Afranius

Afrānĭus, a, um, adj., name of a Roman gens.—

• I As adj.: Afrania fabula, i.e. written by the poet Afranius, Cic. Cael. 30. —
• II As subst.
• • A Lucius Afranius, a celebrated Roman comic poet, contemporary with Terence or a little later, of whose works we possess only a few fragments. Cf. concerning him, Cic. Brut. 45; id. Fin. 1, 3; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 57; Quint. 10, 1, 100; Bähr, Röm. Lit. Gesch. S. 70, and Teuffel, Röm. Lit. §§ 121, 135.—
  • B Afranius, a general of Pompey in Spain, Cic. Fam. 16, 12; Caes. B. C. 1, 37; Vell. 2, 48.
• —Hence, Afrānĭānus, a, um, adj., of or pertaining to Afranius: legio, Auct. B. Hisp. 7.—Subst.: Afrānĭāni, ōrum, m., soldiers of Afranius, Caes. B. C. 1, 43.

Afrānius, a, um, Name eines röm. plebej. Geschlechts, aus dem am bekanntesten sind: I) L. Afranius, ein komischer Dichter Roms, wahrsch. um 130 v. Chr. geb., Zeitgenosse des Terenz, so geschickter Darsteller römischer Sitten u. Charaktere, daß er mit Menander (den er sich im einzelnen zum Vorbilde genommen haben mag), verglichen und seine Stücke noch unter den Kaisern gelesen und aufgeführt wurden, s. Hor. ep. 2, 1, 57. Cic. de fin. 1, 7. Suet. Ner. 11, 2: getadelt wegen der unsittlichen Tendenz seiner Stücke bei Quint. 10, 1, 10. – II) L. Afranius, treuer Anhänger und tüchtiger Legat des Cn. Pompejus M., der ihm das Konsulat i.J. 60 v. Chr. durch Bestechung der Gegner zu verschaffen wußte, floh nach dem Unglück bei Pharsalus nach Afrika, wollte dann nach der Schlacht bei Thapsus mit 1500 Reitern sich über Utika nach Mauritanien u. Spanien retten, wurde aber gefangen genommen, an Cäsar ausgeliefert u. von den Soldaten Cäsars bei einem Auflauf getötet, nach andern auf Cäsars Befehl ohne Verhör als Kriegsgefangener hingerichtet, s. Caes. b.c. 1, 57 sqq. Cic. ad Att. 1, 18 sqq. Vell. 2, 48, 1 u. 50, 4. – Dav. Afrāniānus, a, um, afranianisch, des Afranius, milites, Caes. b.c. 1, 54, 1: legio, Auct. b. Hisp. 7, 4. – III) Caia (Gaia) Afrania, Frau des Licinius Buccio, eines röm. Senators, prozeßsüchtig u. frech genug, ihre Angelegenheiten immer selbst vor dem Prätor zu führen; daher ihr Name sprichwörtl. zur Bezeichnung eines frechen, ränkevollen Weibes wurde, Val. Max. 8, 3, 2. Ulp. dig. 3, 1, 1. § 5.

Āfrānĭus, (10) ĭī, m. , ¶ 1 Lucius Afranius [célèbre poète comique] : Cic. Fin. 1, 7 ¶ 2 [général de Pompée en Espagne] Cæs. C. 1, 37, 1, etc.

Afra'nius

1. L. Afranius, a Roman comic poet, who lived at the beginning of the first century B. C. Works Comoediae togatae

His comedies described Roman scenes and manners (Comoediae togatae), and the subjects were mostly taken from the life of the lower classes. (Comoediae tabernariae.) They were frequently polluted with disgraceful amours, which, according to Quintilian, were only a representation of the conduct of Afranius. (10.1.100.) He depicted, however, Roman life with such accuracy, that he is classed with Menander, from whom indeed he borrowed largely. (Hor. Ep. 2.1. 57; Macr. 6.1; Cic. de Fin. 1.3.) He imitated the style of C. Titius, and his language is praised by Cicero. (Brut. 45.) His comedies are spoken of in the highest terms by the ancient writers, and under the empire they not only continued to be read, but were even acted, of which an example occurs in the time of Nero. (Vell. 1.17, 2.19; Cell. 13.8; Suet. Nero 11.) They seem to have been well known even at the latter end of the fourth century. (Auson. Epigr. 71.) Afranius must have written a great many comedies, as the names and fragments of between twenty and thirty are still preserved. Editions

The fragments have been published by Bothe, Poet. Lat. Scenic. Fragmenta, and by Neukirch, De fibula togata Roman.

