As a person who came by sea was
figuratively called a son of Neptune, so a valiant war-
rior was termed a son, or, as it is sometimes expressed
by Homer, a branch or shoot of Mars (ofoc 'Apnac).
figuratively called a son of Neptune, so a valiant war-
rior was termed a son, or, as it is sometimes expressed
by Homer, a branch or shoot of Mars (ofoc 'Apnac).
Charles - 1867 - Classical Dictionary
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. --Cramer'* Anc.
Italy, vol. 1, p. 328. )
Mars (in Greek 'Apnc), the god of war, about
whose parentage different accounts are given. Horner
(If. , 5, S92, scqq. ) and Hesiod (Thcog. , 922) make
him to have been the offspring of Jupiter and Juno.
Others say that he was the son of Enyo or Bellona.
(Schol. ad 17. , I. c. ) Ovid, however, gives a different
version of the fable. According to this poet, Juno
wished to become a mother by herself, just as Jupiter
had become a father in the case of Minerva. On ap-
plying to Flora for aid in the accomplishment of her
design, the latter directed her to pluck a certain flower
which grew near the city of Olcnus, the touch of which
would make her instantly a mother. Juno obeyed,
and straightway conceived the god Mars. (Ovid,
Fast. , 5, 227, scqq. )--The delight of Mars wss in war
and strife; yet his wild fury was always forced to
yield to the skill and prudence of Minerva, guided by
whom Diomede, in the Iliad, wounds and drives him
from the battle (//. . 5, 855); and in the conflict of the
gods (17. , 21, 391), this goddess strikes, him to the
earth with a stone. To give an idea of his huge size
and strength, the poet says, in the former caso, that
he roared as loud as nine or ten thousand men; and
in 'Jv>> latter, that he covered seven plethra of ground.
Terra: and Fear (\r. iuoc and 4>66or), tho sons of
Mars, and Strife ('Epic), his sister, accompany him to
:he field when he seeks the battle. (//. , 4, 440. )
Another of his companions is Enyo ('Ewu), the daugh-
ter of Phorcys and Ceto, according to Hesiod (Thcog. ,
273), a war-goddess answering to the Bellona of the
Romans. The name Enyalius, which is frequently
given to him in the Iliad, corresponds with hers. --
The figurative language, which expresses origin and
resemblance by terms of paternity, gave a mortal
progeny to Mars.
As a person who came by sea was
figuratively called a son of Neptune, so a valiant war-
rior was termed a son, or, as it is sometimes expressed
by Homer, a branch or shoot of Mars (ofoc 'Apnac).
But the only tale of his amours related at any length
by the poets, is that in tho case of Venus. (Horn. ,
Od. , 8, 266, scqq. --Ovid, A. A. , 2, 561. ) This tale
is an evident interpolation in the Odyssey, where it oc-
curs. Its date ia uncertain; though the language, the
ideas, and the state of society which it supposes, might
almost lead us to assign its origin to a comparatively
late period. It ia generally supposed to be a physical
myth, or, rather, a combination of two such myths;
for beauty might naturally have been made the spouse
of tho god, from whose workshop proceeded so many
elegant productions of art; and, as we are about to
? how, another physical view might have led to the
union ;1 Mars and Venus. Hesiod, for example, says
? ? (Thcog. , 937) that Harmonia (Order) was the daughter
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? MARSYAS.
MIR
Apollo for the palm in musical skill. The Muses were
the umpires, and it was agreed that the victor might
do what ho pleased with the vanquished. Marayas
OS', aed Apollo flayed him alive for his temerity. The
tca/s of the nymphs and rural deities for the fate of
their companion gave origin, it was fabled, to the stream
which bore his name; and his skin was said to have
been hung up in the cave whence the waters of the riv-
er Mowed. (Apotlod. , 1, 4, 2. -- Pausan. , 2, 7, 9. --
Pint. , de FIuv. , 10. --Hygin. , fab. , 165. --Omd, Mel. ,
6, 382, neqq. --Xen. , Anab. , 1, 2, 8. )--It seems, ac-
cording to the ancient mythological writers, that, in
the contest above alluded to, Apollo played at first a
simple air on hia instrument; but Maxsyas, taking up
sis pipe, struck the audience so much with the novel-
ty of its tone and the art of his performance, that he
seemed to be heard with more pleasure than his rival.
