Of horti-
the impropriety of bis conduct, but his reproofs culture.
the impropriety of bis conduct, but his reproofs culture.
William Smith - 1844 - Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities - a
iv.
p.
1, &c.
) [W.
A.
G.
]
him Caracalla, Elagabalus, and Alexander Severus BASSUS, A'NNIUS, commander of a legion
all bore the name of Bassianus; and we find his under Antonius Primus, A. D. 70. (Tac. Hist.
grand-daughter Julia Soemias entitled Bassiana in iii. 50. )
a remarkable bilinguar inscription discovered at BASSUS, AUFI'DIUS, an orator and histo-
Velitrae and published with a dissertation at Rome rian, who lived under Augustus and Tiberius. He
in 1765. (Aurelius Victor, Epit. c. 21, has pre- drew up an account of the Roman wars in Ger-.
served his name ; and from an expression used by many, and also wrote a work upon Roman history
Dion Cassius, lxxviii. 24, with regard to Julia of a more general character, which was continued,
Domna, we infer his station in life. See also the in thirty-one books, by the elder Pliny. No frag-
genealogical table prefixed to the article CARA-ment of his compositions has been preserved.
CALLA. )
[W. R. ] (Dialog. de Orat. 23; Quintil. x. 1, 102, &c. ;
BASSUS. We find consuls of this name under Senec. Suasor. 6, Ep. xxx. , which perhaps refers
Valerian for the years A. D. 258 and 259. One to a son of this individual; Plin. H. N. Praef. ,
of these is probably the Pomponius Baseus who Ep. iii. 5, 9. ed. Titze. ) It will be clearly per-
under Claudius came forward as a national sacrifice, ceived, upon comparing the two passages last re-
because the Sibylline books had declared that the ferred to, that Pliny wrote a continuation of the
Goths could not be vanquished unless the chief general history of Bassus, and not of his history of
senator of Rome should devote his life for his the German wars, as Bähr and others have asserted.
country; but the emperor would not allow him to His praenomen is uncertain. Orelli (ad Dialog. de
execute this design, generously insisting, that the Orat. c. 23) rejects Titus, and shews from Priscian
person pointed ont by the Fates must be himself. (lib. viii. p. 371, ed. Krehl), that Publius is more
The whole story, however, is very problematical. likely to be correct.
[W. R. ]
(Aurel. Vict. Epit. c. 34 ; comp. Julian, Caes. p. BASSUS, BETILIE'NUS, occurs on a coin,
il, and Tillemont on Claudius II. ) (W. R. ) from which we learn that he was a triumvir mone-
BASSUS. 1. Is named by Ovid as having formed talis in the reign of Augustus. (Eckhel, v. p. 150. )
one of the select circle of his poetical associates, Seneca speaks (de Ira, iii. 18) of a Betilienus
and as celebrated for his iambic lays, “ Ponticus Bassus who was put to death in the reign of Cali-
heroo, Bassus quoque clarus jambo,” but is not gula ; and it is supposed that he may be the same
noticed by Quintilian nor by any other Roman as the Betillinus Cassius, who, Dion Cassius says
writer, unless he be the Bassus familiarly addressed (lix. 25), was executed by command of Caligula,
by Propertius. (Eleg. i. 4. ) Hence is is probable A. D. 40.
that friendship may have exaggerated his fame BASSUS, Q. CAECI’LIUS, a Roman knight,
and merits. Osann argues from a passage in and probably quaestor in B. c. 59 (Cic. ad At. ii.
Apuleius the grammarian (De Orthograph. Š 43), 9), espoused Pompey's party in the civil war, and
that Battus, and not Bussus, is the true reading in after the loss of the battle of Pharsalia (48) fied to
the above line from the Tristia, but his reasonings Tyre. Here he remained concealed for some time ;
have been successfully combated by Weichert. but being joined by several of his party, he endea-
(De L. Vario Poeta, Excurs. ii. De Bassis quibus voured to gain over some of the soldiers of Sex. Julius
dam, gc. )
Caesar, who was at that time governor of Syria. In
2. A dramatic poet, contemporary with Martial, this attempt he was successful; but his designs
Death
Hea
Send
Tiarus
C. ca
GE
af Thin
1. 151
iset
ಎಳ
HE
lay
Si
## p. 472 (#492) ############################################
472
BASSUS.
