to enjoy the
pardon thus obtained, having been assassinated by an
adherent of his, P. Magius Gilo. He was then on his
return to Italy. The cause that prompted Cilo to the
act is not known. Cicero conjectures that the latter,
oppressed with debts, and apprehending some trouble
on that score in case of his return, had been urging
Marcellus, who was surety for some part of them, to
furnish him with money to pay the whole, and that, on
receiving a denial, he was provoked to the madness of
killing his patron. (Cie. , Ep. ad Att. , 13, 10. --Com-
pare Ep. ad Fam. , 4, 12. ) According to others,
however, he was prompted to the deed by seeing other
friends more highly favoured by Marcellus than him-
self. (Vol. Max. , 9, 11. ) After stabbing his patron,
Cilo slew himself. --III. Marcus Claudius, commonly
known as the "Young Marcellus," was the son of
Octavia the sister of Augustus, and consequently the
nephew of the latter. Augustus gave him his daugh-
ter Julia in marriage, and intended him for his suc-
cessor; but he died at the early age of IS, universally
regretted on account of the excellence of his private
character. Virgil has immortalized his memory by the
beautiful lines at the close of the sixth book of the
iEneid, and which are said to have drawn from Octa-
via so munificent a recompense. (Vid. Virgilius. )
Livia was suspected, though without reason, it would
teem, of having made away with Marcellus, who was
an obstacle to the advancement of her son Tiberius.
The more ostensible cause of his death was the inju-
dicious application of the cnld bath by the physician
Antonius Musa. (Vid. Musa. )
Marciana, a sister of the Emperor Trajan, who,
on account of her public and private virtues and her
amiable disposition, was declared Augusta and empress
by her brother. She died A. D. 113.
Marcianopolis, a city of Moesia Inferior, to the
west of Odessus, founded by Trajan, and named in
honour of his sister Marciana. (Amm. Marcell. , 27,
4. --Jornand. , Get. , c. 16. ) It soon became an im-
portant place in consequence of its lying on the main
toad from Constantinople to the Ister, and of its being
the place where preparations were made for all the
expeditions against the barbarians in this quarter.
When the Bulgarians formed a kingdom out of what
was previously Moesia, Marcianopolis became the cap-
ital, under the name of Pristhlaba (llpiaHhiia. --
Anna Comn. , p. 194) or Preslau). It still retains this
name, and also that of ICski Stamboul with the Turks:
the modern Greek inhabitants, however, call it Mar-
tenojoh. According to the /(in. Ant. (p. 228. --Corn-
Bare T'htopylacl. , 7, 2), Marcianopolis was 18 miles
to the west of Odessus. (Mannert, Geogr. , vol. 7,
? ? p. 138. )
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? MARE MORTUUM.
UARE MORTUUM.
ties from every other piece of water in the knswn
world, that it is a wonder it has not been the subject
of more frequent and extensive observation. Its
depth seems to be altogether unknown; and it is
only of late that a boat has navigated its surface.
Towards its southern extremity, however, in a con-
tracted part of the lake, is a ford, about six miles
over, made use of by the Arabs: in the middle of
which they report the water to be warm, indicating
the presence of warm springs beneath. In general,
towards the shore it is shallow; and it rises and falls
with the seasons, and with the quantity of water car-
ried into it by seven streams, which fall into this their
common receptacle, the chief of which is the Jordan.
It also appears either to be on the increase, or to be
lower in some years than in others, whence those
travellers are to be credited who assert that they have
beheld the ruins of the cities either exposed or in-
gulfed beneath tLi> waters. Troilo and D'Arvieux
attest that they observed fragments of wall, &c. Jo-
aephus rccr. ar'&s, that one might still see there "the
shadows of the five cities" (jtcVtc ftiv itoteav ewiar),
leaving it somewhat uncertain what he means by this
figurative language. (Bell. Jud. , 4, 8, 4. ) Strabo
gives a circumference of 60 stadia to the ruins of Sod-
om, according to the traditions of the neighbouring
communities (wore iriaTciav roic i? pi/? . Xoty/rvoic vird
tuv hyxupluv, ur upa ukovvto imrc rpionaidcica mX-
etc evravda, uv Tjjf /iT/Tpoiroteuc, Xodopuv, au^oirn
KvnXoc. Hjtjkovtu ttov aradiuv. --Strab. , 764). Two
aged and respectable inhabitants of Jerusalem told
Maundrell that they had once been able to see some
part of these ruins; that they were near the shore, and
the water so shallow at the time, that they, together
with some Frenchmen, went into it, and found several
pillars and other fragments of buildings. These sever-
al authorities are too weighty to be despised; and we
c>>y collect from them some support to the opinion,
kit, at the destruction of the guilty cities, they were
cot entirely overwhelmed with the waters, but remain-
ad more or less exposed to view, as monuments of the
judgments of God; and that, from the slow increase
of the waters through a period of nearly 4000 years,
they havo gradually receded from our sight, and are
now only to be seen through the water, if seen at all,
after seasons of long-continued drought. The water
now covering these ruins occupies what was formerly
the Vale of Siddim; a rich and fruitful valley, in which
stood the five cities, called the cities of the plain,
namely, Sodom, Gomorrah, Adrnah, Zeboim, andBela
or Zoar. The first four of these were destroyed, while
the latter, being " a little city," was preserved at the
intercession of Lot; to which ho lied for refugo from
the impending catastrophe, and where he remained in
safety during its accomplishment. Naturalists have in-
dulged themselves in many speculations as to the man-
ner in which this destruction took place, and the im-
mediate causes engaged in effecting it; as if this were
necessary for our faith. It is probable, however, that
in this inatance, as in most others, the Almighty called
in the aid of second causes for the accomplishment of
his purpose. The most reasonable explanation of such
causes is founded on what is said in Gen, 14, 10, of
the soil of the Vale of Siddim, that it was " full of slime
pits," or, more properly, pits of bitumen, for thus the
word is rendered in the Septuagint. Now it is prob-
able that in this instance, as in that of the flood, the
? ? inhabitants of the offending cities were involved in
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? MARE MORTUUM.