Having agreed upon a second trial of skill, it is said
that the performance of Apollo, by his accompanying
the lyre with his voice, was allowed greatly to excel
that of Marayas upon the pipe alone. Marsyas with in-
dignation protested against the decision of his judges,
urging that he had not been fairly vanquished accord-
ing to the rules stipulated, because the dispute was
concerning the excellence of their respective instru-
ments, not their voices; and that it was unjust to em-
ploy two arts against one. Apollo denied that he had
taken any unfair advantage, since Marsyas had used
both his mouth and fingers in playing on his instrument,
so that if he was denied the use of hia voice, he would
be still more disqualified for the contention. On a
third trial Marsyas was again vanquished, and met
with the fate already mentioned. (Diod. Sic, 3, 58. )
--The whole fable, however, admits of a very rational
explanation. The pipe as cast away by Minerva, and
Marayas as punished by Apollo, arc intended merely
to denote the preference given, at some particular pe-
riod, by some particular Grecian race, with whom the
myth originated, to the music of the lyre over that of
the pipe, or, in other words, to the Citharocdic over
the Aulelie art. The double pipe was a Phrygian or
Asiatic invention, and ascribed to a certain Marsyas.
{Diod. Sic, 3, 58. ) The music of this instrument
was generally used in celebrating the wild and enthu-
siastic rites of Cybele. Hence we may explain the re-
mark of Diodorus, that Marsyas was a companion and
follower of Cybele (kKovoiue airy ? xaptiKo? . ovdeiv nai
ovuw/. avaodat, 3, 58). Subsequently, the wildness
of the Bacchanalian celebrations became intermingled
with toe phrensied delirium that characterized the pro-
cession and the rites of Cybele. The double pipe
came now to be employed in the orgies of Bacchus.
The worship of this god spread over Greece, and with
i*. was disseminated the knowledge of this instrument.
To the new species of music thus introduced was op-
posed the old and national melody of tje lyre; or, in
the language of mythology, Apollo, the inventor and im-
prover of the lyre, engaged in a stubborn conflict with
Marsyas, the representative of the double pipe. Apol-
lo conquers; that is, the pipe was long regarded by
the Greeks as a haabarian instrument, and banished
from the hymns and festivals of the gods: it could only
find admittance into the festivals of the vintage, in the
Bacchanalian orgies, and ir. the chorus of the drama.
( Wielcnd, Altischcs MtS'um, vol. 1, p 311, seqq. )--
A statue of Marsyas, representing him in the act of
3eing flayed, stood in the Roman forum, in front of the
? ? rostra. The story of Marsyas, understood in its liter-
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? MAR
MAS
wui. 'h was ever after called from him the Aqua Mania.
I'liny, however, stale* that the Aqua Marcia waa first
conveyed to Rome by Ancus Marcius; and that Quiu-
tus Marcius Rex merely re-established the conduits.
The same writer informs us that the earlier name of
the water was Saufeia. (Plin. , 31, 24. )--The Mar-
cian water was obtained from the little river Pilonius,
now Gioveneo. This stream entered the Lacus Fu-
cinus on the northeast side, and was said not to mix
its waters, the coldest known, with those of the lake.
According to the same popular account, it afterward
emerged by a subterranean duct near Tibur, and be-
came the Aqua Marcia. (Cramer's Anc. It. , vol. 1,
p. 327. --Burgess, Anliq. of Rome, vol. 2, p. 328. )
Martialis, Marcus Valerius, a Latin epigram-
matic poet, born at Bilbilis in Spain, about A. D. 40.
Rader fixes his birth at A. D. 43; while Masson (Kir.
Plin. , p. 112) makes him not to have died before A. D.