BASSUS.
were discovered by Sextus, who, however, forgave tion of Vesuvius which overwhelmed Herculaneum
him on his alleging that he wanted to collect troops and Pompcii. lle must not be confounded with
in order to assist Mithridates of Pergamus. Soon 2. Caesius Bassus, a Roman Grammarian of un-
afterwards, however, Bassus spread a report that certain date, the author of a short tract entitled
Caesar had been defeated and killed in Africa, and * Ars Caesii Bassi de Metris," which is given in
that he himself had been appointed governor of the “Grammaticae Latinae Auctores Antiqui" of
Syria. He forth with seized upon Tyre, and Putschius (Hanov. 1605), pp. 2663-2671. [W. R. ]
marched against Sextus; but being defeated by the BASSUS, CASSIA'NUS, surnamed Scholas
latter, he corrupted the soldiers of his opponent, ticus, was in all probability the compiler of the
who was accordingly put to death by his own troops. Geoponica (Tewtoviká), or work on Agriculture,
On the death of Sextus, his whole army went which is usually ascribed to the emperor Constan-
over to Bassus, with the exception of some troops tine Porphyrogeneta. (A. D. 911-959. ) Cas-
which were wintering A paineia and which fied sianus Bassus appears to have compiled it by the
to Cilicia. Bassus followed them, but was unable command of this emperor, who has thus obtained
to gain them over to his side. On his return he the honour of the work Of Bassus we know no-
took the title of praetor, B. C. 46, and settled down thing, save that he lived at Constantinople, and
in the strongly fortified town of Apameia, where he was born at Maratonymum, probably a place in
maintained himself for three years. He was first Bithynia. (Geopon. v. 6, comp. v. 36. ) The work
besieged by C. Antistius Vetus, who was, however, itself, which is still extant, consists of twenty
compelled to retire with loss, as the Arabian Al- books, and is compiled from various authors, whose
chaudonius and the Parthians came to the assist- names are always given, and of whom the follow-
ance of Bassus. It was one of the charges ing is an alphabetical list:-Sex. Julius Afri-
brought against Cicero's client, Deïtoraus, that he CANUS; ANATOLICUS of Berytus [p. 161, b. );
had intended to send forces to Bassus. After the APPULEIUS ; ARATUS of Soli; ARISTOTELES, the
retreat of Antistius, Statius Murcus was sent philosopher ; DAMOGERON ; DEMOCRITUS ; Di.
against Bassus with three legions, but he too re- DYMUS of Alexandria ; CassiUS DIONYSIUS of
ceived a repulse, and was obliged to call to his Utica ; DIOPHANES of Nicaea ; FLORENTINUS ;
assistance Narcius Crispus, the governor of Bi- FRONTO ; HIEROCLES, governor of Bithynia under
thynia, who brought three legions more. With Diocletian ; HIPOCRATES, of Cos, a veterinary
these six legions Murcus and Crispus kept Bassus surgeon, at the time of Constantine the Great;
besieged in Apameia till the arrival of Cassius in LEONTINUS or Leontirs ; Nestor, a poet in the
Syria in the year after Caesar's death, B. C. 43. time of Alexander Severus ; PAMPHILUS of Alex-
The troops of Bassus, as well as those of Murcus andria ; PARAMUS; PELAGONIUS ; PTOLEMAEUS
and Crispus, immediately went over to Cassius, of Alexandria ; the brothers QUINTILIUS (Gordi-
and Bassus, who was unwilling to join Cassius, anus and Maximus) ; TARENTINUS ; THEOMNES
was dismissed uninjured. (Dion Cass. xlvii. 26 TUS; VARRO ; ZOROASTER. Cassianus Bassus
-28 ; Appian, B. C. iii. 77, 78, iv. 58, 59; Cic. has contributed only two short extracts of his own,
pro Deit. 8, 9, ad Att. xiv. 9, xv. 13, ad Fum. xi. namely, cc. 5 and 36 of the fifth book.
l, Philip. xi. 13, ad Fam. xii. ll, 12 ; Liv. Epit. The various subjects treated of in the Geoponica
114, 121; Vell. Pat. ii. 69 ; Strab. xvi. p. 752; will best appear from the contents of the different
Joseph. Ant. xiv. 11, B. J. i. 10. § 10. )
books, which are as follow: 1. Of the atmosphere
Appian gives (l. c. ) a different account of the and the rising and setting of the stars. 2. Of
origin of the revolt in Syria under Bassus. Ac- general matters appertaining to agriculture, and of
cording to Appian's statement, Bassus was ap- the different kinds of corn. 3. Of the various
pointed by Caesar commander of the legion under agricultural duties suitable to each month. 4 and
the gorernor Sex. Julius. But as Sextus gave 5. Of the cultivation of the vine. 6-8. Of the
himself up to pleasure and carried the legion about making of wine. 9. Of the cultivation of the
with him everywhere, Bassus represented to him olive and the making of oil. . 10-12.
