This blow compelled
Hamilcar
to B.
William Smith - 1844 - Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities - b
971
MATHO.
4
Beems to have escaped punishment by the favour of | must be the same person with the Mátepvos co-
Domitian ; and from this time became one of the pioths, who, we are informed by Dion Cassius
informers and great favourites of the tyrant. (Tac. (xvii. 12), was put to death by Domitian on
Agric. 45; Plin. Ep. vii. 33, comp. iii. 4, vi. 29 ; account of his too great freedom of speech (napon-
Jur. i. 34. )
ordv). A German scholar has recently endeavoured
MASSÁTHES, a Numidian chief in alliance to prove that the Octavia found among the tragedies
with the Carthaginians, killed by Masinissa at the of Seneca, but generally considered as spurious,
battle of Zama. (Appian, Pun. 44. ) (E. H. B. ) belongs to Maternus. (See “ Octavia Praetextata
MASSI'VA. 1. A Numidian, grandson of Curiatio Materno Vindicata" ed. Fr. Ritter, 8vo.
Gala, king of the Massylians, and nephew of Bonn, 1843. )
{W. R. )
Masinissa, whom he accompanied while yet a MATERNUS FIRMICUS. (FIRMICUR. 1
mere boy into Spain. At the battle of Baecula MATHO (Máows), an African who served as a
(B. c. 209), on which occasion he had for the first mercenary soldier in the army of the Carthaginians
time been allowed to bear arms, he was taken in Sicily during the first Punic war. In the
prisoner ; but Scipio, on learning who he was, mutiny which broke out among the mercenaries
treated him with the utmost distinction, and sent after their return to Africa, B. C. 241, he took so
him back without ransom to his uncle. This prominent a part, that he became apprehensive of
generous conduct of the Roman general is said to being singled out for punishment, in case the
have bad a great share in gaining over Masinissa mutineers should be induced to disband themselves.
to the Roman alliance. (Liv. xxvii. 19, xxviii. | Hence when Gisco was at length sent to the camp
35; Val. Max. v. I. 7. )
at Tunis, with full powers to satisfy their demands,
2. Son of Gulussa, and grandson of Masinissa. Matho united with Spendius, a Campanian de-
Having taken part with Adherbal in his disputes serter, who was influenced by similar motives, in
with Jugurtha, he fled to Rome after the capture persuading the soldiers to reject the proffered
of Cirta and death of Adherbal (B. c. 112). When terms. These two leaders quickly obtained so
Jugurtha himself came to Rome in B. c. 108, Mas-much influence with the mixed multitude of
siva was induced by the unfavourable disposition which the army consisted, that the troops would
of the senate towards that monarch, and by the listen to no one else, and Matho and Spendius
instigations of the consul Sp. Albinus, to put in his were soon after formally appointed generals. Their
own claim to the kingdom of Numidia. Jugurtha, first object was now to render the breach with
alarmed at his pretensions, determined to rid him Carthage irreparable, for which purpose they in-
self of his rival, and, through the agency of his duced the soldiery to seize on Gisco and the other
minister Bomilcar, succeeded in effecting the as- Carthaginian deputies, and throw them into prison ;
sassination of Massiva. (Sall. Jug. 35; Liv. Epit. after which they proceeded to declare open war
lxiv. ; Florus, iii. 2. )
[E. H. B. ) against Carthage, and Matbo sent messengers to
MASSU'RIUS SABI'NUS. [SABINUS. ] the African subjects of that state, calling upon
MASTA'NABAL or MANA'STABAL (the them to assert their independence. The latter
former appears to be the more correct form of the were easily induced to avail themselves of an op-
riame, see Gesenius, Ling. Phoen. Monum. p. 409), portunity of throwing off a yoke which they had
the youngest of the three legitimate sons of Masi- long felt to be galling and oppressive, and almost
nissa, between whom the kingdom of Numidia universally took up arms, thus at once imparting a
was divided by Scipio after the death of the aged national character to the rebellion. The two cities
king (B. C. 148). Mastanabal was distinguished of Utica and Hippo alone refused to join in the
for his fondness for literature and his love of revolt, and these were in consequence immediately
justice, on which account Scipio assigned him the besieged by the insurgents. Matho and Spendius
administration of the judicial affairs of the king- now found themselves at the head of an arıny of
dom. (Appian, Pun. 106; Zonar. ix. 27 ; Liv. 70,000 Africans, in addition to the mercenary
Epit. I. ) We know nothing more of him, except troops originally assembled ; and having the com-