101. --Very few particulars of his life are ascertained,
and even these are principally collected from his own
writings. He was destined originally for the bar, but
showed little disposition to apply himself to such a
career. In order to complete his education, Martial
was sent to Rome. It was at the age of about twenty-
two years, and in the sixth year of Nero's reign, that
he established himself in the capital. Here he gave
himself up entirely to poetry, which he made a means
of subsistence, for he was compelled to live by his
own exertions. Titus and Domitian both favoured
him, and the latter bestowed on him the rank of an
caues and the office of a tribune, granting to him at
the same time all the privileges connected with the
Jus trium liberorum. After having passed thirty-five
years at Rome, he felt desirous of visiting his native
country. Pliny the younger supplied him with the ne-
cessary means for travelling. Having reached Spain,
he there, according to some critics, married a rich fe-
male named Marcella, who had possessions on the Bil-
bilis or Salon, and lived many years in the enjoyment
>>f conjugal happiness. The conclusion, however, to
be drawn from his writings rather favours the supposi-
tion that such an union did not take place. Martial
was acquainted with most of his literary contempora-
ries, Juvenal, Quintilian, Pliny the younger, and others,
as appears from his own writings. (Ep. , 2, 00; 12,
18, <5tc. )--We have about 1200 epigrams from the
pen of Martial: they form fourteen books, of which
the last two are entitled Xenia and Apophoreta re-
ipectively, from the circumstance of their containing
mottoes or devices to be affixed to presents offered to
his friends, or distributed at the Saturnalia and other
festivals. These fourteen books are preceded by one
under the title of Spcctacula, containing epigrams or
small pieces on the spectacles given by Thus and
Domitian. These are not all productions of Martial;
but it is very possible that he may have made and pub-
lished the collection. --The greater part of Martial's
epigrams arc of a different kind from those of Catullus.
They approach more nearly to the modern idea of
epigram, for they terminate with a point for which the
author reserves all the edge and bitterness of his sat-
ire. Among the numerous epigrams which Martial
has,left behind him, there are some that are excellent;
of the collection as a whole, however, we may say, in
the words of the poet himself (I, 17): "Sunt bona,
sunt quadam mediocria, sunt mala plura. " Many
of these epigrams have lost their point for us, who are
? ? ignorant of the circumstances to which they allude.
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? MASINISSA.
MAS
matnage to S> phax However thit might h>>ve been,
Masinissa, before declaring openly againat Carthage,
made a secret treaty with the Romans, and advised
Scipio, it is said, to carry the war into Africa. Re-
turning to this country himself, he found his kingdom
a prey to usurpers, his father and elder brother having
both died during his absence. With the aid, however,
of Bocchus. king of Mauretania, he obtained posses-
sion of his hereditary throne, and would have enjoyed
it peacesblv, if the Carthaginians, irritated at his now
open avowal for the Romans, had not incited Syphax
to make war upon him. Defeated and stripped of his
dominions, Masinissa was compelled to take refuge
near the Syrtis Minor, where he defended himself until
the arrival of Scipio. The aspect of affairs immedi-
ately changed, and Masinissa, by his valour and skill,
-ontributed greatly to the victory gained by Scipio
ver Hasdrubal and Syphax. Having been sent with
I^elius in pursuit of the vanquished, he penetrated,
after a march of fifteen days, to the very heart of his
rival's kingdom, gained a battle against him, made
himself master of Cirta, the capital of Syphax, and
found in it Sophonisba, to whom, as we have said,
he had been attached in early youth. The charms of
che daughter of Hasdrubal proved too powerful for the
Numidian king, and he married her at once, in the
hope of rescuing her from slavery, since she belonged
to the Romans by the right of conquest. This impru-
dent union, however, with a captive whose hatred to-
wards Rome was so deep-rooted, could not but, prove
displeasing to Scipio, and Masinissa was severely re-
proved in private by the Roman commander. The
Numidian, in his despair, sent a cup of poison to his
bride, who drank it off with the utmost heroism. (Liv. ,
30, 15. ) To console him for his loss, Scipio bestowed
upon Masinissa the title of king and a crown of gold,
and heaped upon him other honours; and these dis-
tinctions, together with the hope of soon seeing him-
self master of all Numidia, caused the ambitions mon-
arch to forget the death of Sophonisba. Constantly
attached to the fortunes of Scipio, Masinissa fought on
Ma aide at the battle of Zama, defeated the left wing
af the enemy, and, though severely wounded, never-
theless went in pursuit of Hannibal himself, in the
Oope of crowning his exploits by the capture of this
celebrated commander. Scipio, before leaving Africa,
established Masinissa in his hereditary possessions,
tnd added to these, with the authority of the sen-
ate, all that had belonged to Syphax in Numidia.
Master now of the whole country from Mauretania to
Gyrene, and become the most powerful prince in Af-
rica, Masinissa profited by the leisure which peace af-
forded* him, and exerted himself in introducing among
his semi barbarous subjects the blessings of civiliza-
tion. Neither age, however, nor the tranquil posses-
sion of so extensive a territory, could damp his ardour
for conquest. Imboldcned by his relations with
Rome, he violated the treaties subsisting between
himself and the Carthaginians, and, although in his
ninetieth year, placed himself at the head of a power-
ful army and marched into the territories of Carthage.
