>
the Dardanians and Moesians with great success.
the Dardanians and Moesians with great success.
William Smith - 1844 - Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities - a
41, 42), was P.
Curiatins and two of his colleagues, M.
Metilius
probably one of the Terentii.
and M. Minucius, endeavoured to counteract the
CUMA'NUS, VENTI'DIUS. [FELIX, An- unpopularity and turn the hatred of the people
TONIUS. ]
against the patricians by bringing a charge against
CUNCTA'TOR, a surname given to Q. Fabius Sergius and l'irginius, two military tribunes of the
Maximus, who fought against llannibal.
year previous, who they declared to be the au-
CUPI'DO was, like Amor and Voluptas, a
chors of all the mischief and the cause of the peo-
modification of the Greek Eros, whose worship was ple's sufferings. Both the accused were condemned
carried to Rome from Greecc. (Cic. ar. Lactant. to pay a heavy fine, and the tribunes of the people
i. 20. 14 ; Plaut. Curc. i. 1,3; see Eros. ) [L. S. ] soon after brought forward an agrarian law, and
C. CUPIENNIUS. 1. A person to whom prevented the tribute for the maintenance of the
Cicero wrote a letter in B. C. 44, entreating him to armies being levied from the plebeians. (Liv. v.
interest himself in the affairs of the inhabitants of 11, 12. )
Buthrotum, and reminding him of the friendship 2. C. CURIATIUS, tribune of the people in B. C.
which had existed between the father of Cupien- 138, is characterised by Cicero (de Liy. iii. 9) as
nius and Cicero himself. (Cic. ad Atl. xvi. 16, n. ), a homo infimus. He caused the consuls of the
2. The Cupiennius attacked by Horace (Sat. 1. ycar, P. Cornelius Scipio Nasica (whom he nick-
2. 36) on account of his adulterous intercourse named Serapio) and D. Junius Bruius to be thrown
with Roman matrons, is said by the Scholiast on into prison for the severity with which they pro-
Horace to have been C. Cupiennius Libo of Cuma, ceeded in levying fresh troops, and for their disre-
a friend of Augustus.
gard to the privilege of the tribunes to exempt
There are some coins extant bearing the names certain persons from military service. (Liv. Epit.
of L. Cupiennius and C. Cupiennius; but who 55; Val. Max. iii. 7. $ 3. )
these persons were, is not known. (Eckhel, v. There are extant several coins, on which we
p. 199. )
read C. Cur. 'Trige. or C. CUR. F. , and which
CURA, the personification of Care, respecting may belong to this tribune or a son of his ; but it
whose connexion with man an ingenious allegorical is just as probable that they belonged to some
story is related by Hyginus. (Fab. 220. ) (L. S. ] patrician C. Curiatius, about whom history fur-
CURE'TES. [Zeus. ]
nishes no information. (Eckhel, v. p. 199, &c. )
CURIA GENS, plebeian, is mentioned for the One C. Scaevius Curiatins, who lived in the early
first time in the beginning of the third century period of the empire, is mentioned in an inscrip-
B. C. , when it was rendered illustrious by M'. Cu- tion in Orelli (No. 4046) as duun vir in the muni-
rius Dentatus. (DENTATUS. ] This is the only cipium of Veii.
[L. S. ]
cognomen which occurs in the gens : for the other CURIA'TIUS MATERNUS. [MATERNUS. ]
members of it, see CURIUS.
(L. S. ] CU'RIO, the name of a family of the Scribonia
CURIA'TIA GENS. The existence of a pa- gens.
trician gens of this name is attested by Livy (i. 1. C. SCRIBONIUS Curio, was appointed curio
30, comp. Dionys. iii. 30), who expressly mentions maximus in B. c. 174, in the place of C. Mamilius
the Curiatii among the noble Alban gentes, which, Vitulus, who had been carried off by the plague.
after the destruction of Alba, were transplanted to (Liv. xli. 26. )
Rome, and there received among the Patres. This 2. C. SCRIBONIUS CURio, praetor in B. c. 121,
opinion is not contradicted by the fact that in B. c. the year of C. Gracchus's deaih, was one of the
401 and 138 we meet with Curiatii who were tri- most distinguished orators of his time. Cicero
bunes of the people and consequently plebeians, mentions one of his orations for Ser. Fulvius, who
for this phenomenon may be accounted for here, as was accused of incest, and states, that when a
in other cases, by the supposition that the plebeian young man he thought this oration by far the best
Curiatii were the descendants of freedmen of the of all extant orations; but he adds, that afterwards
patrician Curiatii, or that some members of the the speeches of Curio fell almost into oblivion. He
patrician gens had gone over to the plebeians. The was a contemporary of C. Julius Caesar Strabo,
Alban origin of the Curiatii is also stated in the Cotta, and Antonius, and against the last of these
story about the three Curiatii who in the reign of he once spoke in the court of the centumviri for
Tullus Hostilius fought with the three Roman | the brothers Cossus. (Cic. Brut. 32, de Inrent, i.