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2. L. Afranius, appears to have been of obscure origin, as he is called by Cicero in contempt "the son of Aulus," as a person of whom nobody had heard. (Cic. Att. 1.16, 20.) He was first brought into notice by Pompey, and was always his warm friend and partizan. In B. C. 77 he was one of Pompey's legates in the war against Sertorius in Spain, and also served Pompey in the same capacity in the Mithridatic war. (Plut. Sert. 19, Pomp. 34, 36, 39; D. C. 37.5.) On Pompey's return to Rome, he was anxious to obtain the consulship for Afranius, that he might the more easily carry his own plans into effect; and, notwithstanding the opposition of a powerful party, lie obtained the election of Afranius by influence and bribery. During his consulship, however, (B. C. 60), Afranius did not do much for Pompey (D. C. 37.49), but probably more from want of experience in political affairs than from any want of inclination. In B. C. 59 Afranius had the province of Cisalpine Gaul (comp. Cic. Att. 1.19), and it may have been owing to some advantages he had gained over the Gauls, that he obtained the triumph, of which Cicero speaks in his oration against Piso. (c. 24.)

When Pompey obtained the provinces of the two Spains in his second consulship (B. C. 55), he sent Afranius and Petreius to govern Spain in his name, while he himself remained in Rome. (Vell. 2.48.) On the breaking out of the civil war, B. C. 49, Afranius was still in Spain with three legions, and after uniting his forces with those of Petreius, he had to oppose Caesar in the same year, who had crossed over into Spain as soon as he had obtained possession of Italy. After a short campaign, in which Afranius and Petreius gained some advantages at first, they were reduced to such straits, that they were obliged to sue for the mercy of Caesar. This was granted, on condition that their troops should be disbanded, and that they should not serve against him again. (Caes. Civ. 1.38_86; Appian, App. BC 2.42. 43; Dio Cass, 41.20-23; Plut. Pomp. 65, Caes 36.) Afranius, however, did not keep his word; he immediately joined Pompey at Dyrrhacium, where he was accused by some of the aristocracy, though certainly without justice, of treachery in Spain. After the battle of Dyrrhacium, Afranius recommended an immediate return to Italy, especially as Pompey was master of the sea; but this advice was overruled, and the battle of Pharsalia followed, B. C. 48, in which Afranius had the charge of the camp. (Appian, App. BC 2.65, 76; Plut. Pomp. 66; D. C. 41.52; Vel. Pat. 2.52.) As Afranius was one of those who could not hope for pardon, he fled to Africa, and joined the Pompeian army under Cato and Scipio. (D. C. 42.10.) After the defeat of the Pompeians at the battle of Thapsus, B. C. 46, at which he was present, he attempted to fly into Mauritania with Faustus Sulla and about 1500 horsemen, but was taken prisoner by P. Sittius, and killed a few days afterwards, according to some accounts, in a sedition of the soldiers, and according to others, by the command of Caesar. (Hirt. Bell. Afric. 95; Suet. (Caes. 75; D. C. 43.12; Florus, 4.2.90; Liv. Epit. 114; Aur. Vict. de Vir. Ill. 78.)

Afranius seems to have had some talent for war, but little for civil affairs. Dio Cassius says "that he was a better dancer than a statesman " (37.49), and Cicero speaks of him with the greatest contempt during his consulship (ad Att. 1.18, 20), though at a later time, when Afranius was opposed to Caesar, he calls him summus dux. (Phil. 13.14.)

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3. L. Afranius, son of the preceding, negotiated with Caesar in Spain through Sulpicius for his own and his father's preservation. He afterwards went as a hostage to Caesar. (Caes. Civ. 1.74. 84.)

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4. Afranius Potitus [Potitus.]

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5. Afranius Burrus [Burrus.]

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6. Afranius Quinctianus [Quinctianus.]

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7. Afranius Dexter [Dexter.]

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8. T. Afranius or T. Afrenius, not a Roman, was one of the leaders of the Italian confederates in the Marsic war, B. C. 90. In conjunction with Judacilius and P. Ventidius he defeated the legate Pompeius Strabo, and pursued him into Firmum, before which, however, he was defeated in his turn, and was killed in the battle. (Appian, App. BC 1.40, 47; Florus, 3.18.)

Afranius , Lucius

The chief master of the fabula togata, who flourished about B.C. 100. Taking Menander for his model, he achieved great success in depicting Roman life; and Cicero speaks of him as witty and a master of language. The titles of more than forty of his comedies are known to us; and lines of them have been preserved for us, and can be found in O. Ribbeck's collection. His plays kept possession of the stage until after the time of Nero. (See Comoedia.) For criticism, see Ribbeck, Röm. Dichtung, i. 204.