that he died before his brother Micipsa, and that mand of the open country, they were abundantly
he left two sons, JUGURTHA and Gauda. (Sall. supplied with provisions, while they held Carthage
Jug. 5, 65. )
(E. H. B. ) itself effectually blockaded on the land side. Hanno,
MASTOR (Mártwp), two mythical personages, who was at first appointed to take the command
one the father of Lycophron in Cythera (Hom. Il. against them, proved no match for troops which
xv. 430), and the other the father of Hilitherses in had been trained up in Sicily under Hamilcar
Ithaca. (Od. ii. 158, 253, xxiv. 451. ) (L. S. ] | Barca : the rebels even surprised his camp, and
MATER DEUM. (RHEA. ]
obtained possession of all his baggage. The great
MATERNIA'NUS, FLAVIUS, commander Barca himself now took the field, forced the passage
of the city guards in the reign of Caracalla, was of the Bagrada, and restored the communications
either put to death or treated with great indignity of the city with the open country. Hereupon the
by Macrinus, A. D. 217. (Dion Cass. lxxviii. 4, 7, two leaders separated, and while Spendius under-
15; Herodian. iv. 12. )
took to oppose Hamilcar in the field Matho con-
MATER'NUS, CURIA'TIUS, one of the tinued to press the siege Hippo. But the
speakers in the “Dialogus de Causis Corruptae successes of Hamilcar, and still more the favourable
Eloquentiae. ” From that piece we learn (cc. 2, 3, impression produced by the clemency with which
11, 13) that, abandoning rhetorical studies, he had he treated those prisoners who had fallen into his
devoted himself with success to the composition of hands, began once more to alarm the chiefs of the
tragedies, that four of these were entitled Medea, insurgents, lest the fidelity of their adherents
Thyestes, Domilius, Cato, and that he had given should be shaken. They in consequence determined
offence to the ruling powers by the sentiments to render pardon impossible, by involving them all
which he had expressed in the last named. From in still deeper guilt ; and Spendius and Matho
this circunstance we are led to conclude that he united with a Gaul named Autaritus in urging the
>
TIUS,
## p. 972 (#988) ############################################
972
MATHO.
MATHO.
In the sea
Lae an bassade
is the rod ito
ores Harriba
mas elected
Protince, and
;
into the core
Locti against
tiszed to Mac
he was app.
waich was to
prosecuting a
41 mil,
MATIDI.
vas tbe sister
who was 225
Taan. We
hand, and we
Erive Tra
cir, along wit
Hadr. 5). V
that Mardia
fetime, and
decease (EC
soldiers to the execution of Gisco and all the other
“ Nam quis iniquae
Carthaginian captives. Not only was this san- Tam patiens urbis, tam ferreus, ut teneat se,
guinary resolution carried out, with circunıstances Causidici nova quum veniat lectica Mathonis,
of the utmost barbarity, but the rebels refused to Plena ipso ? ”
give up the dead bodies, and even threatened to (Juv. i. 30, &c. , comp. vii. 129, Matho deficit,
treat in like manner any Carthaginian heralds who which refers to his reſusing to pay his debts, not to
should for the future be sent to them. These his being poor, as Ruperti interprets it ; xi. 34,
atrocities quickly led to sanguinary measures of where he is called bucca ; Martial, iv. 80, vii. 10.
retaliation on the part of the Carthaginian generals, 3, 4, viii. 42, x. 46, xi. 68. )
and the war was henceforth marked by a character MATHO, Q. NAE'VIUS, praetor B. C. 184,
of ferocity unparalleled in the whole course of received the province of Sardinia, and also the com-
ancient history.
mission to inquire into all cases of poisoning. He
Meanwhile, the dissensions between the Car- was engaged in this investigation for four months
thaginian generals Hamilcar and Hanno prevented before he set out for his province, prosecuting his
their carrying on any effectual operations against inquiries in the various municipia and conciliabula
the insurgents, and the latter soon after obtained in Italy; and if we may believe Valerius Antias,
an important accession to their cause in the two he condemned two thousand persons in this time.
powerful cities of Utica and Hippo, which at length (Liv. xxxix. 32, 38, 41. )
abandoned the alliance of the Carthaginians, mur- MATHO, POMPO'NIUS. 1. M'. POMPO-
dered the garrisons that occupied them, and opened nius, M'. P. M. n. Matho, consul B. c. 233, with
their gates to the rebels. Thus strengthened, Q. Fabius Maximus Verrucossus, carried on war
Matho and Spendius now ventured to lay siege to against the Sardinians, and obtained a triumph in
Carthage itself ; but while they cut off the city consequence of his victory over them. (Zonar. viii.