Of horti-
the impropriety of bis conduct, but his reproofs culture. 13. Of the animals and insects injurious
were received with contempt; and shortly after- to plants. 14. Of pigeons and other birds. 15.
wards Sextus ordered him to be dragged into his of natural sympathies and antipathies, and of
presence, because he did not immediately come the management of bees. 16. Of horses, asses,
when he was ordered. Hereupon the soldiers and camels. 17. Of the breeding of cattle. 18. Of
rose against Sextus, who was killed in the tumult. the breeding of sheep. 19. Of dogs, hares, deer,
Fearing the anger of Caesar, the soldiers resolved pigs, and of salting meat. 20. Of fishes.
to rebel, and compelled Bassus to join them.
The Geoponica was first published at Venice in
BASSUS, CAESIUS. 1. A Roman lyric poet, 1538, 8vo. , in a Latin translation made by Janus
who flourished about the middle of the first century. Cornarius. The Greek text appeared in the fol-
Quintilian (x. 1. $ 95) observes, “At Lyricorum lowing year, 1539, 8vo. , at Basel, edited by J.
idem Horatius fere solus legi dignus. . . Si quem- | Alex. Brassicanus from a manuscript in the im-
dam adjicere velis, is erit Caesius Bassus, quem perial library in Vienna The next edition was
nuper vidimus : sed eum longe praecedunt ingenia published at Cambridge, 1704, 8vo. , edited by
viventium. ” Two lines only of his compositions Needham, and the last at Leipzig, 1781, 4 vols.
have been preserved, one of these, a dactylic hexa- 8vo. , edited by Niclas.
meter from the second book of his Lyrics, is to be BASSUS, CESE'LLIUS, a Roman knight,
found in Priscian (x. p. 897, ed. Putsch); the other and a Carthaginian by birth, on the faith of a
is quoted by Diomedes (iii. p. 513, ed. Putsch. ) as dream promised to discover for Nero immense
an example of Molossian verse. The sixth satire treasures, which had been hidden by Dido when
of Persius is evidently addressed to this Bassus ; she fled to Africa. Nero gave full credit to this
and the old scholiast informs us, that he was des- tale, and despatched vessels to carry the treasures
troyed along with his villa in A. v. 79 by the erup- to Rome; but Bassus, after digging about in every
## p. 473 (#493) ############################################
BASSUS.
473
BATEIA.
19
direction, was unable to find them, and in despair The Bassus who was governor of Mysia under
put an end to his life, A. D. 66. (Tac. Ann. xvi. Caracalla may have been the father or the son of
1-3 ; Suet. Ner. 31. )
the above. (Dion Cass. lxxviii. 21, lxxix. 5;
BASSUS, GA'VIUS or GA'BIUS, a learned Herodian, v. 6, 5. )
(W. R. )
grammarian, whose Commentarii and treatise De BASSUS, SALEIUS, & Roman epic poet,
Origine Verborum et Vocubulorum are cited by Gel- contemporary with Statius. Quintilian thus
lius (ii. 4, iii. 9, 19, v. 7, xi. 37). He is probably characterises his genius : “ vehemens et poeticum
the same with the writer of the work De Diis, fuit nec ipsum senectute maturum. The last
spoken of by Macrobius (Sat. i. 19, iii. 6, compare words are somewhat obscure, but probably signify
iii. 18), and perhaps to him belong the Satirac also that he died young, before his powers were ripened
from which Fulgentius Planciades quotes a line. by years. He is the "tenuis Saleius” of Juvenal,
(Serm. Antiq. Explic. ) We hear of a Gavius Bas- one of the numerous band of literary men whose
bus who was prefectus of the Pontic coast under poverty and sufferings the satirist so feelingly de-
Trajan (Plin. Ep. x. 18, 32, 33), but those who plores ; hut at a later period his wants were
would identify him with the person mentioned relieved by the liberality of Vespasian, as we learn
above have orerlooked the circumstance that the from the dialogue on the decline of eloquence,
author of the commentaries declares, that he beheld where warm praise is lavished on his abilities and
with his own eyes at Argos the famous equus moral worth.