brothers, the Horatii, and were conquered by the 43, de Orat. ii. 23, 33; Schol. Bob. in Aryum.
cunning and bravery of one of the Horatii, though | Orat. in Clod. et Curion. ; Pseud. -Cic. ad Herenn.
some writers described the Curiatii as Romans i. 20; Plin. H. N. vii. 41. )
and the Horatii as Albans. (Liv. i. 24, &c. ; 3. C. SCRIBOXIUS Curio, a son of the former.
Dionys. iii. 11, &c. ; Plut. Parall. Gr. et. Rom. 16; In B. c. 100, when the seditious tribune L. Appu-
Flor. i. 3; Aurel. Vict. de Vir. III. 4; Zonar. vii. leius Saturninus was murdered, Curio was with
6; Niebuhr, Hist. of Rome, i. p. 348; comp. the consuls. In B. c. 90, the year in which the
HORATIUS. ) No members of the patrician Curiatia Marsic war broke out, Curio was tribune of the
gens, so far as our records go, rose to any eminence people.
He afterwards served in the army of
at Rome, and there are but few whose names have Suila during his war in Greece against Archelaus,
come down to us. The only cognomen of the gens the general of Mithridates, and when the city of
in the times of the republic is FISTUS. For the Athens was taken, Curio besieged the tyrant
plebeians who are mentioned without a cognomen, Aristion in the acropolis. In B. c. 82 he was in-
see CURIATIUS.
[L. S. ] vested with the prietorship, and in 76 he was
CURIA'TIUS. 1. P. CURIATIUS, tribune of made consul ingether with Cn. Octavius. After
the people in B. C. 401. The college of tribunes the expiration of the consulship, he obtained Ma-
in that year laboured under great unpopularity, as ccdonia as his province, and carried on a war for
two of them had been appointed by the co-optation three years in the north of his province against
## p. 902 (#922) ############################################
902
CURIO.
CURIO.
>
the Dardanians and Moesians with great success. reckless in squandering money as he was insatiable
He was the first Roman general who advanced in in acquiring it, had by this time contracted enor-
those regions as far as the river Danube, and on mous debts, and he siw no way of getting out of
his return to Rome in 71, he celebrated a triumph his difficulties except by an utter confusion of the
over thc Dardanians. Curio appears to have hence affairs of the sepublic. It was believed that he
forth remained at Rome, where he took an active would direct his power and influence as tribune
part in all public affairs. He acted as an opponent against Caesar, and at first he did so ; but Caesar,
of Julius Caesar, and was connected in intimate who was anxious to gain over some of the influen-
friendship with Cicero. When the punishment of tial men of the city, paid all Curio's debts on con-
the Catilinarian conspirators was discussed in the dition of his abandoning the Pompeian party.
senate, Curio also spoke, and afterwards expressed This scheme was perfectly successful; but Curio
his satisfaction with Cicero's measures. In the was too clever and adroit a person at once to turn
trial of P. Clodius, for having violated the sacra of his back upon his former friends. At first he
the Bona Dea, Curio spoke in favour of Clodius, continued to act against Caesar; by and by he
probably out of enmity towards Caesar; and Cicero assumed an appearance of neutrality; and in order
on that occasion attacked both Clodius and Curio to bring about a rupture between himself and the
most vehemently in a speech of which considerable Pompeian party, he brought forward some laws
fragments are still extant. This event, however, which he knew could not be carried, but which
does not appear to have at all interrupted their would afford him a specious pretext for descrting
personal friendship, for Cicero speaks well of him his friends. When it was demanded that Caesar
as a man on all occasions; he says, that he was should lay down his imperium before coming to
one of the good men of the time, and that he was Rome, Curio proposed that Pompey should do the
always opposed to bad citizens. In B. c. 57 Curio same. This demand itself was as fair as the
was appointed pontifex maximus; he died four source from which it originated was impure. Pom-
years later, B. c. 53. Like his father and his son, pey shewed indeed a disposition to do anything that
Curio acquired in his time some reputation as an was fair, but it was evident that in reality he did
orator, and we learn from Cicero, that he spoke on not intend to do any such thing. Curio therefore
various occasions; but of all the requisites of an now openly attacked Pompey, and described him as
orator he had only one, viz. elocution, and he ex- a person wanting to set himself up as tyrant; but,
celled most others in the purity and brilliancy of in order not to lose every appearance of neutrality
his diction ; but his mind was altogether unculti- even now, he declared, that if Caesar and Pompey
vated; he was ignorant without being aware of would not consent to lay down their imperium,
this defect; he was slow in thinking and invent- both must be declared public ememies, and war
ing, very awkward in his gesticulation, and with must be forth with made against them. This ex-
out any power of memory. With such deficiencies cited Pompey's indignation so much, that he with-
he could not escape the ridicule of able rivals or of drew to a suburban villa. Curio, however, conti-
his audience; and on one occasion, probably during nued to act his part in the senate; and it was
his tribuneship, while he was addressing the peo- decreed that Pompey and Caesar should each dis.