from all communications on the land side, they 18, p. 401. ) The reduction of the Sardinians,
were themselves threatened from without by the however, must have been incomplete, as we find
army of Hamilcar, who by means of his Numidian Matho's brother engaged against them two years
horse was now completely master of the open afterwards, with a consular army. [See below,
country, and so effectually intercepted their sup- No. 2. ) In B. c. 217 he was magister equitum to
plies, that they were finally compelled to raise the the dictator, L. Veturius Philo, and was elected
siege. Not long afterwards Spendius, who had praetor for the following year, B. c. 216. There
again attempted to oppose Hamilcar in the field, seems no reason for believing that the M'. Pom-
with an army of 50,000 men, was compelled by ponius Matho, praetor of this year, was a different
the superior skill and generalship of his opponent person from the consul of B. c. 233, as the Romans
to surrender, and was himself made prisoner, while were now at war with Hannibal, and were there-
almost the whole of his army was put to the fure anxious to appoint to the great offices of the
sword. This catastrophe was followed by the sub- state generals who had had experience in war. The
mission of most of the revolted cities, and Matho, lot, however, did not give to Matho any military
with the remainder of his forces, took refuge in command, but the jurisdictio inter cives Romanos
Tunis, where he was closely besieged by Hamilcar et peregrinos. After news had been received of
on the one side and his new colleague Hannibal | the fatal battle of Cannae, Matho and his colleague,
on the other. But the negligence of the latter the praetor urbanus, summoned the senate to the
soon afforded Matho an opportunity of surprising curia Hostilia to deliberate on what steps were to
his camp, which he took, with great slaughter, be taken. (Liv. xxii. 33, 35, 55, xxiii. 20, 24. )
carrying off an immense booty, and Hannibal him- | At the expiration of his office, Matho received as
self as a prisoner, whom he immediately caused to propraetor the province of Cisalpine Gaul, B. C.
be crucified, in revenge for the like cruelty inflicted 215; for Livy says (xxiv. 10), in the next year,
upon Spendius.
This blow compelled Hamilcar to B. C. 214, that the province of Gaul was continued
raise the siege of Tunis, but it was the last success to him. Livy, however, not only makes no men-
obtained by the rebels: a reconciliation being tion of Matho's appointment in B. C. 215, but ex-
brought about between the two Carthaginian ge- pressly states (xxiii. 25) that in that year no army
nerals, they again took the field in concert, and was sent into Gaul on account of the want of sol.
Matho, after several partial actions, in which he diers. We can only reconcile these statements by
was for the most part worsted, was at length driven supposing that Matho was appointed to the pro-
to risk a general battle, and was totally defeated. vince but did not obtain any troops that year. He
The greater part of his troops fell on the field, and died in B. c. 211, at which time he was one of the
he himself was made prisoner, and carried in tri- pontifices. (Liv. xxvi. 23. )
umph to Carthage, where he was shortly after put 2. M. POMPONIUS M'. F. M'. n. Matho, bro-
to death with every species of indignity. (Polyb. ther of the preceding, consul B. c. 231 with C. Papi-
i. 69–88 ; Diod. xxv. Exc. Hoesch. pp. 509, 510, rius Maso, was also engaged in war against the
Exc. Vales. pp. 566, 567, Exc. Vat. pp. 55, 56 ; Sardinians, and employed dogs which he procured
Appian, Pun. 5. )
(E. H. B. ) from Italy to hunt out the inhabitants, who had taken
MATHO, a family name of the Naevian and refuge in woods and caves. (Zonar, viii. 18, p. 401. )
Pomponian gentes, was always pronounced with. For the same reasons which have been mentioned
out the aspirate, Mato, as we learn from the autho- above, in the case of his brother, we believe that he
rity of Cicero. (Orat. 48. ) Sometimes indeed is the same as the M. Pomponius, who, Livy tells
the name was written in that way.
us (xxii. 7), was praetor in B. c. 217, the second
MATHO, a pompous, blustering advocate, ridi- year of the war with Hannibal. Maso died in B. C.
culed by Juvenal and Martial. To see such a 204, at which time he was both augur and decem-
man stretched out at full length in a new lectica vir sacrorum. (Liv. xxix. 38. )
for which he had probably not paid, excited the 3. Matho, N. POMPONIUS, probably son of No.
indignation of the satirist:
2, plebeian aedile B. c. 206, gave, with his colleaguo
MATIES
the soldiers in
seat by Sepi
to Q. Pleminit
Rhegium, to
town of Lori.
quarrel arose by
and those of I
sued the latter
Carmanded th
Eete rescued,
671 soldiers,
zetor and ha
arrived a few
Pestigated the
bant, but or
chains and seu
erer, did not
terenige ; and,
returned to Sic
to be put to de
tates, and then
buried. (Lis.