Seianus, which was said to have belonged in suc- We have not even a fragment acknowledged as
cession to Dolabella, Cassius, and M. Antonius; the production of this Bassus. A panegyric, in-
and hence it is clear that, unless in addition to its deed, in 261 heroic hexameters, on a certain Cal-
peculiar property of entailing inevitable destruction purnius Piso, has been preserved, the object and
upon its possessor, it had likewise received the gift the author of which are equally uncertain ; and
of longer life than ever steed enjoyed before, it hence we find it attributed to Virgil, to Ovid, to
could hardly have been seen by a contemporary of Statius, and very frequently to Lucan, whose
the younger Pliny. The praenomen Gavius or name is said to be prefixed in some MSS. , while
Galius has in many MSS. been corrupted into Wernsdorf, rejecting all these suppositions, labours
Gaius or Caius, and then abbreviated into C. , hard to prove that it ought to be ascribed to Saleius
which has given rise to considerable confusion; Bassus, and that the Piso who is the hero of the
but, for anything we can prove to the contrary, piece must be the well-known leader of the great
each of the above-mentioned books may be from conspiracy against Nero. The strong points in the
the pen of a distinct individual.
(W. R. ]
position are the allusions (1. 180) to the game of
BASSUS JU'LIUS. [Bassus, p. 471, b. ) draughts in which this Piso is known to have
BASSUS, JU'LIUS, à Roman orator, fre been an adept (Vet. Schol. ad Jur. v. 109), and
quently mentioned by the elder Seneca in his the references by the writer to his own humble
Controversiae, seems to be the same as the Junius origin and narrow means, a description altogether
Bassus who was called Asinus albus when Quin- inapplicable to the well-born and wealthy bard of
tilian was a boy, and who was distinguished by Corduba. Granting, however, that Wernsdorf is
his abusive wit. (Quintil. vi. 3. SS 27, 57, 74. ) right so far as Piso and Lucan are concerned, it by
BĄSSUS, LOLLIUS (nómios Beooos), the no means follows, from the simple fact that the
author of ten epigrams in the Greek Anthology, is author in question was poor and neglected, that we
called, in the title of the second epigram, a native are entitled, in the absence of all other evidenco
of Smyra. His time is fixed by the tenth epi- direct or circumstantial, to identify him with
gram, on the death of Germanicus, who died A. D. Saleius Bassus, for it is certain that the same con-
19. (Tac. Ann. ii. 71. )
[P. S. ] ditions would hold good of Statius, Serranus, and
BASSUS, LUCILIUS, a name used by Cicero a long list of versifiers belonging to the same
as proverbial for a vain and worthless author. In period. (Quint. x. 1, 90 ; Dialog. de Oratt. cc.
a letter to Atticus (xii. 5), speaking of his pane 5, 9; Juv. vii. 80 ; Wernsdorf, Poett
. Latt. Minn.
gyric upon Cato, he says, “ I am well pleased with vol. iv. P. i. pp. 36, 72, 75, 236. ) (W. R. )
my work, but so is Bassus Lucilius with his. " BASSUS, SEPU'LLIUS, a Roman orator,
Some MSS. here have Caecilius. (W. R. ] frequently mentioned by the elder Seneca. (Con-
BASSUS, LUCILIUS, was promoted by trov. iii. 16, 17, 20-22. )
Vitellius from the command of a squadron of BASSUS, SI'LIUS, a Roman orator, mention-
cavalry to be adıniral of the fleet at Ravenna and ed by the elder Seneca. (Controv. i. 6, 7. )
Misenum, B. c. 70; but disappointed at not ob- BA'TALUS (Bátalos), according to some, the
taining the command of the praetorian troops, he author of lascivious drinking-songs, and according
betrayed the fleet to Vespasian. After the death to others, an effeminate flute-player, who must
of Vitellius, Bassus was sent to put down some have lived shortly before the time of Demosthenes,
disturbances in Campania. (Tac. Hist. ii. 100, iii. for the latter is said to have been nick-named Ba-
12, 36, 40, iv. 3. ) His name occurs in an in- talus on account of his weakly and delicate consti-
scription. (Gruter, p. 573. )
tution. (Plut. Dem. 4, Vit. X. Orat. p. 847, e. )
HASSUS, POMPONIUS, was consul A. D. According to Libanius (Vit. Dem. p. 2, ed. Reiske),
211, under Septimius Severus, and at a subsequent Batalus, the flute-player, was a native of Ephesus,
period fell a victim to the licentious cruelty of and the first man that ever appeared on the stage
Elagabalus, who having become enamoured of his in women's shoes, for which reason he was ridi-
fair and high-born wiſe, Annia Faustina, a de- culed in a comedy of Antiphanes. Whether the
scendant (åróyovos, probably great-grandaughter) poet and the fute-player were the same, or two
of M. Aurelius, caused Bassus to be put to death different persons, is uncertain. (Comp. Meineke,
by the senate under some frivolous pretext, and Hist. Crit. Com. Graec. p. 333, &c. ). (L. S. )
then married the widow with indecent haste. BATEIA (Báteia), a daughter of Tcucer or of
This event took place in 221.