MARE MORTUUM
equally to be inferred from the want jf apace over
wh'ch the water could expand itself to be exhausted by
evaporation. 11 J. the discovery of the opening on the
southern border of the lake, and the inclined valley
leading thence to the sea, have rendered these infer-
ences almost conclusive. We may then, and must in
fact, refer the origin of the lake to the epoch in ques-
tion, when the combustion of the soil, or of its sub-
strata, occasioned a subsidence of the level of the val-
ley, by which the river was arrested in its course, and
a basin formed to receive its waters. These gradually
spread themselves over its surface, and would no doubt
soon have filled it, and resumed the ancient channel to
the southward, had not their increase been retarded by
the process of evaporation, which advanced in an in-
creasing ratio as the expanse of water grew wider and
wider. The newly-lormed lake would thus continue
to extend itself, until the supply of water from the
streams, and the consumption by evaporation, arrived
at a balance. When this took place, or whether it has
even yet taken place, cannot be known; at least with-
out such observations as have not yet been made.
That it has not long been the case may be inferred
from the disappearance of the ruins which were visible
two centuries ago. --The water of this sea is far more
salt than that of the ocean; containing one fourth part
of its weight of saline contents in a state of perfect
desiccation, and forty-one parts in a hundred in a slate
of simple crystallization: that is to say, a hundred
pounds by weight of water will yield forty-one pounds
of aalts; while the proportion of saline contents in the
water of the Atlantic is not more than l-27lh part in
a stste of dryness, and about six pounds of salts in a
hundred of the water. The specific gravity of the
water is 1. 211 ; that of common water being 1000. A
vial of it having been brought to England by Mr.
Gordon of Clunie, at the request of Sir Joseph Banks,
was analyzed by Dr. Marcet, who gives the following
results. - "This water is perfectly transparent, and
does not deposite any crystals on standing in close
vessels. Its taste is peculiarly bitter, saline, and pun-
gent. Solutions of silver produce from it a very copi-
ous precipitate, showing the presence of marine acid.
Oxaiic acid instantly discovers lime in the water.
The lime being separated, both caustic and carbona-
ted alkalies readily throw down a magnesian precipi-
tate. Solutions of barytes produce a cloud, showing
the existence of sulphuric acid. No afumine can be
discovered in the water by the delicate test of succin-
ic acid combined with ammonia. A small quantity
of pulverized sea salt being added to a few drops of
the water, cold and undiluted, the sal: was readily
dissolved with the assistance of a gentle trituration,
showing that the Dead Sea is not saturated with com-
mon salt. None of the coloured infusions common-
ly used to ascertain the prevalence of an acid or an
alkali, such as litmus, violet, and turmeric, were in the
least altered by the water. " The result of Dr. Mar-
cel's analysis gives the following contents in 100 grains
of the water:
Muriate of Ltme
Muriate of Magnesia
MuriHle of Soda
Sulphate of Lune .
. 3. 990 grains.
. 10. 346 >>
. 103150"
? ? . 00M"
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? MAR
for, although it be now known that the water*
of thid lake, instead of proving destructive of animal
life, swarm with myriads of h'shes (Chateaubriand,
*ol. 1, p. 411, Land. , 1811); that, instead of falling
victims '>> its exhalations, certain birds make it their
peculiar resort (Maundrell, p. 84, Ozf. , 1721); that
shells abound upon its shores; that the pretended
fruit containing ashes in as natural and admirable a
production of nature as the rest of the vegetable king-
dom, being the fruit of the Soltmum Melangcna, the
inside of which, when the fruit is attacked by an in-
sect (Tcnthredo), turns to dust, while the skin remains
entire and of a beautiful colour; notwithstanding all
these and other facts are well established, yet even
the latest authors by whom it is mentioned continue
to fill their descriptions with imaginary horrors. --Re-
land, in his account of the Lacut Asphaltitcs (Palast. ,
vol. 1, p. 238), after inserting copious extracts from
Galen concerning the properties and quality of the
water, and its natural history, proceeds to account for
the strange fables that have prevailed with regard to
its deadly influence, by showing that certain of the an-
cients confounded this lake with another, bearing the
same appellation of Asphaltites, near Babylon; and
that they attributed to it qualities which properly be-
longed to the Babylonian waters. An account of the
properties of the Babylonian lake occurs in the wri-
tings of Vitruvius (8, 3), of Pliny (35, 15), of Athe-
n. vus (it, 5), and of Xiphilinus (p. 252). From their
various testimony it is evident, that all the phenomena
supposed to belong to the Lake Asphallites near Baby-
lon, were, from the similarity of their names, ulti-
mately considered as the natural characteristics of the
/ndaean lake, the two Asphaltites being confounded. "
(Clarke's Travels, vol. 4, p. 399, Land, ed. )
MAREOTIS, a lake of Egypt, in the immediate vicin-
itr of Aiexandrea. Its earlier name was Marea (17
); the later Greeks gave it the appella
tion of Mareotis (Mapeurif). The first writer that
makes mention of it is Scylax (p. 44). "Pharos,"
? ays he, "is an uninhabited island, with a good har-
bour, but destitute of water. This last is obtained
from the neighbouring lake Maria (? K rijf Mapj'af
UfU'iK vipevovrai") The same writer informs us,
that in very early times canals were cut connecting this
lake with the Nile, and thus furnishing it with a con-
stant supply of fresh water.
The Lake Mareotis first
rose into importance after the founding of Alexandrea.
From this period it is mentioned by all the geographi-
cal writers, but the most particular description is given
by Strabo (799). "The Lake Marea," says Strabo,
"is more than 150 stadia in breadth, and not quite
800 in length. It extends on the west as far as the
fortress called Chersonesus, which is 70 stadia from
Alciandrea. It contains eight islands, and all the
country around is well inhabited. " In another part
(p. 793) he informs us, that many canals connected
this lake with the Nile, and that thus, in the summer
season, when the lake would otherwise have been low,
the inundation of the Nile afforded it an abundant
supply of water, and rendered the neighbouring coun-
try, and Alexandrea in particular, extremely healthy;
since, otherwise, had the waters of the lake been di-
minished by the summer heats, the sun would have
acted on the mud left uncovered along the banks, and
would have produced pestilence. Of these canals
he remarks, on another occasion (p. 803), that many
of them struck the Nile between Gynaecopolis and
? ? Momemphis. Along the'canals connecting the river
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? MAR
MARfUS.
