Marcianus

• Tullius M., a freedman and steward of Cicero, Cic. Att. 12, 17.

emperor of the East (A. D. 450-457), was the son of an obscure but respectable man, who had served in the imperial armies. He was born either in Thrace or in Illyricum, about A. D. 391; and at an early age he entered the imperial army. Of his earlier history we are acquainted with a few trifling stories and adventures. His way to fortune was slow, for in 421, at the age of thirty, he was still a common soldier, or, perhaps, a non-commissioned officer. Some years afterwards he attached himself to the famous general Aspar, and subsequently to his son Ardaburius, as private secretary, obtaining, at the same time, the office of captain of the guards. During fifteen, or perhaps nineteen years, he continued in the service of those eminent men, and found ample opportunities for developing his military talents. He accompanied Aspar in his unfortunate campaign against Genseric, king of the Vandals in Africa, in 431, when he was made a prisoner of war; but on account of his reputation, and perhaps for services which history does not record, obtained his release, and returned to Constantinople. His history during the following nineteen years is veiled in obscurity; and it is only from subsequent events that we are allowed to conclude that he distinguished himself in no ordinary degree; for the emperor, Theodosius the Younger, having died in 450, his widow, the celebrated Pulcheria, offered her hand and the imperial title to Marcian, on condition that he would not prevent her from continuing the state of virginity which she had hitherto enjoyed; and Marcian, who was then about sixty, consented to it gladly, and married the chaste empress, who was then above fifty. At that time Marcian held the rank of tribune and senator; and he was so favourably known among the people, that his elevation to supreme power was received by them with applause and demonstrations of joy. His coronation took place on the 24th of August, 450; and the whole transaction, as it seems, was so little premeditated, and was settled in so short a time, that Valentinian, the emperor of Rome, was not even asked to give his consent, which he did, however, at a later period, for he stood in great want of the assistance of a man like Marcian, who, to military renown, acquired in the war against the Vandals and Persians, joined a kind disposition and accomplished diplomatic skill.

Both the Eastern and the Western empire were then in great apprehension from the unbounded ambition and power of Attila, who had no sooner heard of the election of Marcian than he despatched ambassadors to him, demanding, in an imperative tone, the tribute which the younger Theodosius had engaged to pay annually to the king of the Huns. "I have iron for Attila," was the emperor's stern answer, " but no gold." Upon this Apollonius was sent into Attila's camp to negotiate the continuance of peace, and was charged with presents for the barbarian, which he was to deliver on the express condition that they were presents, but no tribute. Attila having declined to admit the ambassador into his presence, though not to accept the presents, Apollonius firmly refused to give up the latter previous to having obtained an audience; and being at last admitted, behaved so and fearlessly, that the king swore he would take bloody revenge. He thought it, however, more prudent to turn his wrath against Valentinian, who had likewise affronted him, by refusing to give up his sister Honoria, whom Attila claimed as his betrothed wife. Without disclosing his intention as to the countries he had chosen for an invasion, Attila sent messengers at once to Rome and Constantinople, who addressed each of the emperors with the haughty and insulting words: " Attila, my lord and thy lord, commands thee to provide a palace for his immediate reception." Upon this he set out for the invasion of Gaul, A. D. 451.

In the same year Marcian assembled the council of Chalcedon, where the doctrines of the Eutychians were condemned. In the following year, 452, the celebrated Ardaharius, then dux Orientis, defeated the Arabs near Damascus, and made them sue for pence; and Maximin met with similar success against the Blemmyes, who had invaded the Thebais in Upper Egypt. A strong army was also sent towards the frontiers of the Western empire to assist Valentinian against Attila, who was then invading Italy, and to secure the Eastern empire against any unexpected diversion of the barbarians. In short Marcian neglected nothing to prepare peace and happiness for his subjects, who had so cruelly suffered under his predecessors. The death of Attila, in 453, relieved him not only from great and just anxiety, but the subsequent, and almost immediate dissolution of the empire of the Huns, afforded him an opportunity of repopulating those provinces which had been laid waste by the Huns in their previous campaigns against Theodosius. Thus the Eastern Goths received extensive lands in Pannonia; Sarmatians (Slavonians) and Herules, in Illyricum; and Scyri, Alans and Huns, under Attila's youngest son Hernac, in Scythia and Lower Moesia. The death of the excellent empress Pulcheria, in 454, cased a general affliction; but the popularity of Marcian only gained by it. In the following year, 455, Valentinian was murdered; Maximin usurped the crown; Italy and Gaul were covered with ruins and blood; and the Vandal Genseric pillaged Rome. In the midst of these terrible commotions, Marcian secured the peace of his own dominions with his wonted wisdom and firmness; and some disturbances having broken out in Lazica, in 456, which were kindled by the Armenians and Persians, he sent able officers against the latter, who soon compelled the enemy to desist from farther hostilities. But in the beginning of 457 Marcian fell ill, and after five months' suffering, died on the 26th of June following. His death would have been the signal of great calamities but for the power of Aspar, who caused Leo the Great to be chosen emperor. Marcian had, of course, no issue from Pulcheria. He had, however, a daughter, the offspring of a former marriage, who was called Euphemia, and was married to Anthemius, who became afterwards emperor of the West. Marcian was decidedly an excellent man, who deserves our admiration for the manner in which he governed his wide dominions, and procured for them domestic and external peace during the terrible expeditions of the Huns and the Vandals. His laudable efforts to put down the venality and corruption of the public functionaries and advocates were crowned with success; and the Codex Theodosianus connobly tains many of his constitutions, from which we may draw a favourable conclusion as to his honesty and wisdom. His orthodoxy caused him to be praised in an exaggerated degree by the orthodox writers. (Evagr. 2.12; Theophan. p. 89, &c.; Theodor. Lect. 1.28; Nicephor. Call. 15.1-4; Priscus, pp. 41, 43, 48, 72. &c.; Zonar. vol. i. p. 45, &c. ; Cedren. p. 343, &c.; Procop. Vand. 1, 4; Malela, pp. 26, 27; Codin. pp. 35, 60, 61; Glycas, p. 262 ; Joel, p. 171.)