ple, he was gradually deserted by all his hearers. miss one of their legions, which were to be sent to
His orations were published, and he also wrote Syria. Pompey cunningly evaded obeying the
a work against Caesar in the form of a dialogue, command by demanding back from Caesar a legion
in which his son, C. Scribonius Curio, was one of which lie had lent him in B. c. 53; and Caesar
the interlocutors, and which had the same defi- sent the two legions required, which, however,
ciencies as his orations. (The numerous passages instead of going to Syria, took up their winter-
in which he is spoken of by Cicero are given in quarters at Capua.
Orelli's Onom. Tull. ii. p. 525, &c. ; comp. Plut. Soon after, the consul Claudius Marcellus pro-
Sull. 14; Appian, Mithrid. 60; Eutrop. vi. 2; posed to the senate the question, whether a suc-
Oros. iv. 23; Suet. Cacs. 9, 49, 52; Dion Cass. cessor of Caesar should be sent out, and whether
xxxviii. 16; Val. Max. ix. 14. $ 5; Plin. H. N. Pompey was to be deprived of his imperium ?
vii. 12 ; Solin. i. 6 ; Quintil. vi. 3. S 76. ) The senate consented to the former, but refused to
4. C. SCRIBONIUS Cirio, the son of the former, do the latter. Curio repeated his former proposal,
and, like his father, a friend of Cicero, and an ora- that both the proconsuls should lay down their
tor of great natural talents, which however he left power, and when it was put to the vote, a large
uncultivated from carelessness and want of indus- majority of the senators voted for Curio. Claudius
try. Cicero knew him from his childhood, and Marcellus, who had always pretended to be a
did all he could to direct his great talents into a champion of the senate, now refused obedience to
proper channel, to suppress his love of pleasure its decree ; and as there was a report that Caesar
and of wealth, and to create in him a desire for was advancing with his army towards Rome, he
true fame and virtue, but without any success, proposed that the two legions stationed at Capua
and Curio was and remained a person of most pro- should be got ready at once to march against Cae-
frigate character. He was married to Fulvia, who Curio, however, denied the truth of the re-
afterwards became the wife of Antony, and by port, and prevented the consul's command being
whom Curio had a daughter who was as dissolute obeyed. Claudius Marcellus and his colleague,
as her mother. Owing to his family connexions Ser. Sulpicius Rufus now rushed out of the city to
and several other outward circumstances, he be- Pompey, and solemnly called upon him to under-
Jonged to the party of Pompey, although in his take the command of all the troops in Italy, and
heart he was favourably disposed towards Caesar. save the republic. Curio now could not interfere,
After having been quaestor in Asia, where he had as he could not quit the city in the character of
discharged the duties of his office in a praise worthy tribune ; le therefore addressed the people, and
manner, he sued for and obtrined the tribuneship called upon them to demand of the consuls not to
for the eventful var 1. c. 30. Curiu, who was as perinit Pompy to levy an army. But he was not
sar.
## p. 903 (#923) ############################################
CURITIS.
903
CURIUS.
go
to
na.
listened to. Amid these disputes the year of goddess. (Ov. Fust. ii. 177, vi. 4); Macrob. Sut.
