Marcus Aurelins Olyinpins Nemesiants

Marcus Aurelins Olyinpins Nemesiants, a Latin poet of the latter half of the 3d century A. D., supposed to have been a native of Africa. He was the most successful poet at the court of the emperor Carus, and wrote on fishing, hunting, and aquatics; but all his works have perished except a fragment of the Cynegetica, on hunting, consisting of 325 hexameter verses, remarkable for neatness and purity of style. It was first printed at Venice in 1534; the best edition is that of Stern (Halle, 1832).

Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius. See Antoninus.

Marcus Aurelius #1

See Antoninus.

Marcus Aurelius Carps

Marcus Aurelius Carps, a Roman emperor, born at Narbo (Narbonne) in Gaul (according to other authorities, at Milan or in Illyria), about A. I). 222, died in 283. His descent is doubtful, but it is supposed that his father was an African, and his mother a noble Roman lady. He was educated in Rome, attained the highest military and civil offices, was praetorian prefect, and was proclaimed emperor by the legions, on the assassination of Probus, in 282. He caused justice to be executed upon the assassins. He gained a signal victory over the Sarmatians, and prosecuted the war against the Persians. Undertaking the campaign in midwinter, and making a rapid march through Thrace and Asia Minor, he ravaged Mesopotamia, made himself master of Seleucia, and carried his arms beyond the Tigris, where he died suddenly in his camp, according to some killed by a stroke of lightning.

Marcus Claudius Tacitus

Marcus Claudius Tacitus, a Roman emperor, born at Interamna (now Terni), Umbria, about A. D. 200, died at Tyana, in Cappadocia, in April, 276. Previous to the assassination of the emperor Aurelian in March, 275, he held various important civil offices, the last being that of consul in 273, and was well known for his love of letters, his great wealth, and his integrity. In September, 275, Tacitus was unanimously elected emperor by the senate. He instituted a few domestic reforms, and attempted to revive the authority of the senate, but died within little more than half a year from the commencement of his reign. According to one account, he was assassinated by his soldiers when on an expedition against the Goths in Asia Minor. He claimed descent from the historian Tacitus, whose works he ordered to be placed in all public libraries, and to be multiplied to the extent of ten copies a year at the public expense.

Marcus Curtius

Marcus Curtius, a legendary Roman hero, about the middle of the 4th century B. C. The haruspices declared that an earthquake chasm in the forum could be filled only by casting into that on which the greatness of Rome depended. While every one was doubting as to the meaning of the declaration, Marcus presented himself, and proclaiming that Rome contained nothing more indispensable to her greatness than a valiant citizen fully accoutred for battle, he offered himself as a victim; and, having arrayed himself in complete armor and mounted his war horse, he galloped into the abyss. Then the earth closed, and the forum resumed its wonted aspect. The place of the chasm was ever after called Lacus Curtius. According to other traditions, however, the chasm owed its name to earlier events and heroes, one of them, Mettus Curtius, a Sabine of the time of Romulus.