2. C. MATI
with C. Lucreti
took thirty-t*
26, 28. )
3. M. Mati
ibe province of
and oppressed.
used by the
Tibur. (Live)
P. MATIN
who was stron
1o Cicero, whes
The citizens of
## p. 973 (#989) ############################################
MATINIUS.
973
MATTHAEUS.
ST
MTIDIA
in the aedileship, a second celebration of the ple- | for a large loan to Matinius, who had advanced it
beian games. Next year, B. C. 205, he was one of in partnership with one M. Scaptius, also a client
the ambassadors sent to Delphi to make an offering of Brutus and a money-lender. As Scaptius was
to the god from the booty obtained by the victory principal in this transaction, it is more fully
over Hannibal ; the following year, B. C. 204, he related under Scaptius. (Cic. ad Att. v. 21, vi.
was elected praetor. He obtained Sicily as his 1, 3. )
(W. B. D. )
province, and was ordered by the senate to inquire C. MA'TIUS CALVE'NA. (Calvena. ]
into the complaints made by the inhabitants of MATO. [Matho. ]
Locri against P. Scipio. The province was con- MA'TREAS (Matpéas), called o advos or
tinued to Matho for another year (B. C. 203), and lastnávos, the Deceiver or Imposter, appears to
he was appointed to the command of the fleet, have been the author of various enigmas or riddles,
which was to protect Sicily, while P. Scipio was one of which is mentioned by Athenaeus and
prosecuting the war in Africa. (Liv. xxviii. 10, Suidas. He also wrote a parody of the Problems
45, xxix. 11, 13, 20–22, xxx. 2, xxxi. 12. ) of Aristotle ; for such seems to have been the na-
MATI'DIA, the daughter of Marcianin who ture of the work mentioned by Athenacus. (Athen.
was the sister of Trajan, was the mother of Sabina, i. p. 19, d, with Schweighäuser's note ; Suidas,
who was married to Hadrian in the lifetime of s. v. ) He must have been a different person from
Trajan. We do not know the name of her hus- Matreas or Matron of Pitana. (MATRON. ]
band, and we have no particulars of her life. She MATRI'NIUS. 1. T. MATRINIUS, one of
survived Trajan, whose ashes she brought to the those whom C. Marius presented with the Roman
city, along with Plotina, the wife of Trajan (Spart. citizenship, was afterwards accused by L. Antis-
Mudr. 5). We learn from coins and inscriptions tius. (Cic. pro Bull. 21. )
that Matidia received the title of Augusta in her 2. C. MATRINIUS, a Roman eques, who had
lifetime, and was enrolled among the gods after her estates Sicily, was robbed by Verres during his
decease. (Eckhel, vol. vi. p. 469, &c. )
absence in Rome. (Cic. Verr. v. 7, comp. iii. 24. )
3. D. MATRINIUS, a writer of the aediles (scribu
aetlilicus) was defended by Cicero, about B. C. 69.
(Cic. pro Cluent. 45. )
MATRIS (Mâtpis), of Thebes, is called úuvo-
ypúpos by Ptolemy Hephaestion (ap. Phot. Bill.
p. 148, b. I, ed. Bekker), and may therefore be
identified with the Matris mentioned by Athenaeus
(x. p. 412, b. ) as the author of an encomium upon
Heracles. In another passage (ii. p. 44, d. ) Athe-
COIN OF MATIDIA.
naeus copies from Hephaestion the story of his
MATIE'NUS. 1. P. MATIENUS, a tribune of great abstemiousness, but calls him an Athenian.
the soldiers in the army of P. Scipio in Sicily, was Diodorus Siculus (i. 24) refers to his etymology of
sent by Scipio with M. Sergius, another tribune, the name 'Hpakaſis, as if from the hero's gaining
to Q. Pleminius, who commanded as propraetor in his fame (kéos) on account of Hera. Longinus
Rhegium, to co-operate with him in taking the (Ø 3) criticises his inflated style. [P. S. )
town of Locri. After the town had been taken a MATRON (Mátpwr), of Pitana, a celebrated
quarrel arose between the soldiers of the tribunes writer of parodies upon Homer, often quoted by
and those of Pleminius, and in the fight which en- Eustathius and Athenaeus. (Eustath. ad Hom.
sued the latter were defeated. Pleminius enraged | pp. 1067, 1571, &c. ; Ath. i. p.