Curio's tribuneship was coming to its closc, and as i. 9. ) Hartung (Die Relig. der Rom. ii. p. 72) finds
he had good reason to fear for his own safety, he in the surname Curitis an allusion to a marriage
was induced by despair to quit the city and ceremony, in which some of the bride's hair was
Caesar, who was at Ravenna and consulted him as either really or symbolically cut off with the
to what was to be done. Curio urged the neces- curved pont of a sword. (Plut. Quuest. Rom. 87;
sity of immediately collecting his troops and march- Or. Bust. ii. 560. )
[L. S. )
ing them against Rome. Caesar, however, was CUʻRIUS. 1. M. CURius, probably a grand-
still inclined to settle the question in a peaceful son of M'. Curius Dentatus, was tribune of the
manner, and despatched Curio with a message to people in B. c. 199. He and one of his colleagues,
the senate. But when Domitius Ahenobarbus was M. Tulvius, opposed T. Quinctius Flamininus, who
actually appointed Caesar's successor, and when offered himself as a candidate for the consulshiil',
the new tribunes, Antony and Q. Cassius, who without having held any of the intermediate of-
followed in Curio's footsteps, were commanded by tices between that of quaestor and consul; but the
the consuls to quit the senato, and when even tribunes yielded to the wishes of the senate. (Liv.
their lives were threatened by the partizans of xxxii. 7. )
Pompey, the tribunes together with Curio tled in 2. M. Curius, is known only through a law-
the night following, and went to Caesar at Raven- suit which he had with M. Coponius about an
lle and his arıy received them as men per- inheritance, shortly before B. c. 91. A Roman
secuted, and treated as enemies for their zeal in citizen, who was anticipating his wife's confine-
upholding the freedom of the republic.
ment, made a will to this effect, that if the child
The breaking out of the civil war could now be should be a son and die before the age of maturity,
avoided no longer. Curio collected the troops sta- M'. Curius should succeed to his property. Soon
tioned in Umbria and Etruria, and led em to after, the testator died, and his wife did not give
Caesar, who rewarded him with the province of birth to a son. M. Coponius, who was the next of
Sicily and the title of propraetor, B. C. 49. Curio kin to the deceased, now came forward, and, ap-
was successful in crushing the party of Pompey in pealing to the letter of the will, claimed the pro-
Sicily, and compelled Cato to quit the island. Af- | perty which had been left. Q. Mucius Scaevola
ter having effected this, he crossed over to Africa undertook to plead the cause of Coponius, and L,
to attack king Juba and the Pompeian general, Licinius Crassus spoke for Curius. Crassus suc-
P. Attius Varus. Curio was at first successful, ceeded in gaining the inheritance for his client.
but desertion gradually became general in his This trial (Curiana causa), which attracted great
army, which consisted of only two legions, and attention at the time, on account of the two emi-
when he began to lay siege to Utica, he was at- nent men who conducted it, is often mentioned by
tacked by Juba, and fell in the ensuing battle. Cicero. (De Orat. i. 39, 56, 57, ii. 6, 32, 54,
His troops were dispersed, killed, and taken pri- | Brut. 39, 52, 53, 73, 88, pro Caecin. 18, Topric.
soners, and only a few them were able to return 10. )
to Sicily. Africa was thus again in the hands of 3. M'. Curius (is in some editions called M.
the Pompeian party.
Curtius), a friend of Cicero and a relation (conso
C. Scribonius Cirio had been one of the main brinus) of C. Caelius Caldus. He was quaestor
instruments in kindling the civil war between urbanus in B. c. 6), and tribune of the people in
Caesar and Pompey. He was a bold man and 58, when Cicero hoped that Curius would protect
profligate to the last degree ; he squandered his him against the machinations of P. Clodius. At
own property as unscrupulously as that of others, a somewhat later time, he is called in a letter of
and no means were ample enough to satisfy his Cicero's addressed to him (ad Fam. xiii. 49) a
demands. His want of modesty knew no bounds, governor of a Roman province with the title of
and he is a fair specimen of a depraved and profli- proconsul, but it is not known of what province he
gate Roman of that time. But he was never- had the administration. The letter above referred
theless a man of eminent talent, especially as to is the only one extant among the ad Familiares
an orator. This Cicero saw and appreciated, and which is addressed to him. In the declaration
he never lost the hope of being able to turn the Post Reditum in Senatu (8) Cicero states, that he
talent of Curio into a proper direction. This cir- had been quaestor to Curius's father, whereas it is
cumstance and the esteem which Cicero had enter- a well-known fact, that Cicero had been quaestor
tained for Curio's father, are the only things that to Sex. Peducaeus. This contradiction is usually
can account for his tender attachment to Curio; solved by the supposition, that Curius was the
and this is one of the many instances of Cicero's adoptive son of Peducaeus. (Cic. ad Fam. ii. 19,
amiable character. The first seven letters of the ad Quint. Frat. i. 4, pro Flacc. 13. )
second book of Cicero's “ Epistolae ad Familiares" 4. M. CURIUS, one of the most intimate friends
are addressed to him. (Orelli
, Onom. Tull. ii. p. of Cicero, who had known him from his childhood,
526, &c. ; comp. Caes. B. C.
