Fundanius
- I C. Fundanius, Varro's father-in-law, Varr. R. R. 1, 2, 1.—
- II C. Fundanius, a friend of Cicero, and who was defended by him, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 2, 3, § 10; Q. Cic. Pet. Cons. 5, 19; v. the few fragments of the oration in Orell. Cic. IV. 2, p. 445; this oration is called Fundaniana in Serv. Verg. G. 2, 342.—
- III Fundanius, a comedian, a friend of Horace and Maecenas, Hor. S. 1, 10, 42; 2, 8, 19.—In fem.: Fundānĭa, ae, Varro's wife, Varr. R. R. 1, 1, 1.
1. M. Fundanius, one of the tribunes of the plebs in B. C. 195. In conjunction with another tribune, L. Valerius, Fundanius proposed the abolition of the Oppian sumptuary law, which laid some restrictions on the dress and manners of the Roman women. Valerius and Fundanius were opposed by two members of their own collegium, M. Brutus and T. Brutus, and by one of the consuls of the year, M. Porcius Cato. But the matrons supported the proposed abrogation so strenuously and pertinaciously, that the law was rescinded. (See vol. i. p. 638; Liv. xxxiv.
2. C. Fundanius was the father of Fundania, the wife of M. Terentius Varro. Fundanius is one of the speakers in Varro's first dialogue, De Re Rustica ; and from the speech there assigned him, he seems to have been a scholar, and acquainted with at least the statistics of agriculture. His account of the increasing luxury of the Roman country-houses may be compared with that of Seneca. (Ep. B6G.) Fundanius was cited also by Varro in one of his philological treatises. (Varr. R. R. 1.2.13, Frag. p. 349, ed. Bipont.)
3. M. Fundanius, defended by Cicero, B. C. 65. The scanty fragments of the "Oratio pro M. Fundanio" do not enable us to understand either the nature of the charge or the result of the trial. (Cic. Fragm. ed. Orelli, p. 445.) Q. Cicero (de Petit. Cons. 5) says that Fundanius possessed great interest in the comitia and would be very serviceable to M. Cicero at his approaching consular election. Cicero held up to ridicule one of the witnesses for the prosecution on this trial, who could not enunciate properly the first letter in the name Fundanius. (Quintil. Instit. 1.4.14.) While proconsul of Asia Minor, B. C. 59, Q. Cicero favoured one C. Fundanius in his demands on the property of Octavius Naso; and as it is doubtful whether the nomen of this Fundanius were Marcus or Caius, it is not unlikely that Naso's creditor and the defendant, B. C. 65, were the same person. (Cic. ad Q. Frat. 1.3.10.)
4. C. Fundanius, perhaps a son of No. 2, is spoken of by Cicero (ad Q. Fr. 1.2.3) as a friend of his. He may be the same as the C. Fundanius, a Roman eques, who, in the Spanish war, B. C. 45, deserted Cn. Pompeius the Younger, and came over to Caesar a few days previous to the capture of Ategua (Tebala Veja or Tegua) in Baetica by the Caesarians, on the 19th of February in that year. (Bell. Hisp. 11.)
5. C. Funda'nius, a writer of comedies in the age of Augustus. Horace (Sat. 1.10. 41, 42) praises his management of the slaves and intrigantes of the comic drama. He puts into the mouth of Fundanius (Sat. 2.8. 19) a description of the rich but vulgar supper of Nasidienus, that is, of Salvidienus Rufus. (Suet. Octav. 66; Vet. Schol. ad Hor. Sat. 1.10. 41.) [W.B.D]