Man; now March. --II. A city of the Sabni, in Ara-
bia Felix. (Plin. , 6, 38. )
MabIa Lex, I. by C. Marius, when tribune, A. U. C.
634. It ordained that the passages, called pontes, by
which the people passed to give their voles at the
comilia, should be narrower, in order that there might
be no crowding there, and that no persons might take
their stand there to impede or disturb the voters.
(Cic. , Leg. , 3, 17. )--II. Maria Porcia, so called be-
cause proposed by two tribunes, Marius and Porcius.
It was passed A. U. C. 691, and ordained that those com-
manders should be punished who, in order to obtain
a triumph, wrote t) the senate a false account of the
number of tho enemy slain in battle, or of the citizens
tha-. vr-we missing; and that, when commanders re-
turned to the city, they should swear before the city
qrusstors to the truth of the account which they had
sent. (Vol. Max. , 2, 8, 1. )
Mariana Fossa, a canal cut by Marius from the
river Rhone, through the Campus Lapideus, into the
Lake Mastramcla. It was probably near the modern
Martigues. (Mela, 2, b. --Plin. , 3, 4. )
Makiandyni, a people of Bithynia, to the east of
the river Sangarua. They were of uncertain origin;
but, since they differed neither in language nor in cus-
toms materially from the Dithynians, they might justly
he considered as part of the same great Thracian stock.
(Strab. , 542. ) That they were barbarous is allowed
I y all; and Theopompus, whose authority is referred to
>>y Strabo, reported, that when the Megarians founded
Heraclea in their territory, they easily subjected the
Mariandyni, and reduced them to a state of abject sla-
very, similar to that of the Mnotsj in Crete, and the
Penest-e in Thessaly. (Strab. , I. c. --Position. , ap.
Alhen. r. 6, p. 263-- Athen. , 14, p. 620. )
Marica, I. a nymph of the river l. iris, who had a
grove near Minturnce, into which, if anything was
brought, it was not lawful to take it out again. (Plut. ,
Vit. Marii, 39. ) According to some authorities, she
was the sa:ne with Circe. (Lactant. , de fals. Rel. ,
1, 21. ) Virgil, however, makes her the (wife)of Fau-
nus, and mother of Latinus. (Ain. , 7, ii. --Serv. , ad
Uk. )
MiBisus, a native of Tyre, who flourished in the
second century of the Christian era, a short time be-
fore Ptolemy. An account of his work on . Mathemati-
cal Geography will be given under the article Ptole-
maeus.
Marisus, a river of Dacia which falls into the Ti-
biscus; now the Marosch. (Strabo. --Jornand. ,de
Rtb. Get. , p. 102 )
Marius, Caius, a celebrated Roman, was bom of
bumble parents, at or in the neighbourhood of Arpi-
num, about B. C. 157. He served at the siege of Nu-
mantia, B. C. 134, under Scipio Africanus, together
with Jugurtha, where he highly distinguished himself.
He received great marks of honour from Scipio, who
used frequently to invite him to his table; and when,
jne evening at aupper, Scipio was asked where they
? hould find so great a general when he was gone, he
m said to have replied, placing his hand upon the
? houlder of Marius, "Here, perhaps. " In B. C. 119
be was elected tribune of the commons, through the
influence of Ccecilius Metellus, according to Plutarch,
bat more probably in consequence of the fame he had
acquired in the Numantine war. In this office he
ihowed himself, a. * he did throughout the whole course
? ? of his life, a most determined enemy of the patrician
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? MARIUS
MARIUS.
minis, the tribune, who is described as a man that
scrupled at the commission of no crime to accom-
plish his object. The events of the sixth consulship
of Marius, which are some of the most important in
this period of Roman history, are imperfectly narrated
by historians. It appears that an agrarian law, pro-
posed by Saturninus, and supported by Marius and
one of the prstors named Glaucia, was carried, not-
withstanding the most violent opposition of the patri-
cian party; and that Melcllus Numidicus was driven
into exile, in consequence of refusing to take the oath
of conforming to the law. When the election of con-
luls for the ensuing year came on, Memmius, who
opposed Glaucia as a candidate for the office, was
murdered by order of Saturninus; and the senate,
perceiving the city to be in a stale of anarchy, passed
the usual decree, " that the consuls should take care
that the republic received no injury," by which almost
absolute power was vested in those magistrates. Ma-
rius, unable or unwilling to protect his old friends, be-
sieged Saturninus and Glaucia, who had seized upon
the Capitol. They surrendered to Marius on the prom-
ise that their lives should be spared, but they were
all immediately put to death. It appears probable
that Marius, after the blow which had been given to
the popular party by the surrender of Saturninus and
jlaucia. would not have been able to save their lives,
;ven if he had made the attempt. At the expiration
y{ his consulship, Marius left Rome, to avoid witness-
ing the triumph of the patrician party in the return
of his old enemy Metcllus, whose sentence of ban-
ishment was repealed after the death of Saturninus
According to Plutarch, he went to Cappadocia and
Galatia, under the pretence of offering a sacrifice
which he had vowed to Cybele, but with the real
object of exciting Mithradales to war, in order that
he might be again employed in military affairs, since
he did not obtain much distinction in peace. In B. C.
90 the Marsian or Social war broke out, in which
both Mariu; and Sylla were employed as legati to the
twe consuls. Marius gained several victories over
the anemy, but he no longer possessed that activity
and energy which had distinguished him in his earlier
years; and disgusted, it is said, with the increasing
reputation of Sylla, he resigned his command before
the conclusion of the war. The Marsian war had
scarcely been brought to an end, before the civil war
broke out between Marius and Sylla. The command
of the Mithradatic war had been assigned to the latter,
who was now consul (B. C. 88); but Marius used ev-
ery effort to wrest it from him, and is said by Plu-
tarch to have gone every day to the Campus Martius,
and to have performed his exercises with the young
men, although he was now in his 70th year, and very-
corpulent, in order to show that he was not incapaci-
tated by age. He was warmly supported by P. Sul-
picius, the tribune, who possessed great property and
influence; and a law was eventually passed, that the
command should be taken from Sylla and given to
Marius. Sylla was with the army at the time, besie-
ging Nola; but, as aoon as he heard of the law which
had been passed, he marched to Rome, and Marius
and his adherents were obliged to flee from the city.