probably one of the Terentii.
and M. Minucius, endeavoured to counteract the
CUMA'NUS, VENTI'DIUS. [FELIX, An- unpopularity and turn the hatred of the people
TONIUS. ]
against the patricians by bringing a charge against
CUNCTA'TOR, a surname given to Q. Fabius Sergius and l'irginius, two military tribunes of the
Maximus, who fought against llannibal.
year previous, who they declared to be the au-
CUPI'DO was, like Amor and Voluptas, a
chors of all the mischief and the cause of the peo-
modification of the Greek Eros, whose worship was ple's sufferings. Both the accused were condemned
carried to Rome from Greecc. (Cic. ar. Lactant. to pay a heavy fine, and the tribunes of the people
i. 20. 14 ; Plaut. Curc. i. 1,3; see Eros. ) [L. S. ] soon after brought forward an agrarian law, and
C. CUPIENNIUS. 1. A person to whom prevented the tribute for the maintenance of the
Cicero wrote a letter in B. C. 44, entreating him to armies being levied from the plebeians. (Liv. v.
interest himself in the affairs of the inhabitants of 11, 12. )
Buthrotum, and reminding him of the friendship 2. C. CURIATIUS, tribune of the people in B. C.
which had existed between the father of Cupien- 138, is characterised by Cicero (de Liy. iii. 9) as
nius and Cicero himself. (Cic. ad Atl. xvi. 16, n. ), a homo infimus. He caused the consuls of the
2. The Cupiennius attacked by Horace (Sat. 1. ycar, P. Cornelius Scipio Nasica (whom he nick-
2. 36) on account of his adulterous intercourse named Serapio) and D. Junius Bruius to be thrown
with Roman matrons, is said by the Scholiast on into prison for the severity with which they pro-
Horace to have been C. Cupiennius Libo of Cuma, ceeded in levying fresh troops, and for their disre-
a friend of Augustus.
gard to the privilege of the tribunes to exempt
There are some coins extant bearing the names certain persons from military service. (Liv. Epit.
of L. Cupiennius and C. Cupiennius; but who 55; Val. Max. iii. 7. $ 3. )
these persons were, is not known. (Eckhel, v. There are extant several coins, on which we
p. 199. )
read C. Cur. 'Trige. or C. CUR. F. , and which
CURA, the personification of Care, respecting may belong to this tribune or a son of his ; but it
whose connexion with man an ingenious allegorical is just as probable that they belonged to some
story is related by Hyginus. (Fab. 220. ) (L. S. ] patrician C. Curiatius, about whom history fur-
CURE'TES. [Zeus. ]
nishes no information. (Eckhel, v. p. 199, &c. )
CURIA GENS, plebeian, is mentioned for the One C. Scaevius Curiatins, who lived in the early
first time in the beginning of the third century period of the empire, is mentioned in an inscrip-
B. C. , when it was rendered illustrious by M'. Cu- tion in Orelli (No. 4046) as duun vir in the muni-
rius Dentatus. (DENTATUS. ] This is the only cipium of Veii.
[L. S. ]
cognomen which occurs in the gens : for the other CURIA'TIUS MATERNUS. [MATERNUS. ]
members of it, see CURIUS.
(L. S. ] CU'RIO, the name of a family of the Scribonia
CURIA'TIA GENS. The existence of a pa- gens.
trician gens of this name is attested by Livy (i. 1. C. SCRIBONIUS Curio, was appointed curio
30, comp. Dionys. iii. 30), who expressly mentions maximus in B. c. 174, in the place of C. Mamilius
the Curiatii among the noble Alban gentes, which, Vitulus, who had been carried off by the plague.
after the destruction of Alba, were transplanted to (Liv. xli. 26. )
Rome, and there received among the Patres. This 2. C. SCRIBONIUS CURio, praetor in B. c. 121,
opinion is not contradicted by the fact that in B. c. the year of C. Gracchus's deaih, was one of the
401 and 138 we meet with Curiatii who were tri- most distinguished orators of his time. Cicero
bunes of the people and consequently plebeians, mentions one of his orations for Ser. Fulvius, who
for this phenomenon may be accounted for here, as was accused of incest, and states, that when a
in other cases, by the supposition that the plebeian young man he thought this oration by far the best
Curiatii were the descendants of freedmen of the of all extant orations; but he adds, that afterwards
patrician Curiatii, or that some members of the the speeches of Curio fell almost into oblivion. He
patrician gens had gone over to the plebeians. The was a contemporary of C. Julius Caesar Strabo,
Alban origin of the Curiatii is also stated in the Cotta, and Antonius, and against the last of these
story about the three Curiatii who in the reign of he once spoke in the court of the centumviri for
Tullus Hostilius fought with the three Roman | the brothers Cossus. (Cic. Brut. 32, de Inrent, i.