He was preparing for a general action when Scipio
/Emilianus arrived at his camp, having come from
Spain to visit him. Masinissa received the young Ro-
man with distinguished honours, alluded with tears to
bis old benefactor Africanus, and afterward caused the
tlite of his troops to pas* in review before the son of
? ? Paulus i-Emilius. The young Scipio was most struck,
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? M Ali'
uievious to the commencement of the second Punic
contest we find them the allies of the Romans, (hit. ,
21, 20. ) The political importance of this city re-
ceived a severe check in the civil war between Cassar
and Pompey, in consequence of its attachment to the
party of the latter. It had to sustain a severe siege,
in which its fleet was destroyed, and, after surrender-
ing, to pay a heavy exaction. (Cat. , Bell. Civ. , 2,
22. ) The conqueror, it is true, left the city the title
of freedom, but its power and former importance were
f;one. The downfall of its political consequence,
lowever, was succeeded by distinguished eminence
in another point of view, and already, in the days of
Augustus, Massilia began to be famous as a school of
the sciences, and the rival of Athens. Even in a much
later age, though surrounded by barbarous tribes, she
continued to enjoy her literary rank, and was also re-
markable for the culture of philosophy and the healing
art. Massilia remained a flourishing city until the in-
roads of the barbarians and the subjugation by them
of nearly the whole of southern Gaul. The govern-
ment of the place was a well-regulated aristocracy.
(Manncrt, Gcogr. , vol. 2, p. 81, seqq. )
Massyli, a people of Numidia, to the cast of the
Massxsyli and Cape Tretum. They- were the sub-
jects of Masinissa. (Ltv. , 24, 48. --Polyb. , 3, 33. --
Sil. Jtal. , 16, 170. )
Matinum, a city of Messapia or Iapygia, southeast
of Callipolis. Near it was the Mons Matinus. It
was here, according to Horace, that the celebrated
philosopher, Archytas of Tarentum, was interred,
when cast on shore after shipwreck. (Od. , 1, 28. )
This region was famed for its bees and honey. The
modern Matinata seems to mark the site of the an-
cient city. (Cramer's Arte. Italy, vol. 2, p. 277. )
Matrona, a river of Gaul, now the Marne, which
formed part of the ancient boundary between Gallia
Bclgica and Gallia Celtica.
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. --Cramer'* Anc.
Italy, vol. 1, p. 328. )
Mars (in Greek 'Apnc), the god of war, about
whose parentage different accounts are given. Horner
(If. , 5, S92, scqq. ) and Hesiod (Thcog. , 922) make
him to have been the offspring of Jupiter and Juno.
Others say that he was the son of Enyo or Bellona.
(Schol. ad 17. , I. c. ) Ovid, however, gives a different
version of the fable. According to this poet, Juno
wished to become a mother by herself, just as Jupiter
had become a father in the case of Minerva. On ap-
plying to Flora for aid in the accomplishment of her
design, the latter directed her to pluck a certain flower
which grew near the city of Olcnus, the touch of which
would make her instantly a mother. Juno obeyed,
and straightway conceived the god Mars. (Ovid,
Fast. , 5, 227, scqq. )--The delight of Mars wss in war
and strife; yet his wild fury was always forced to
yield to the skill and prudence of Minerva, guided by
whom Diomede, in the Iliad, wounds and drives him
from the battle (//. . 5, 855); and in the conflict of the
gods (17. , 21, 391), this goddess strikes, him to the
earth with a stone. To give an idea of his huge size
and strength, the poet says, in the former caso, that
he roared as loud as nine or ten thousand men; and
in 'Jv>> latter, that he covered seven plethra of ground.
Terra: and Fear (\r. iuoc and 4>66or), tho sons of
Mars, and Strife ('Epic), his sister, accompany him to
:he field when he seeks the battle. (//. , 4, 440. )
Another of his companions is Enyo ('Ewu), the daugh-
ter of Phorcys and Ceto, according to Hesiod (Thcog. ,
273), a war-goddess answering to the Bellona of the
Romans. The name Enyalius, which is frequently
given to him in the Iliad, corresponds with hers. --
The figurative language, which expresses origin and
resemblance by terms of paternity, gave a mortal
progeny to Mars.