After wardering through many parts of Italy, Marius
escaped with the. grejtest difficulty to Africa; but he
bad no sooner landea at Carthage than Sextilius, the
pvemor of the province, sent word to him, that, unless
? ? i: quilted Africa, he should treat him as a public ene-
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? MAR
MAR
army eiccted Mari js emperor. It it generally ? up-
posed that the Empress Victorina contributed to bis
elevation, with the hope of preserving her own au-
thority; but this is denied by some modern writers,
wbo maintain that she took part in the conspiracy
which deprived Marius of his crown and life. (lie
Bote, Dissertation sur un miduillon it Tetricus. --
Htm. ile I'Aead. des Inter. , vol. 26. ) He reigned
only three days, and was slain by a soldier to whom
be had refused some favour, and who, in stabbing
h:tn. exclaimed, "Take it--it was thou thyself that
forged it. " Marius was remarkable for personal
strength, of which historians give some accounts that
are evidently fabulous. (Treb. Pollto, Trigint. Ty-
rann. -- Vit. Marii. )
Marmarica, a country of Africa, to tbe east of Cy-
renaica, lying along the Mediterranean shore. It
forms at present a part of the district of Barca. The
inhabitants were a roving race, and remarkable for
their skill in taming serpents. (SU. Ital. , 3, 300. )
The ancient Marmarica was a region much less high-
ly favoured by nature than Cyrenaica. According to
Delia Cella (p. 182, seqq), the general features of the
country, however, are similar to those of the region
last mentioned. "We wound our way," says this
traveller, "among wild and rugged mountains, fre-
quently enlivened by groups of evergreens; among
which the cypress, arbutus, Phoenician juniper, gigan-
tic myrtle, carob, and laurel, were most abundant;
and as they form no long and uniform woods, but are
scattered about in a variety of forms and groups
among the rocks, they are very picturesque ornaments
of the scenery. The ground is throughout broken
and irregular, and does not slope down into pastures,
as in Cyrenaica; but tho privation of that agreeable
feature baa its compensation, for the want of grass-
lands secures this district from the incursions of the
vagabond hordes in its neighbourhood. The woody
and elevated nature of this country aflbrds frequent
and copious springs of clear and most delicious wa-
ter. --This tract of border country is, as in former
times, the resort of alt the thieves, miscreants, and
malcontents of the two governments of Tripoli and
Egypt. Pitching their tents in the neighbourhood of
tbe Bay of Bomba, they make incursions into the ad-
jacent districts, and pillage all who have tho misfor-
tune to fall in their way. They are ever on the watch
lor the caravans and pilgrims who traverse this coun-
try on their way to Mecca: and this is the only
route used by the people of Morocco, above all oth-
ers the most fervently devoted to their prophet. ''--
M. Pacho speaks of the general aspect of Marmarica
in still less favourable terms. The soil, he says, is
rocky, of a yellowish-gray colour, and depends for its
fertility solely on the copious rains. The country
presents none of those verdant groves of laurel and
myrtle which crown the mountains and overshadow
the valleys of the Pentapolis. The singing-birds, vain-
ly seeking foliage and shelter, flee from this naked re-
gion; only birds of prey, the eagle, the hawk, and
the vulture, appear in numerous flights, their sinister
screams rendering the solitude more frightful. The
lackal, the hyena, the jerboa, the hare, and the gazelle,
? re the wild animals which chiefly abound; and the
existence of man is indicated merely by the bleating
of distant flocks, and the dark tent of the Arab. Yet
this country also exhibits traces of having once been
? ? occupied by a civilized and even numerous popula-
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? MAR
Mar
Italy, from a statement of Polybius (2, 84), where
that historian, in enumerating the different contingents
which the allies of tr>e Romans were able to furnish
about the time of the <<<<cond Punic war, estimates that
of the Marsi, Marrucini, Vcstini, and Frentani, at
20,000 foot and 4000 horse. The only city of note
which we find ascribed to the Marrucini, is Teate,
now Ckieti, on the right bank of the Aternus. (Crti-
mer's Anc. Italy, vol. 1, p. 339. )
Marki'vium. I. a town of the Sabines, answering to
this modern Morro Vecehio. --II. The capital of the
Marsi, situate on the eastern shore of the Lacus Fuci-
nus, and corresponding to the modern San Bene-
Actio. (Slrabo, 241. --Piin. , 3, 12.
of 282 years; but the first thirteen books, which con-
tained a sketch of the history of 256 years (from 96
to 352), are lost, and we have only the last eighteen.