Tros (Steph. Byz.
him Caracalla, Elagabalus, and Alexander Severus BASSUS, A'NNIUS, commander of a legion
all bore the name of Bassianus; and we find his under Antonius Primus, A. D. 70. (Tac. Hist.
grand-daughter Julia Soemias entitled Bassiana in iii. 50. )
a remarkable bilinguar inscription discovered at BASSUS, AUFI'DIUS, an orator and histo-
Velitrae and published with a dissertation at Rome rian, who lived under Augustus and Tiberius. He
in 1765. (Aurelius Victor, Epit. c. 21, has pre- drew up an account of the Roman wars in Ger-.
served his name ; and from an expression used by many, and also wrote a work upon Roman history
Dion Cassius, lxxviii. 24, with regard to Julia of a more general character, which was continued,
Domna, we infer his station in life. See also the in thirty-one books, by the elder Pliny. No frag-
genealogical table prefixed to the article CARA-ment of his compositions has been preserved.
CALLA. )
[W. R. ] (Dialog. de Orat. 23; Quintil. x. 1, 102, &c. ;
BASSUS. We find consuls of this name under Senec. Suasor. 6, Ep. xxx. , which perhaps refers
Valerian for the years A. D. 258 and 259. One to a son of this individual; Plin. H. N. Praef. ,
of these is probably the Pomponius Baseus who Ep. iii. 5, 9. ed. Titze. ) It will be clearly per-
under Claudius came forward as a national sacrifice, ceived, upon comparing the two passages last re-
because the Sibylline books had declared that the ferred to, that Pliny wrote a continuation of the
Goths could not be vanquished unless the chief general history of Bassus, and not of his history of
senator of Rome should devote his life for his the German wars, as Bähr and others have asserted.
country; but the emperor would not allow him to His praenomen is uncertain. Orelli (ad Dialog. de
execute this design, generously insisting, that the Orat. c. 23) rejects Titus, and shews from Priscian
person pointed ont by the Fates must be himself. (lib. viii. p. 371, ed. Krehl), that Publius is more
The whole story, however, is very problematical. likely to be correct.
[W. R. ]
(Aurel. Vict. Epit. c. 34 ; comp. Julian, Caes. p. BASSUS, BETILIE'NUS, occurs on a coin,
il, and Tillemont on Claudius II. ) (W. R. ) from which we learn that he was a triumvir mone-
BASSUS. 1. Is named by Ovid as having formed talis in the reign of Augustus. (Eckhel, v. p. 150. )
one of the select circle of his poetical associates, Seneca speaks (de Ira, iii. 18) of a Betilienus
and as celebrated for his iambic lays, “ Ponticus Bassus who was put to death in the reign of Cali-
heroo, Bassus quoque clarus jambo,” but is not gula ; and it is supposed that he may be the same
noticed by Quintilian nor by any other Roman as the Betillinus Cassius, who, Dion Cassius says
writer, unless he be the Bassus familiarly addressed (lix. 25), was executed by command of Caligula,
by Propertius. (Eleg. i. 4. ) Hence is is probable A. D. 40.
that friendship may have exaggerated his fame BASSUS, Q. CAECI’LIUS, a Roman knight,
and merits. Osann argues from a passage in and probably quaestor in B. c. 59 (Cic. ad At. ii.
Apuleius the grammarian (De Orthograph. Š 43), 9), espoused Pompey's party in the civil war, and
that Battus, and not Bussus, is the true reading in after the loss of the battle of Pharsalia (48) fied to
the above line from the Tristia, but his reasonings Tyre. Here he remained concealed for some time ;
have been successfully combated by Weichert. but being joined by several of his party, he endea-
(De L. Vario Poeta, Excurs. ii. De Bassis quibus voured to gain over some of the soldiers of Sex. Julius
dam, gc. )
Caesar, who was at that time governor of Syria. In
2. A dramatic poet, contemporary with Martial, this attempt he was successful; but his designs
Death
Hea
Send
Tiarus
C. ca
GE
af Thin
1. 151
iset
ಎಳ
HE
lay
Si
## p. 472 (#492) ############################################
472
BASSUS.