brothers, the Horatii, and were conquered by the 43, de Orat. ii. 23, 33; Schol. Bob. in Aryum.
cunning and bravery of one of the Horatii, though | Orat. in Clod. et Curion. ; Pseud. -Cic. ad Herenn.
some writers described the Curiatii as Romans i. 20; Plin. H. N. vii. 41. )
and the Horatii as Albans. (Liv. i. 24, &c. ; 3. C. SCRIBOXIUS Curio, a son of the former.
Dionys. iii. 11, &c. ; Plut. Parall. Gr. et. Rom. 16; In B. c. 100, when the seditious tribune L. Appu-
Flor. i. 3; Aurel. Vict. de Vir. III. 4; Zonar. vii. leius Saturninus was murdered, Curio was with
6; Niebuhr, Hist. of Rome, i. p. 348; comp. the consuls. In B. c. 90, the year in which the
HORATIUS. ) No members of the patrician Curiatia Marsic war broke out, Curio was tribune of the
gens, so far as our records go, rose to any eminence people.
He afterwards served in the army of
at Rome, and there are but few whose names have Suila during his war in Greece against Archelaus,
come down to us. The only cognomen of the gens the general of Mithridates, and when the city of
in the times of the republic is FISTUS. For the Athens was taken, Curio besieged the tyrant
plebeians who are mentioned without a cognomen, Aristion in the acropolis. In B. c. 82 he was in-
see CURIATIUS.
[L. S. ] vested with the prietorship, and in 76 he was
CURIA'TIUS. 1. P. CURIATIUS, tribune of made consul ingether with Cn. Octavius. After
the people in B. C. 401. The college of tribunes the expiration of the consulship, he obtained Ma-
in that year laboured under great unpopularity, as ccdonia as his province, and carried on a war for
two of them had been appointed by the co-optation three years in the north of his province against
## p. 902 (#922) ############################################
902
CURIO.
CURIO.
>
the Dardanians and Moesians with great success. reckless in squandering money as he was insatiable
He was the first Roman general who advanced in in acquiring it, had by this time contracted enor-
those regions as far as the river Danube, and on mous debts, and he siw no way of getting out of
his return to Rome in 71, he celebrated a triumph his difficulties except by an utter confusion of the
over thc Dardanians. Curio appears to have hence affairs of the sepublic. It was believed that he
forth remained at Rome, where he took an active would direct his power and influence as tribune
part in all public affairs. He acted as an opponent against Caesar, and at first he did so ; but Caesar,
of Julius Caesar, and was connected in intimate who was anxious to gain over some of the influen-
friendship with Cicero. When the punishment of tial men of the city, paid all Curio's debts on con-
the Catilinarian conspirators was discussed in the dition of his abandoning the Pompeian party.
senate, Curio also spoke, and afterwards expressed This scheme was perfectly successful; but Curio
his satisfaction with Cicero's measures. In the was too clever and adroit a person at once to turn
trial of P. Clodius, for having violated the sacra of his back upon his former friends. At first he
the Bona Dea, Curio spoke in favour of Clodius, continued to act against Caesar; by and by he
probably out of enmity towards Caesar; and Cicero assumed an appearance of neutrality; and in order
on that occasion attacked both Clodius and Curio to bring about a rupture between himself and the
most vehemently in a speech of which considerable Pompeian party, he brought forward some laws
fragments are still extant. This event, however, which he knew could not be carried, but which
does not appear to have at all interrupted their would afford him a specious pretext for descrting
personal friendship, for Cicero speaks well of him his friends. When it was demanded that Caesar
as a man on all occasions; he says, that he was should lay down his imperium before coming to
one of the good men of the time, and that he was Rome, Curio proposed that Pompey should do the
always opposed to bad citizens. In B. c. 57 Curio same. This demand itself was as fair as the
was appointed pontifex maximus; he died four source from which it originated was impure. Pom-
years later, B. c. 53. Like his father and his son, pey shewed indeed a disposition to do anything that
Curio acquired in his time some reputation as an was fair, but it was evident that in reality he did
orator, and we learn from Cicero, that he spoke on not intend to do any such thing. Curio therefore
various occasions; but of all the requisites of an now openly attacked Pompey, and described him as
orator he had only one, viz. elocution, and he ex- a person wanting to set himself up as tyrant; but,
celled most others in the purity and brilliancy of in order not to lose every appearance of neutrality
his diction ; but his mind was altogether unculti- even now, he declared, that if Caesar and Pompey
vated; he was ignorant without being aware of would not consent to lay down their imperium,
this defect; he was slow in thinking and invent- both must be declared public ememies, and war
ing, very awkward in his gesticulation, and with must be forth with made against them. This ex-
out any power of memory. With such deficiencies cited Pompey's indignation so much, that he with-
he could not escape the ridicule of able rivals or of drew to a suburban villa. Curio, however, conti-
his audience; and on one occasion, probably during nued to act his part in the senate; and it was
his tribuneship, while he was addressing the peo- decreed that Pompey and Caesar should each dis.