These eighteen, however, form the moat important
part of the labours of Ammianus. In the first thir-
teen bcoks he merely arranged materials from writers
who had gone before him; although it must be ac-
knowledged, that ever, this part would have been in-
teresting for us, as many of the works from which he
selected are now lost. In the eighteen books, how-
ever, that remain to us, and which it is more than
probable the copyists transcribed separately from the
rest, Ammianus relates the events which occutred du-
ring his own time. As he often look an active part in
those, or, at least, was an eyewitness of most of them,
he relates them in the first person: when he details
what did not pass under his immediate inspection, he
is careful to obtain the requisite information from those
who are acquainted with the subject, and who took
part in the matter that is related: he does not pretend,
however, to give a complete history of his time, and
he passes in silence over events respecting which he
has neither accurate information nor positive docu-
ments. This part of his work, therefore, is less a his-
tory than what we would call at tho present day me-
moirs of his time. Ammianus Marcellinus was a well-
informed man, and possessed of great good sense and
excellent judgment. No writer was ever more entitled
to praise for candour and impartiality. He understood
well the art of clearly showing the connexion of events,
and of painting in striking colours the characters of
those individuals whom he introduces into his narra-
tive. In a word, he would in all probability have
oecn an accomplished historian had his lot been
cast in a more favourable age. Had he lived in the
golden period of Roman literature, the study of good
models and the society of enlightened men would
have perfected his historic talent, and have formed
his style in a purer mould. The latter would not,
as is too often the case in Ammianus, have been
destitute of that simplicity which constitutes one of
the great beauties of historical narrative, nor over-
oaded with ornaments and disfigured by turgid and
barbarous forms of expression. These faults, how-
ever, in the style of Ammianus, find an excuse in
the circumstances of his case. He was a stranger,
and wrote in a language not his own , neither did the
busy life which he had led in camps permit him to cul-
tivate the talent for writing which nature had bestowed
upon him His good qualities are his own; his de-
fects arc those of the times; and, in spite of these de-
fects, his style is conspicuous among all the writers
who were contemporary with him for a purity to which
they could not attain. --Ammianus Marcellinus is the
last pagan historian; for, notwithstanding all that some
maintain to the contrary, we have no certain proof of
his having been a Christian. A public man, enriched
with the experience acquired amid the scenes of an
active life, he relates the events connected with the
new religion introduced by Constant vie with sang-froid
and impartiality, and perhaps with the indifference of
a man who knew how to raise himself to a point of
view where he could perceive naught but masses and
results. He blamea with equal frankness the anti-
christian mysticism of Julian, and the religious intol-
? ? erance of Constantius and his bishops. He speaks
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? MAR
MAR
during me second Punic war, and was accustomed to
be called '. he sword of the Romans, as Fabius was
denominated I heir shield. We have a life of him by
Plutarch. --II. Marcus Claudius, held the consulship
withServius Sulpicius, B. C. 51. He was remarkable
for his attachment to republican principles, and his
uncompromising hostility towards Caesar; and it was
hu who proposed to the senate to recall that command-
er from his province in Gaul. After the battle of
i'Lirsalia, Marcellus went into voluntary exile, and
was not pardoned by Cansar until some considerable
interval had elapsed, and then only at the earnest in-
tercession of the senate. It was on this occasion that
Cicero delivered his speech of thanks to Caesar.
Marcellus, however, did not long survive to enjoy the
pardon thus obtained, having been assassinated by an
adherent of his, P. Magius Gilo. He was then on his
return to Italy. The cause that prompted Cilo to the
act is not known. Cicero conjectures that the latter,
oppressed with debts, and apprehending some trouble
on that score in case of his return, had been urging
Marcellus, who was surety for some part of them, to
furnish him with money to pay the whole, and that, on
receiving a denial, he was provoked to the madness of
killing his patron. (Cie. , Ep. ad Att. , 13, 10. --Com-
pare Ep. ad Fam. , 4, 12. ) According to others,
however, he was prompted to the deed by seeing other
friends more highly favoured by Marcellus than him-
self. (Vol. Max. , 9, 11. ) After stabbing his patron,
Cilo slew himself. --III. Marcus Claudius, commonly
known as the "Young Marcellus," was the son of
Octavia the sister of Augustus, and consequently the
nephew of the latter. Augustus gave him his daugh-
ter Julia in marriage, and intended him for his suc-
cessor; but he died at the early age of IS, universally
regretted on account of the excellence of his private
character. Virgil has immortalized his memory by the
beautiful lines at the close of the sixth book of the
iEneid, and which are said to have drawn from Octa-
via so munificent a recompense. (Vid. Virgilius. )
Livia was suspected, though without reason, it would
teem, of having made away with Marcellus, who was
an obstacle to the advancement of her son Tiberius.
The more ostensible cause of his death was the inju-
dicious application of the cnld bath by the physician
Antonius Musa. (Vid. Musa. )
Marciana, a sister of the Emperor Trajan, who,
on account of her public and private virtues and her
amiable disposition, was declared Augusta and empress
by her brother. She died A. D. 113.
Marcianopolis, a city of Moesia Inferior, to the
west of Odessus, founded by Trajan, and named in
honour of his sister Marciana. (Amm. Marcell. , 27,
4. --Jornand. , Get. , c. 16. ) It soon became an im-
portant place in consequence of its lying on the main
toad from Constantinople to the Ister, and of its being
the place where preparations were made for all the
expeditions against the barbarians in this quarter.
When the Bulgarians formed a kingdom out of what
was previously Moesia, Marcianopolis became the cap-
ital, under the name of Pristhlaba (llpiaHhiia. --
Anna Comn. , p. 194) or Preslau). It still retains this
name, and also that of ICski Stamboul with the Turks:
the modern Greek inhabitants, however, call it Mar-
tenojoh. According to the /(in. Ant. (p. 228. --Corn-
Bare T'htopylacl. , 7, 2), Marcianopolis was 18 miles
to the west of Odessus. (Mannert, Geogr. , vol. 7,
? ? p. 138. )
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? MARE MORTUUM.
UARE MORTUUM.
ties from every other piece of water in the knswn
world, that it is a wonder it has not been the subject
of more frequent and extensive observation. Its
depth seems to be altogether unknown; and it is
only of late that a boat has navigated its surface.
Towards its southern extremity, however, in a con-
tracted part of the lake, is a ford, about six miles
over, made use of by the Arabs: in the middle of
which they report the water to be warm, indicating
the presence of warm springs beneath. In general,
towards the shore it is shallow; and it rises and falls
with the seasons, and with the quantity of water car-
ried into it by seven streams, which fall into this their
common receptacle, the chief of which is the Jordan.