BASSUS.
were discovered by Sextus, who, however, forgave tion of Vesuvius which overwhelmed Herculaneum
him on his alleging that he wanted to collect troops and Pompcii. lle must not be confounded with
in order to assist Mithridates of Pergamus. Soon 2. Caesius Bassus, a Roman Grammarian of un-
afterwards, however, Bassus spread a report that certain date, the author of a short tract entitled
Caesar had been defeated and killed in Africa, and * Ars Caesii Bassi de Metris," which is given in
that he himself had been appointed governor of the “Grammaticae Latinae Auctores Antiqui" of
Syria. He forth with seized upon Tyre, and Putschius (Hanov. 1605), pp. 2663-2671. [W. R. ]
marched against Sextus; but being defeated by the BASSUS, CASSIA'NUS, surnamed Scholas
latter, he corrupted the soldiers of his opponent, ticus, was in all probability the compiler of the
who was accordingly put to death by his own troops. Geoponica (Tewtoviká), or work on Agriculture,
On the death of Sextus, his whole army went which is usually ascribed to the emperor Constan-
over to Bassus, with the exception of some troops tine Porphyrogeneta. (A. D. 911-959. ) Cas-
which were wintering A paineia and which fied sianus Bassus appears to have compiled it by the
to Cilicia. Bassus followed them, but was unable command of this emperor, who has thus obtained
to gain them over to his side. On his return he the honour of the work Of Bassus we know no-
took the title of praetor, B. C. 46, and settled down thing, save that he lived at Constantinople, and
in the strongly fortified town of Apameia, where he was born at Maratonymum, probably a place in
maintained himself for three years. He was first Bithynia. (Geopon. v. 6, comp. v. 36. ) The work
besieged by C. Antistius Vetus, who was, however, itself, which is still extant, consists of twenty
compelled to retire with loss, as the Arabian Al- books, and is compiled from various authors, whose
chaudonius and the Parthians came to the assist- names are always given, and of whom the follow-
ance of Bassus. It was one of the charges ing is an alphabetical list:-Sex. Julius Afri-
brought against Cicero's client, Deïtoraus, that he CANUS; ANATOLICUS of Berytus [p. 161, b. );
had intended to send forces to Bassus. After the APPULEIUS ; ARATUS of Soli; ARISTOTELES, the
retreat of Antistius, Statius Murcus was sent philosopher ; DAMOGERON ; DEMOCRITUS ; Di.
against Bassus with three legions, but he too re- DYMUS of Alexandria ; CassiUS DIONYSIUS of
ceived a repulse, and was obliged to call to his Utica ; DIOPHANES of Nicaea ; FLORENTINUS ;
assistance Narcius Crispus, the governor of Bi- FRONTO ; HIEROCLES, governor of Bithynia under
thynia, who brought three legions more. With Diocletian ; HIPOCRATES, of Cos, a veterinary
these six legions Murcus and Crispus kept Bassus surgeon, at the time of Constantine the Great;
besieged in Apameia till the arrival of Cassius in LEONTINUS or Leontirs ; Nestor, a poet in the
Syria in the year after Caesar's death, B. C. 43. time of Alexander Severus ; PAMPHILUS of Alex-
The troops of Bassus, as well as those of Murcus andria ; PARAMUS; PELAGONIUS ; PTOLEMAEUS
and Crispus, immediately went over to Cassius, of Alexandria ; the brothers QUINTILIUS (Gordi-
and Bassus, who was unwilling to join Cassius, anus and Maximus) ; TARENTINUS ; THEOMNES
was dismissed uninjured. (Dion Cass. xlvii. 26 TUS; VARRO ; ZOROASTER. Cassianus Bassus
-28 ; Appian, B. C. iii. 77, 78, iv. 58, 59; Cic. has contributed only two short extracts of his own,
pro Deit. 8, 9, ad Att. xiv. 9, xv. 13, ad Fum. xi. namely, cc. 5 and 36 of the fifth book.
l, Philip. xi. 13, ad Fam. xii. ll, 12 ; Liv. Epit. The various subjects treated of in the Geoponica
114, 121; Vell. Pat. ii. 69 ; Strab. xvi. p. 752; will best appear from the contents of the different
Joseph. Ant. xiv. 11, B. J. i. 10. § 10. )
books, which are as follow: 1. Of the atmosphere
Appian gives (l. c. ) a different account of the and the rising and setting of the stars. 2. Of
origin of the revolt in Syria under Bassus. Ac- general matters appertaining to agriculture, and of
cording to Appian's statement, Bassus was ap- the different kinds of corn. 3. Of the various
pointed by Caesar commander of the legion under agricultural duties suitable to each month. 4 and
the gorernor Sex. Julius. But as Sextus gave 5. Of the cultivation of the vine. 6-8. Of the
himself up to pleasure and carried the legion about making of wine. 9. Of the cultivation of the
with him everywhere, Bassus represented to him olive and the making of oil. . 10-12.