ple, he was gradually deserted by all his hearers. miss one of their legions, which were to be sent to
His orations were published, and he also wrote Syria. Pompey cunningly evaded obeying the
a work against Caesar in the form of a dialogue, command by demanding back from Caesar a legion
in which his son, C. Scribonius Curio, was one of which lie had lent him in B. c. 53; and Caesar
the interlocutors, and which had the same defi- sent the two legions required, which, however,
ciencies as his orations. (The numerous passages instead of going to Syria, took up their winter-
in which he is spoken of by Cicero are given in quarters at Capua.
Orelli's Onom. Tull. ii. p. 525, &c. ; comp. Plut. Soon after, the consul Claudius Marcellus pro-
Sull. 14; Appian, Mithrid. 60; Eutrop. vi. 2; posed to the senate the question, whether a suc-
Oros. iv. 23; Suet. Cacs. 9, 49, 52; Dion Cass. cessor of Caesar should be sent out, and whether
xxxviii. 16; Val. Max. ix. 14. $ 5; Plin. H. N. Pompey was to be deprived of his imperium ?
vii. 12 ; Solin. i. 6 ; Quintil. vi. 3. S 76. ) The senate consented to the former, but refused to
4. C. SCRIBONIUS Cirio, the son of the former, do the latter. Curio repeated his former proposal,
and, like his father, a friend of Cicero, and an ora- that both the proconsuls should lay down their
tor of great natural talents, which however he left power, and when it was put to the vote, a large
uncultivated from carelessness and want of indus- majority of the senators voted for Curio. Claudius
try. Cicero knew him from his childhood, and Marcellus, who had always pretended to be a
did all he could to direct his great talents into a champion of the senate, now refused obedience to
proper channel, to suppress his love of pleasure its decree ; and as there was a report that Caesar
and of wealth, and to create in him a desire for was advancing with his army towards Rome, he
true fame and virtue, but without any success, proposed that the two legions stationed at Capua
and Curio was and remained a person of most pro- should be got ready at once to march against Cae-
frigate character. He was married to Fulvia, who Curio, however, denied the truth of the re-
afterwards became the wife of Antony, and by port, and prevented the consul's command being
whom Curio had a daughter who was as dissolute obeyed. Claudius Marcellus and his colleague,
as her mother. Owing to his family connexions Ser. Sulpicius Rufus now rushed out of the city to
and several other outward circumstances, he be- Pompey, and solemnly called upon him to under-
Jonged to the party of Pompey, although in his take the command of all the troops in Italy, and
heart he was favourably disposed towards Caesar. save the republic. Curio now could not interfere,
After having been quaestor in Asia, where he had as he could not quit the city in the character of
discharged the duties of his office in a praise worthy tribune ; le therefore addressed the people, and
manner, he sued for and obtrined the tribuneship called upon them to demand of the consuls not to
for the eventful var 1. c. 30. Curiu, who was as perinit Pompy to levy an army. But he was not
sar.
## p. 903 (#923) ############################################
CURITIS.
903
CURIUS.
go
to
na.
listened to. Amid these disputes the year of goddess. (Ov. Fust. ii. 177, vi. 4); Macrob. Sut.