It also appears either to be on the increase, or to be
lower in some years than in others, whence those
travellers are to be credited who assert that they have
beheld the ruins of the cities either exposed or in-
gulfed beneath tLi> waters. Troilo and D'Arvieux
attest that they observed fragments of wall, &c. Jo-
aephus rccr. ar'&s, that one might still see there "the
shadows of the five cities" (jtcVtc ftiv itoteav ewiar),
leaving it somewhat uncertain what he means by this
figurative language. (Bell. Jud. , 4, 8, 4. ) Strabo
gives a circumference of 60 stadia to the ruins of Sod-
om, according to the traditions of the neighbouring
communities (wore iriaTciav roic i? pi/? . Xoty/rvoic vird
tuv hyxupluv, ur upa ukovvto imrc rpionaidcica mX-
etc evravda, uv Tjjf /iT/Tpoiroteuc, Xodopuv, au^oirn
KvnXoc. Hjtjkovtu ttov aradiuv. --Strab. , 764). Two
aged and respectable inhabitants of Jerusalem told
Maundrell that they had once been able to see some
part of these ruins; that they were near the shore, and
the water so shallow at the time, that they, together
with some Frenchmen, went into it, and found several
pillars and other fragments of buildings. These sever-
al authorities are too weighty to be despised; and we
c>>y collect from them some support to the opinion,
kit, at the destruction of the guilty cities, they were
cot entirely overwhelmed with the waters, but remain-
ad more or less exposed to view, as monuments of the
judgments of God; and that, from the slow increase
of the waters through a period of nearly 4000 years,
they havo gradually receded from our sight, and are
now only to be seen through the water, if seen at all,
after seasons of long-continued drought. The water
now covering these ruins occupies what was formerly
the Vale of Siddim; a rich and fruitful valley, in which
stood the five cities, called the cities of the plain,
namely, Sodom, Gomorrah, Adrnah, Zeboim, andBela
or Zoar. The first four of these were destroyed, while
the latter, being " a little city," was preserved at the
intercession of Lot; to which ho lied for refugo from
the impending catastrophe, and where he remained in
safety during its accomplishment. Naturalists have in-
dulged themselves in many speculations as to the man-
ner in which this destruction took place, and the im-
mediate causes engaged in effecting it; as if this were
necessary for our faith. It is probable, however, that
in this inatance, as in most others, the Almighty called
in the aid of second causes for the accomplishment of
his purpose. The most reasonable explanation of such
causes is founded on what is said in Gen, 14, 10, of
the soil of the Vale of Siddim, that it was " full of slime
pits," or, more properly, pits of bitumen, for thus the
word is rendered in the Septuagint. Now it is prob-
able that in this instance, as in that of the flood, the
? ? inhabitants of the offending cities were involved in
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? MARE MORTUUM.
MARE MORTUUM
equally to be inferred from the want jf apace over
wh'ch the water could expand itself to be exhausted by
evaporation. 11 J. the discovery of the opening on the
southern border of the lake, and the inclined valley
leading thence to the sea, have rendered these infer-
ences almost conclusive. We may then, and must in
fact, refer the origin of the lake to the epoch in ques-
tion, when the combustion of the soil, or of its sub-
strata, occasioned a subsidence of the level of the val-
ley, by which the river was arrested in its course, and
a basin formed to receive its waters. These gradually
spread themselves over its surface, and would no doubt
soon have filled it, and resumed the ancient channel to
the southward, had not their increase been retarded by
the process of evaporation, which advanced in an in-
creasing ratio as the expanse of water grew wider and
wider. The newly-lormed lake would thus continue
to extend itself, until the supply of water from the
streams, and the consumption by evaporation, arrived
at a balance. When this took place, or whether it has
even yet taken place, cannot be known; at least with-
out such observations as have not yet been made.
That it has not long been the case may be inferred
from the disappearance of the ruins which were visible
two centuries ago. --The water of this sea is far more
salt than that of the ocean; containing one fourth part
of its weight of saline contents in a state of perfect
desiccation, and forty-one parts in a hundred in a slate
of simple crystallization: that is to say, a hundred
pounds by weight of water will yield forty-one pounds
of aalts; while the proportion of saline contents in the
water of the Atlantic is not more than l-27lh part in
a stste of dryness, and about six pounds of salts in a
hundred of the water. The specific gravity of the
water is 1. 211 ; that of common water being 1000. A
vial of it having been brought to England by Mr.
Gordon of Clunie, at the request of Sir Joseph Banks,
was analyzed by Dr. Marcet, who gives the following
results. - "This water is perfectly transparent, and
does not deposite any crystals on standing in close
vessels. Its taste is peculiarly bitter, saline, and pun-
gent. Solutions of silver produce from it a very copi-
ous precipitate, showing the presence of marine acid.
Oxaiic acid instantly discovers lime in the water.
The lime being separated, both caustic and carbona-
ted alkalies readily throw down a magnesian precipi-
tate. Solutions of barytes produce a cloud, showing
the existence of sulphuric acid. No afumine can be
discovered in the water by the delicate test of succin-
ic acid combined with ammonia. A small quantity
of pulverized sea salt being added to a few drops of
the water, cold and undiluted, the sal: was readily
dissolved with the assistance of a gentle trituration,
showing that the Dead Sea is not saturated with com-
mon salt. None of the coloured infusions common-
ly used to ascertain the prevalence of an acid or an
alkali, such as litmus, violet, and turmeric, were in the
least altered by the water. " The result of Dr. Mar-
cel's analysis gives the following contents in 100 grains
of the water:
Muriate of Ltme
Muriate of Magnesia
MuriHle of Soda
Sulphate of Lune .
. 3. 990 grains.
. 10. 346 >>
. 103150"
? ? . 00M"
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? MAR
for, although it be now known that the water*
of thid lake, instead of proving destructive of animal
life, swarm with myriads of h'shes (Chateaubriand,
*ol. 1, p. 411, Land. , 1811); that, instead of falling
victims '>> its exhalations, certain birds make it their
peculiar resort (Maundrell, p. 84, Ozf. , 1721); that
shells abound upon its shores; that the pretended
fruit containing ashes in as natural and admirable a
production of nature as the rest of the vegetable king-
dom, being the fruit of the Soltmum Melangcna, the
inside of which, when the fruit is attacked by an in-
sect (Tcnthredo), turns to dust, while the skin remains
entire and of a beautiful colour; notwithstanding all
these and other facts are well established, yet even
the latest authors by whom it is mentioned continue
to fill their descriptions with imaginary horrors. --Re-
land, in his account of the Lacut Asphaltitcs (Palast. ,
vol. 1, p. 238), after inserting copious extracts from
Galen concerning the properties and quality of the
water, and its natural history, proceeds to account for
the strange fables that have prevailed with regard to
its deadly influence, by showing that certain of the an-
cients confounded this lake with another, bearing the
same appellation of Asphaltites, near Babylon; and
that they attributed to it qualities which properly be-
longed to the Babylonian waters. An account of the
properties of the Babylonian lake occurs in the wri-
tings of Vitruvius (8, 3), of Pliny (35, 15), of Athe-
n. vus (it, 5), and of Xiphilinus (p. 252). From their
various testimony it is evident, that all the phenomena
supposed to belong to the Lake Asphallites near Baby-
lon, were, from the similarity of their names, ulti-
mately considered as the natural characteristics of the
/ndaean lake, the two Asphaltites being confounded. "
(Clarke's Travels, vol. 4, p. 399, Land, ed. )
MAREOTIS, a lake of Egypt, in the immediate vicin-
itr of Aiexandrea. Its earlier name was Marea (17
); the later Greeks gave it the appella
tion of Mareotis (Mapeurif). The first writer that
makes mention of it is Scylax (p. 44). "Pharos,"
? ays he, "is an uninhabited island, with a good har-
bour, but destitute of water. This last is obtained
from the neighbouring lake Maria (? K rijf Mapj'af
UfU'iK vipevovrai") The same writer informs us,
that in very early times canals were cut connecting this
lake with the Nile, and thus furnishing it with a con-
stant supply of fresh water.