As a person who came by sea was
figuratively called a son of Neptune, so a valiant war-
rior was termed a son, or, as it is sometimes expressed
by Homer, a branch or shoot of Mars (ofoc 'Apnac).
But the only tale of his amours related at any length
by the poets, is that in tho case of Venus. (Horn. ,
Od. , 8, 266, scqq. --Ovid, A. A. , 2, 561. ) This tale
is an evident interpolation in the Odyssey, where it oc-
curs. Its date ia uncertain; though the language, the
ideas, and the state of society which it supposes, might
almost lead us to assign its origin to a comparatively
late period. It ia generally supposed to be a physical
myth, or, rather, a combination of two such myths;
for beauty might naturally have been made the spouse
of tho god, from whose workshop proceeded so many
elegant productions of art; and, as we are about to
? how, another physical view might have led to the
union ;1 Mars and Venus. Hesiod, for example, says
? ? (Thcog. , 937) that Harmonia (Order) was the daughter
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? MARSYAS.
MIR
Apollo for the palm in musical skill. The Muses were
the umpires, and it was agreed that the victor might
do what ho pleased with the vanquished. Marayas
OS', aed Apollo flayed him alive for his temerity. The
tca/s of the nymphs and rural deities for the fate of
their companion gave origin, it was fabled, to the stream
which bore his name; and his skin was said to have
been hung up in the cave whence the waters of the riv-
er Mowed. (Apotlod. , 1, 4, 2. -- Pausan. , 2, 7, 9. --
Pint. , de FIuv. , 10. --Hygin. , fab. , 165. --Omd, Mel. ,
6, 382, neqq. --Xen. , Anab. , 1, 2, 8. )--It seems, ac-
cording to the ancient mythological writers, that, in
the contest above alluded to, Apollo played at first a
simple air on hia instrument; but Maxsyas, taking up
sis pipe, struck the audience so much with the novel-
ty of its tone and the art of his performance, that he
seemed to be heard with more pleasure than his rival.
Having agreed upon a second trial of skill, it is said
that the performance of Apollo, by his accompanying
the lyre with his voice, was allowed greatly to excel
that of Marayas upon the pipe alone. Marsyas with in-
dignation protested against the decision of his judges,
urging that he had not been fairly vanquished accord-
ing to the rules stipulated, because the dispute was
concerning the excellence of their respective instru-
ments, not their voices; and that it was unjust to em-
ploy two arts against one. Apollo denied that he had
taken any unfair advantage, since Marsyas had used
both his mouth and fingers in playing on his instrument,
so that if he was denied the use of hia voice, he would
be still more disqualified for the contention. On a
third trial Marsyas was again vanquished, and met
with the fate already mentioned. (Diod. Sic, 3, 58. )
--The whole fable, however, admits of a very rational
explanation. The pipe as cast away by Minerva, and
Marayas as punished by Apollo, arc intended merely
to denote the preference given, at some particular pe-
riod, by some particular Grecian race, with whom the
myth originated, to the music of the lyre over that of
the pipe, or, in other words, to the Citharocdic over
the Aulelie art. The double pipe was a Phrygian or
Asiatic invention, and ascribed to a certain Marsyas.
{Diod. Sic, 3, 58. ) The music of this instrument
was generally used in celebrating the wild and enthu-
siastic rites of Cybele. Hence we may explain the re-
mark of Diodorus, that Marsyas was a companion and
follower of Cybele (kKovoiue airy ? xaptiKo? . ovdeiv nai
ovuw/. avaodat, 3, 58). Subsequently, the wildness
of the Bacchanalian celebrations became intermingled
with toe phrensied delirium that characterized the pro-
cession and the rites of Cybele. The double pipe
came now to be employed in the orgies of Bacchus.
The worship of this god spread over Greece, and with
i*. was disseminated the knowledge of this instrument.
To the new species of music thus introduced was op-
posed the old and national melody of tje lyre; or, in
the language of mythology, Apollo, the inventor and im-
prover of the lyre, engaged in a stubborn conflict with
Marsyas, the representative of the double pipe. Apol-
lo conquers; that is, the pipe was long regarded by
the Greeks as a haabarian instrument, and banished
from the hymns and festivals of the gods: it could only
find admittance into the festivals of the vintage, in the
Bacchanalian orgies, and ir. the chorus of the drama.