Curio's tribuneship was coming to its closc, and as i. 9. ) Hartung (Die Relig. der Rom. ii. p. 72) finds
he had good reason to fear for his own safety, he in the surname Curitis an allusion to a marriage
was induced by despair to quit the city and ceremony, in which some of the bride's hair was
Caesar, who was at Ravenna and consulted him as either really or symbolically cut off with the
to what was to be done. Curio urged the neces- curved pont of a sword. (Plut. Quuest. Rom. 87;
sity of immediately collecting his troops and march- Or. Bust. ii. 560. )
[L. S. )
ing them against Rome. Caesar, however, was CUʻRIUS. 1. M. CURius, probably a grand-
still inclined to settle the question in a peaceful son of M'. Curius Dentatus, was tribune of the
manner, and despatched Curio with a message to people in B. c. 199. He and one of his colleagues,
the senate. But when Domitius Ahenobarbus was M. Tulvius, opposed T. Quinctius Flamininus, who
actually appointed Caesar's successor, and when offered himself as a candidate for the consulshiil',
the new tribunes, Antony and Q. Cassius, who without having held any of the intermediate of-
followed in Curio's footsteps, were commanded by tices between that of quaestor and consul; but the
the consuls to quit the senato, and when even tribunes yielded to the wishes of the senate. (Liv.
their lives were threatened by the partizans of xxxii. 7. )
Pompey, the tribunes together with Curio tled in 2. M. Curius, is known only through a law-
the night following, and went to Caesar at Raven- suit which he had with M. Coponius about an
lle and his arıy received them as men per- inheritance, shortly before B. c. 91. A Roman
secuted, and treated as enemies for their zeal in citizen, who was anticipating his wife's confine-
upholding the freedom of the republic.
ment, made a will to this effect, that if the child
The breaking out of the civil war could now be should be a son and die before the age of maturity,
avoided no longer. Curio collected the troops sta- M'. Curius should succeed to his property. Soon
tioned in Umbria and Etruria, and led em to after, the testator died, and his wife did not give
Caesar, who rewarded him with the province of birth to a son. M. Coponius, who was the next of
Sicily and the title of propraetor, B. C. 49. Curio kin to the deceased, now came forward, and, ap-
was successful in crushing the party of Pompey in pealing to the letter of the will, claimed the pro-
Sicily, and compelled Cato to quit the island. Af- | perty which had been left. Q. Mucius Scaevola
ter having effected this, he crossed over to Africa undertook to plead the cause of Coponius, and L,
to attack king Juba and the Pompeian general, Licinius Crassus spoke for Curius. Crassus suc-
P. Attius Varus. Curio was at first successful, ceeded in gaining the inheritance for his client.
but desertion gradually became general in his This trial (Curiana causa), which attracted great
army, which consisted of only two legions, and attention at the time, on account of the two emi-
when he began to lay siege to Utica, he was at- nent men who conducted it, is often mentioned by
tacked by Juba, and fell in the ensuing battle. Cicero. (De Orat. i. 39, 56, 57, ii. 6, 32, 54,
His troops were dispersed, killed, and taken pri- | Brut. 39, 52, 53, 73, 88, pro Caecin. 18, Topric.
soners, and only a few them were able to return 10. )
to Sicily. Africa was thus again in the hands of 3. M'. Curius (is in some editions called M.
the Pompeian party.
Curtius), a friend of Cicero and a relation (conso
C. Scribonius Cirio had been one of the main brinus) of C. Caelius Caldus. He was quaestor
instruments in kindling the civil war between urbanus in B. c. 6), and tribune of the people in
Caesar and Pompey. He was a bold man and 58, when Cicero hoped that Curius would protect
profligate to the last degree ; he squandered his him against the machinations of P. Clodius. At
own property as unscrupulously as that of others, a somewhat later time, he is called in a letter of
and no means were ample enough to satisfy his Cicero's addressed to him (ad Fam. xiii. 49) a
demands. His want of modesty knew no bounds, governor of a Roman province with the title of
and he is a fair specimen of a depraved and profli- proconsul, but it is not known of what province he
gate Roman of that time. But he was never- had the administration. The letter above referred
theless a man of eminent talent, especially as to is the only one extant among the ad Familiares
an orator. This Cicero saw and appreciated, and which is addressed to him. In the declaration
he never lost the hope of being able to turn the Post Reditum in Senatu (8) Cicero states, that he
talent of Curio into a proper direction. This cir- had been quaestor to Curius's father, whereas it is
cumstance and the esteem which Cicero had enter- a well-known fact, that Cicero had been quaestor
tained for Curio's father, are the only things that to Sex. Peducaeus. This contradiction is usually
can account for his tender attachment to Curio; solved by the supposition, that Curius was the
and this is one of the many instances of Cicero's adoptive son of Peducaeus. (Cic. ad Fam. ii. 19,
amiable character. The first seven letters of the ad Quint. Frat. i. 4, pro Flacc. 13. )
second book of Cicero's “ Epistolae ad Familiares" 4. M. CURIUS, one of the most intimate friends
are addressed to him. (Orelli
, Onom. Tull. ii. p. of Cicero, who had known him from his childhood,
526, &c. ; comp. Caes. B. C.