The Lake Mareotis first
rose into importance after the founding of Alexandrea.
From this period it is mentioned by all the geographi-
cal writers, but the most particular description is given
by Strabo (799). "The Lake Marea," says Strabo,
"is more than 150 stadia in breadth, and not quite
800 in length. It extends on the west as far as the
fortress called Chersonesus, which is 70 stadia from
Alciandrea. It contains eight islands, and all the
country around is well inhabited. " In another part
(p. 793) he informs us, that many canals connected
this lake with the Nile, and that thus, in the summer
season, when the lake would otherwise have been low,
the inundation of the Nile afforded it an abundant
supply of water, and rendered the neighbouring coun-
try, and Alexandrea in particular, extremely healthy;
since, otherwise, had the waters of the lake been di-
minished by the summer heats, the sun would have
acted on the mud left uncovered along the banks, and
would have produced pestilence. Of these canals
he remarks, on another occasion (p. 803), that many
of them struck the Nile between Gynaecopolis and
? ? Momemphis. Along the'canals connecting the river
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? MAR
MARfUS.
Man; now March. --II. A city of the Sabni, in Ara-
bia Felix. (Plin. , 6, 38. )
MabIa Lex, I. by C. Marius, when tribune, A. U. C.
634. It ordained that the passages, called pontes, by
which the people passed to give their voles at the
comilia, should be narrower, in order that there might
be no crowding there, and that no persons might take
their stand there to impede or disturb the voters.
(Cic. , Leg. , 3, 17. )--II. Maria Porcia, so called be-
cause proposed by two tribunes, Marius and Porcius.
It was passed A. U. C. 691, and ordained that those com-
manders should be punished who, in order to obtain
a triumph, wrote t) the senate a false account of the
number of tho enemy slain in battle, or of the citizens
tha-. vr-we missing; and that, when commanders re-
turned to the city, they should swear before the city
qrusstors to the truth of the account which they had
sent. (Vol. Max. , 2, 8, 1. )
Mariana Fossa, a canal cut by Marius from the
river Rhone, through the Campus Lapideus, into the
Lake Mastramcla. It was probably near the modern
Martigues. (Mela, 2, b. --Plin. , 3, 4. )
Makiandyni, a people of Bithynia, to the east of
the river Sangarua. They were of uncertain origin;
but, since they differed neither in language nor in cus-
toms materially from the Dithynians, they might justly
he considered as part of the same great Thracian stock.
(Strab. , 542. ) That they were barbarous is allowed
I y all; and Theopompus, whose authority is referred to
>>y Strabo, reported, that when the Megarians founded
Heraclea in their territory, they easily subjected the
Mariandyni, and reduced them to a state of abject sla-
very, similar to that of the Mnotsj in Crete, and the
Penest-e in Thessaly. (Strab. , I. c. --Position. , ap.
Alhen. r. 6, p. 263-- Athen. , 14, p. 620. )
Marica, I. a nymph of the river l. iris, who had a
grove near Minturnce, into which, if anything was
brought, it was not lawful to take it out again. (Plut. ,
Vit. Marii, 39. ) According to some authorities, she
was the sa:ne with Circe. (Lactant. , de fals. Rel. ,
1, 21. ) Virgil, however, makes her the (wife)of Fau-
nus, and mother of Latinus. (Ain. , 7, ii. --Serv. , ad
Uk. )
MiBisus, a native of Tyre, who flourished in the
second century of the Christian era, a short time be-
fore Ptolemy. An account of his work on . Mathemati-
cal Geography will be given under the article Ptole-
maeus.
Marisus, a river of Dacia which falls into the Ti-
biscus; now the Marosch. (Strabo. --Jornand. ,de
Rtb. Get. , p. 102 )
Marius, Caius, a celebrated Roman, was bom of
bumble parents, at or in the neighbourhood of Arpi-
num, about B. C. 157. He served at the siege of Nu-
mantia, B. C. 134, under Scipio Africanus, together
with Jugurtha, where he highly distinguished himself.
He received great marks of honour from Scipio, who
used frequently to invite him to his table; and when,
jne evening at aupper, Scipio was asked where they
? hould find so great a general when he was gone, he
m said to have replied, placing his hand upon the
? houlder of Marius, "Here, perhaps. " In B. C. 119
be was elected tribune of the commons, through the
influence of Ccecilius Metellus, according to Plutarch,
bat more probably in consequence of the fame he had
acquired in the Numantine war. In this office he
ihowed himself, a. * he did throughout the whole course
? ? of his life, a most determined enemy of the patrician
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? MARIUS
MARIUS.
minis, the tribune, who is described as a man that
scrupled at the commission of no crime to accom-
plish his object. The events of the sixth consulship
of Marius, which are some of the most important in
this period of Roman history, are imperfectly narrated
by historians. It appears that an agrarian law, pro-
posed by Saturninus, and supported by Marius and
one of the prstors named Glaucia, was carried, not-
withstanding the most violent opposition of the patri-
cian party; and that Melcllus Numidicus was driven
into exile, in consequence of refusing to take the oath
of conforming to the law. When the election of con-
luls for the ensuing year came on, Memmius, who
opposed Glaucia as a candidate for the office, was
murdered by order of Saturninus; and the senate,
perceiving the city to be in a stale of anarchy, passed
the usual decree, " that the consuls should take care
that the republic received no injury," by which almost
absolute power was vested in those magistrates. Ma-
rius, unable or unwilling to protect his old friends, be-
sieged Saturninus and Glaucia, who had seized upon
the Capitol. They surrendered to Marius on the prom-
ise that their lives should be spared, but they were
all immediately put to death. It appears probable
that Marius, after the blow which had been given to
the popular party by the surrender of Saturninus and
jlaucia. would not have been able to save their lives,
;ven if he had made the attempt. At the expiration
y{ his consulship, Marius left Rome, to avoid witness-
ing the triumph of the patrician party in the return
of his old enemy Metcllus, whose sentence of ban-
ishment was repealed after the death of Saturninus
According to Plutarch, he went to Cappadocia and
Galatia, under the pretence of offering a sacrifice
which he had vowed to Cybele, but with the real
object of exciting Mithradales to war, in order that
he might be again employed in military affairs, since
he did not obtain much distinction in peace. In B. C.