Of horti-
the impropriety of bis conduct, but his reproofs culture. 13. Of the animals and insects injurious
were received with contempt; and shortly after- to plants. 14. Of pigeons and other birds. 15.
wards Sextus ordered him to be dragged into his of natural sympathies and antipathies, and of
presence, because he did not immediately come the management of bees. 16. Of horses, asses,
when he was ordered. Hereupon the soldiers and camels. 17. Of the breeding of cattle. 18. Of
rose against Sextus, who was killed in the tumult. the breeding of sheep. 19. Of dogs, hares, deer,
Fearing the anger of Caesar, the soldiers resolved pigs, and of salting meat. 20. Of fishes.
to rebel, and compelled Bassus to join them.
The Geoponica was first published at Venice in
BASSUS, CAESIUS. 1. A Roman lyric poet, 1538, 8vo. , in a Latin translation made by Janus
who flourished about the middle of the first century. Cornarius. The Greek text appeared in the fol-
Quintilian (x. 1. $ 95) observes, “At Lyricorum lowing year, 1539, 8vo. , at Basel, edited by J.
idem Horatius fere solus legi dignus. . . Si quem- | Alex. Brassicanus from a manuscript in the im-
dam adjicere velis, is erit Caesius Bassus, quem perial library in Vienna The next edition was
nuper vidimus : sed eum longe praecedunt ingenia published at Cambridge, 1704, 8vo. , edited by
viventium. ” Two lines only of his compositions Needham, and the last at Leipzig, 1781, 4 vols.
have been preserved, one of these, a dactylic hexa- 8vo. , edited by Niclas.
meter from the second book of his Lyrics, is to be BASSUS, CESE'LLIUS, a Roman knight,
found in Priscian (x. p. 897, ed. Putsch); the other and a Carthaginian by birth, on the faith of a
is quoted by Diomedes (iii. p. 513, ed. Putsch. ) as dream promised to discover for Nero immense
an example of Molossian verse. The sixth satire treasures, which had been hidden by Dido when
of Persius is evidently addressed to this Bassus ; she fled to Africa. Nero gave full credit to this
and the old scholiast informs us, that he was des- tale, and despatched vessels to carry the treasures
troyed along with his villa in A. v. 79 by the erup- to Rome; but Bassus, after digging about in every
## p. 473 (#493) ############################################
BASSUS.
473
BATEIA.
19
direction, was unable to find them, and in despair The Bassus who was governor of Mysia under
put an end to his life, A. D. 66. (Tac. Ann. xvi. Caracalla may have been the father or the son of
1-3 ; Suet. Ner. 31. )
the above. (Dion Cass. lxxviii. 21, lxxix. 5;
BASSUS, GA'VIUS or GA'BIUS, a learned Herodian, v. 6, 5. )
(W. R. )
grammarian, whose Commentarii and treatise De BASSUS, SALEIUS, & Roman epic poet,
Origine Verborum et Vocubulorum are cited by Gel- contemporary with Statius. Quintilian thus
lius (ii. 4, iii. 9, 19, v. 7, xi. 37). He is probably characterises his genius : “ vehemens et poeticum
the same with the writer of the work De Diis, fuit nec ipsum senectute maturum. The last
spoken of by Macrobius (Sat. i. 19, iii. 6, compare words are somewhat obscure, but probably signify
iii. 18), and perhaps to him belong the Satirac also that he died young, before his powers were ripened
from which Fulgentius Planciades quotes a line. by years. He is the "tenuis Saleius” of Juvenal,
(Serm. Antiq. Explic. ) We hear of a Gavius Bas- one of the numerous band of literary men whose
bus who was prefectus of the Pontic coast under poverty and sufferings the satirist so feelingly de-
Trajan (Plin. Ep. x. 18, 32, 33), but those who plores ; hut at a later period his wants were
would identify him with the person mentioned relieved by the liberality of Vespasian, as we learn
above have orerlooked the circumstance that the from the dialogue on the decline of eloquence,
author of the commentaries declares, that he beheld where warm praise is lavished on his abilities and
with his own eyes at Argos the famous equus moral worth.