( Wielcnd, Altischcs MtS'um, vol. 1, p 311, seqq. )--
A statue of Marsyas, representing him in the act of
3eing flayed, stood in the Roman forum, in front of the
? ? rostra. The story of Marsyas, understood in its liter-
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? MAR
MAS
wui. 'h was ever after called from him the Aqua Mania.
I'liny, however, stale* that the Aqua Marcia waa first
conveyed to Rome by Ancus Marcius; and that Quiu-
tus Marcius Rex merely re-established the conduits.
The same writer informs us that the earlier name of
the water was Saufeia. (Plin. , 31, 24. )--The Mar-
cian water was obtained from the little river Pilonius,
now Gioveneo. This stream entered the Lacus Fu-
cinus on the northeast side, and was said not to mix
its waters, the coldest known, with those of the lake.
According to the same popular account, it afterward
emerged by a subterranean duct near Tibur, and be-
came the Aqua Marcia. (Cramer's Anc. It. , vol. 1,
p. 327. --Burgess, Anliq. of Rome, vol. 2, p. 328. )
Martialis, Marcus Valerius, a Latin epigram-
matic poet, born at Bilbilis in Spain, about A. D. 40.
Rader fixes his birth at A. D. 43; while Masson (Kir.
Plin. , p. 112) makes him not to have died before A. D.
101. --Very few particulars of his life are ascertained,
and even these are principally collected from his own
writings. He was destined originally for the bar, but
showed little disposition to apply himself to such a
career. In order to complete his education, Martial
was sent to Rome. It was at the age of about twenty-
two years, and in the sixth year of Nero's reign, that
he established himself in the capital. Here he gave
himself up entirely to poetry, which he made a means
of subsistence, for he was compelled to live by his
own exertions. Titus and Domitian both favoured
him, and the latter bestowed on him the rank of an
caues and the office of a tribune, granting to him at
the same time all the privileges connected with the
Jus trium liberorum. After having passed thirty-five
years at Rome, he felt desirous of visiting his native
country. Pliny the younger supplied him with the ne-
cessary means for travelling. Having reached Spain,
he there, according to some critics, married a rich fe-
male named Marcella, who had possessions on the Bil-
bilis or Salon, and lived many years in the enjoyment
>>f conjugal happiness. The conclusion, however, to
be drawn from his writings rather favours the supposi-
tion that such an union did not take place. Martial
was acquainted with most of his literary contempora-
ries, Juvenal, Quintilian, Pliny the younger, and others,
as appears from his own writings. (Ep. , 2, 00; 12,
18, <5tc. )--We have about 1200 epigrams from the
pen of Martial: they form fourteen books, of which
the last two are entitled Xenia and Apophoreta re-
ipectively, from the circumstance of their containing
mottoes or devices to be affixed to presents offered to
his friends, or distributed at the Saturnalia and other
festivals. These fourteen books are preceded by one
under the title of Spcctacula, containing epigrams or
small pieces on the spectacles given by Thus and
Domitian. These are not all productions of Martial;
but it is very possible that he may have made and pub-
lished the collection. --The greater part of Martial's
epigrams arc of a different kind from those of Catullus.
They approach more nearly to the modern idea of
epigram, for they terminate with a point for which the
author reserves all the edge and bitterness of his sat-
ire. Among the numerous epigrams which Martial
has,left behind him, there are some that are excellent;
of the collection as a whole, however, we may say, in
the words of the poet himself (I, 17): "Sunt bona,
sunt quadam mediocria, sunt mala plura. " Many
of these epigrams have lost their point for us, who are
? ? ignorant of the circumstances to which they allude.
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? MASINISSA.