90 the Marsian or Social war broke out, in which
both Mariu; and Sylla were employed as legati to the
twe consuls. Marius gained several victories over
the anemy, but he no longer possessed that activity
and energy which had distinguished him in his earlier
years; and disgusted, it is said, with the increasing
reputation of Sylla, he resigned his command before
the conclusion of the war. The Marsian war had
scarcely been brought to an end, before the civil war
broke out between Marius and Sylla. The command
of the Mithradatic war had been assigned to the latter,
who was now consul (B. C. 88); but Marius used ev-
ery effort to wrest it from him, and is said by Plu-
tarch to have gone every day to the Campus Martius,
and to have performed his exercises with the young
men, although he was now in his 70th year, and very-
corpulent, in order to show that he was not incapaci-
tated by age. He was warmly supported by P. Sul-
picius, the tribune, who possessed great property and
influence; and a law was eventually passed, that the
command should be taken from Sylla and given to
Marius. Sylla was with the army at the time, besie-
ging Nola; but, as aoon as he heard of the law which
had been passed, he marched to Rome, and Marius
and his adherents were obliged to flee from the city.
After wardering through many parts of Italy, Marius
escaped with the. grejtest difficulty to Africa; but he
bad no sooner landea at Carthage than Sextilius, the
pvemor of the province, sent word to him, that, unless
? ? i: quilted Africa, he should treat him as a public ene-
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? MAR
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army eiccted Mari js emperor. It it generally ? up-
posed that the Empress Victorina contributed to bis
elevation, with the hope of preserving her own au-
thority; but this is denied by some modern writers,
wbo maintain that she took part in the conspiracy
which deprived Marius of his crown and life. (lie
Bote, Dissertation sur un miduillon it Tetricus. --
Htm. ile I'Aead. des Inter. , vol. 26. ) He reigned
only three days, and was slain by a soldier to whom
be had refused some favour, and who, in stabbing
h:tn. exclaimed, "Take it--it was thou thyself that
forged it. " Marius was remarkable for personal
strength, of which historians give some accounts that
are evidently fabulous. (Treb. Pollto, Trigint. Ty-
rann. -- Vit. Marii. )
Marmarica, a country of Africa, to tbe east of Cy-
renaica, lying along the Mediterranean shore. It
forms at present a part of the district of Barca. The
inhabitants were a roving race, and remarkable for
their skill in taming serpents. (SU. Ital. , 3, 300. )
The ancient Marmarica was a region much less high-
ly favoured by nature than Cyrenaica. According to
Delia Cella (p. 182, seqq), the general features of the
country, however, are similar to those of the region
last mentioned. "We wound our way," says this
traveller, "among wild and rugged mountains, fre-
quently enlivened by groups of evergreens; among
which the cypress, arbutus, Phoenician juniper, gigan-
tic myrtle, carob, and laurel, were most abundant;
and as they form no long and uniform woods, but are
scattered about in a variety of forms and groups
among the rocks, they are very picturesque ornaments
of the scenery. The ground is throughout broken
and irregular, and does not slope down into pastures,
as in Cyrenaica; but tho privation of that agreeable
feature baa its compensation, for the want of grass-
lands secures this district from the incursions of the
vagabond hordes in its neighbourhood. The woody
and elevated nature of this country aflbrds frequent
and copious springs of clear and most delicious wa-
ter. --This tract of border country is, as in former
times, the resort of alt the thieves, miscreants, and
malcontents of the two governments of Tripoli and
Egypt. Pitching their tents in the neighbourhood of
tbe Bay of Bomba, they make incursions into the ad-
jacent districts, and pillage all who have tho misfor-
tune to fall in their way. They are ever on the watch
lor the caravans and pilgrims who traverse this coun-
try on their way to Mecca: and this is the only
route used by the people of Morocco, above all oth-
ers the most fervently devoted to their prophet. ''--
M. Pacho speaks of the general aspect of Marmarica
in still less favourable terms. The soil, he says, is
rocky, of a yellowish-gray colour, and depends for its
fertility solely on the copious rains. The country
presents none of those verdant groves of laurel and
myrtle which crown the mountains and overshadow
the valleys of the Pentapolis. The singing-birds, vain-
ly seeking foliage and shelter, flee from this naked re-
gion; only birds of prey, the eagle, the hawk, and
the vulture, appear in numerous flights, their sinister
screams rendering the solitude more frightful. The
lackal, the hyena, the jerboa, the hare, and the gazelle,
? re the wild animals which chiefly abound; and the
existence of man is indicated merely by the bleating
of distant flocks, and the dark tent of the Arab. Yet
this country also exhibits traces of having once been
? ? occupied by a civilized and even numerous popula-
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? MAR
Mar
Italy, from a statement of Polybius (2, 84), where
that historian, in enumerating the different contingents
which the allies of tr>e Romans were able to furnish
about the time of the <<<<cond Punic war, estimates that
of the Marsi, Marrucini, Vcstini, and Frentani, at
20,000 foot and 4000 horse. The only city of note
which we find ascribed to the Marrucini, is Teate,
now Ckieti, on the right bank of the Aternus. (Crti-
mer's Anc. Italy, vol. 1, p. 339. )
Marki'vium. I. a town of the Sabines, answering to
this modern Morro Vecehio. --II. The capital of the
Marsi, situate on the eastern shore of the Lacus Fuci-
nus, and corresponding to the modern San Bene-
Actio. (Slrabo, 241. --Piin. , 3, 12.