Seianus, which was said to have belonged in suc- We have not even a fragment acknowledged as
cession to Dolabella, Cassius, and M. Antonius; the production of this Bassus. A panegyric, in-
and hence it is clear that, unless in addition to its deed, in 261 heroic hexameters, on a certain Cal-
peculiar property of entailing inevitable destruction purnius Piso, has been preserved, the object and
upon its possessor, it had likewise received the gift the author of which are equally uncertain ; and
of longer life than ever steed enjoyed before, it hence we find it attributed to Virgil, to Ovid, to
could hardly have been seen by a contemporary of Statius, and very frequently to Lucan, whose
the younger Pliny. The praenomen Gavius or name is said to be prefixed in some MSS. , while
Galius has in many MSS. been corrupted into Wernsdorf, rejecting all these suppositions, labours
Gaius or Caius, and then abbreviated into C. , hard to prove that it ought to be ascribed to Saleius
which has given rise to considerable confusion; Bassus, and that the Piso who is the hero of the
but, for anything we can prove to the contrary, piece must be the well-known leader of the great
each of the above-mentioned books may be from conspiracy against Nero. The strong points in the
the pen of a distinct individual.
(W. R. ]
position are the allusions (1. 180) to the game of
BASSUS JU'LIUS. [Bassus, p. 471, b. ) draughts in which this Piso is known to have
BASSUS, JU'LIUS, à Roman orator, fre been an adept (Vet. Schol. ad Jur. v. 109), and
quently mentioned by the elder Seneca in his the references by the writer to his own humble
Controversiae, seems to be the same as the Junius origin and narrow means, a description altogether
Bassus who was called Asinus albus when Quin- inapplicable to the well-born and wealthy bard of
tilian was a boy, and who was distinguished by Corduba. Granting, however, that Wernsdorf is
his abusive wit. (Quintil. vi. 3. SS 27, 57, 74. ) right so far as Piso and Lucan are concerned, it by
BĄSSUS, LOLLIUS (nómios Beooos), the no means follows, from the simple fact that the
author of ten epigrams in the Greek Anthology, is author in question was poor and neglected, that we
called, in the title of the second epigram, a native are entitled, in the absence of all other evidenco
of Smyra. His time is fixed by the tenth epi- direct or circumstantial, to identify him with
gram, on the death of Germanicus, who died A. D. Saleius Bassus, for it is certain that the same con-
19. (Tac. Ann. ii. 71. )
[P. S. ] ditions would hold good of Statius, Serranus, and
BASSUS, LUCILIUS, a name used by Cicero a long list of versifiers belonging to the same
as proverbial for a vain and worthless author. In period. (Quint. x. 1, 90 ; Dialog. de Oratt. cc.
a letter to Atticus (xii. 5), speaking of his pane 5, 9; Juv. vii. 80 ; Wernsdorf, Poett
. Latt. Minn.
gyric upon Cato, he says, “ I am well pleased with vol. iv. P. i. pp. 36, 72, 75, 236. ) (W. R. )
my work, but so is Bassus Lucilius with his. " BASSUS, SEPU'LLIUS, a Roman orator,
Some MSS. here have Caecilius. (W. R. ] frequently mentioned by the elder Seneca. (Con-
BASSUS, LUCILIUS, was promoted by trov. iii. 16, 17, 20-22. )
Vitellius from the command of a squadron of BASSUS, SI'LIUS, a Roman orator, mention-
cavalry to be adıniral of the fleet at Ravenna and ed by the elder Seneca. (Controv. i. 6, 7. )
Misenum, B. c. 70; but disappointed at not ob- BA'TALUS (Bátalos), according to some, the
taining the command of the praetorian troops, he author of lascivious drinking-songs, and according
betrayed the fleet to Vespasian. After the death to others, an effeminate flute-player, who must
of Vitellius, Bassus was sent to put down some have lived shortly before the time of Demosthenes,
disturbances in Campania. (Tac. Hist. ii. 100, iii. for the latter is said to have been nick-named Ba-
12, 36, 40, iv. 3. ) His name occurs in an in- talus on account of his weakly and delicate consti-
scription. (Gruter, p. 573. )
tution. (Plut. Dem. 4, Vit. X. Orat. p. 847, e. )
HASSUS, POMPONIUS, was consul A. D. According to Libanius (Vit. Dem. p. 2, ed. Reiske),
211, under Septimius Severus, and at a subsequent Batalus, the flute-player, was a native of Ephesus,
period fell a victim to the licentious cruelty of and the first man that ever appeared on the stage
Elagabalus, who having become enamoured of his in women's shoes, for which reason he was ridi-
fair and high-born wiſe, Annia Faustina, a de- culed in a comedy of Antiphanes. Whether the
scendant (åróyovos, probably great-grandaughter) poet and the fute-player were the same, or two
of M. Aurelius, caused Bassus to be put to death different persons, is uncertain. (Comp. Meineke,
by the senate under some frivolous pretext, and Hist. Crit. Com. Graec. p. 333, &c. ). (L. S. )
then married the widow with indecent haste. BATEIA (Báteia), a daughter of Tcucer or of
This event took place in 221.
Tros (Steph. Byz.