MAS
matnage to S> phax However thit might h>>ve been,
Masinissa, before declaring openly againat Carthage,
made a secret treaty with the Romans, and advised
Scipio, it is said, to carry the war into Africa. Re-
turning to this country himself, he found his kingdom
a prey to usurpers, his father and elder brother having
both died during his absence. With the aid, however,
of Bocchus. king of Mauretania, he obtained posses-
sion of his hereditary throne, and would have enjoyed
it peacesblv, if the Carthaginians, irritated at his now
open avowal for the Romans, had not incited Syphax
to make war upon him. Defeated and stripped of his
dominions, Masinissa was compelled to take refuge
near the Syrtis Minor, where he defended himself until
the arrival of Scipio. The aspect of affairs immedi-
ately changed, and Masinissa, by his valour and skill,
-ontributed greatly to the victory gained by Scipio
ver Hasdrubal and Syphax. Having been sent with
I^elius in pursuit of the vanquished, he penetrated,
after a march of fifteen days, to the very heart of his
rival's kingdom, gained a battle against him, made
himself master of Cirta, the capital of Syphax, and
found in it Sophonisba, to whom, as we have said,
he had been attached in early youth. The charms of
che daughter of Hasdrubal proved too powerful for the
Numidian king, and he married her at once, in the
hope of rescuing her from slavery, since she belonged
to the Romans by the right of conquest. This impru-
dent union, however, with a captive whose hatred to-
wards Rome was so deep-rooted, could not but, prove
displeasing to Scipio, and Masinissa was severely re-
proved in private by the Roman commander. The
Numidian, in his despair, sent a cup of poison to his
bride, who drank it off with the utmost heroism. (Liv. ,
30, 15. ) To console him for his loss, Scipio bestowed
upon Masinissa the title of king and a crown of gold,
and heaped upon him other honours; and these dis-
tinctions, together with the hope of soon seeing him-
self master of all Numidia, caused the ambitions mon-
arch to forget the death of Sophonisba. Constantly
attached to the fortunes of Scipio, Masinissa fought on
Ma aide at the battle of Zama, defeated the left wing
af the enemy, and, though severely wounded, never-
theless went in pursuit of Hannibal himself, in the
Oope of crowning his exploits by the capture of this
celebrated commander. Scipio, before leaving Africa,
established Masinissa in his hereditary possessions,
tnd added to these, with the authority of the sen-
ate, all that had belonged to Syphax in Numidia.
Master now of the whole country from Mauretania to
Gyrene, and become the most powerful prince in Af-
rica, Masinissa profited by the leisure which peace af-
forded* him, and exerted himself in introducing among
his semi barbarous subjects the blessings of civiliza-
tion. Neither age, however, nor the tranquil posses-
sion of so extensive a territory, could damp his ardour
for conquest. Imboldcned by his relations with
Rome, he violated the treaties subsisting between
himself and the Carthaginians, and, although in his
ninetieth year, placed himself at the head of a power-
ful army and marched into the territories of Carthage.
He was preparing for a general action when Scipio
/Emilianus arrived at his camp, having come from
Spain to visit him. Masinissa received the young Ro-
man with distinguished honours, alluded with tears to
bis old benefactor Africanus, and afterward caused the
tlite of his troops to pas* in review before the son of
? ? Paulus i-Emilius. The young Scipio was most struck,
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? M Ali'
uievious to the commencement of the second Punic
contest we find them the allies of the Romans, (hit. ,
21, 20. ) The political importance of this city re-
ceived a severe check in the civil war between Cassar
and Pompey, in consequence of its attachment to the
party of the latter. It had to sustain a severe siege,
in which its fleet was destroyed, and, after surrender-
ing, to pay a heavy exaction. (Cat. , Bell. Civ. , 2,
22. ) The conqueror, it is true, left the city the title
of freedom, but its power and former importance were
f;one. The downfall of its political consequence,
lowever, was succeeded by distinguished eminence
in another point of view, and already, in the days of
Augustus, Massilia began to be famous as a school of
the sciences, and the rival of Athens. Even in a much
later age, though surrounded by barbarous tribes, she
continued to enjoy her literary rank, and was also re-
markable for the culture of philosophy and the healing
art. Massilia remained a flourishing city until the in-
roads of the barbarians and the subjugation by them
of nearly the whole of southern Gaul. The govern-
ment of the place was a well-regulated aristocracy.
(Manncrt, Gcogr. , vol. 2, p. 81, seqq. )
Massyli, a people of Numidia, to the cast of the
Massxsyli and Cape Tretum. They- were the sub-
jects of Masinissa. (Ltv. , 24, 48. --Polyb. , 3, 33. --
Sil. Jtal. , 16, 170. )
Matinum, a city of Messapia or Iapygia, southeast
of Callipolis. Near it was the Mons Matinus. It
was here, according to Horace, that the celebrated
philosopher, Archytas of Tarentum, was interred,
when cast on shore after shipwreck. (Od. , 1, 28. )
This region was famed for its bees and honey. The
modern Matinata seems to mark the site of the an-
cient city. (Cramer's Arte. Italy, vol. 2, p. 277. )
Matrona, a river of Gaul, now the Marne, which
formed part of the ancient boundary between Gallia
Bclgica and Gallia Celtica.