[W.P]

of Heracleia in Pontus, a Greek geographer, lived after Ptolemy, whom he frequently quotes, and before Stephanus of Byzantium, who refers to him, but his exact date is uncertain. If he is the same Marcianus as the one mentioned by Synesius (Ep. 103) and Socrates (H. E. 4.9), he must have lived at the beginning of the fifth century of the Christian era. Works A Periplus of the External Sea. both eastern and western, and of the largest islands in it.

Marcianus wrote a work in prose, entitled, Περίπλους τῆς ἔξω θαλάσσης ἑῴου τε καὶ ἑσπερίου καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτ͂ͅ μεγίστων νήσων, A Periplus of the External Sea. both eastern and western, and of the largest islands in it. The External Sea he used in opposition to the Mediterranean, which he says had been sufficiently described by Artemiodorus. This work was in two books; of which the former, on the eastern and southern seas, has come down to us entire, but of the latter, which treated of the western and northern seas, we possess only the three last chapters on Africa, and a mutilated one on the distance from Rome to the principal cities in the world. In this work he chiefly follows Ptolemy, and in the calculation of the stadia he adopts the reckoning of Protagoras. He also made an epitome of the eleven books of the Periplous of Artemiodorus of Ephesus [Artemidorus, No. 6]. but of this epitome we have only the introduction, and the periplus of Pontus, Bithynia, and Paphlagonia. It was not, however, simply an abridgment of Artemiodorus for Marcianus tells us that he made use of the works of other distinguished geographers, who had written descriptions of coasts. among whom lie mentions Timosthenes of Rhodes, Eratosthenes, Pytheas of Massilia, Isidorus of Charax, Sosander the pilot, Simmias, Apellas of Cyrene, Euthymenes of Massilia, Phileas of Athens, Androsthenes of Thasus, Cleon of Sicily, Eudoxus of Rhodes, Hanno of Carthage, Scylax of Caryanda and Botthaeus; but he says that he followed more particularly Artemiodorus, Strabo, and Menippus of Pergamus. Marcianus also published an edition of Menippus with additions and corrections. [Menippus.] Editions

The extant works of Marcianus were first published by D. Hoeschelius in his "Geographica," August. Vindel. 1600, 8vo., then by Morell, Paris, 1602, 8vo., and subsequently by Hudson, in the first volume of his "Geographi Graeci Minores," Oxon. 1698, and by Miller, Paris, 1839, 8vo.

They have been also published separately by Hoffmann, Marciani Periplus, Menippi Peripli Fragm. &c., Lips. 1841, 8vo. Further Information

Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. iv. p. 613, &c.; Dodwell, de Aetate et scriptis Marciani, in Hudson, l.c.; Ukert, Geographie der Griechen und Römer, vol. i. pars i. p. 235 ; Forbiger, Handbuch der alten Geographie, vol. i. p. 448.

(Μαρτιανός), a physician at Rome, who enjoyed a great reputation as an anatomist in the second century after Christ, and wrote some works on that subject, which are now lost. Galen became personally acquainted with him during his first visit to Rome, about A. D. 165, and tells an anecdote of him which shows him to have been an envious and malicious person (De Praenot. ad Epig). 100.3, vol. xiv. p. 614, &c.). He is probably the same person as the physician named Martialis, though it is uncertain which name is correct.

Some medical formulae by a physician of the same name are quoted by Aetius (2.3. 110, 2.4. 47, 3.3. 11, pp. 358, 402, 554) and Scribonius Largus ( 46.177. p. 223); but this cannot be the same person as the contemporary of Galen, as lie lived about the beginning of the Christian era in the reign of Augustus. [W.A.G]

a Roman jurist, who wrote after the death of Septimius Severus, whom he calls Divus (Dig. 50. tit.4. s. 7). Another passage (48. tit. 17. s. 1 ) shows that he was then writing under Antoninus Caracalla, the son and successor of Severus. It also appears from his Institutions, that he survived Caracalla (Dig. 35. tit. 1. s. 33; Cod. 9. tit. 8. s. 8 ). It is therefore probable that he also wrote under Alexander Severus, whose reign commnenced A. D. 222. Caracalla died A. D. 217. Another Aelius Marcianus is cited in the Digest, who was proconsul of Baetica in the time of Antoninus Pius (Dig. 1. tit. 6. s. 2, where Ulpian gives the rescript of Pius addressed to this Marcianus).

The works of Marcianus, front which there are excerpts in the Digest, are :--Sixteen books of Institttiones, from which there are excerpts in the Digest : this work was also used for the compilation of Justinian's Institutions (compare Inst. 4. tit. 3. s. 1, and Dig. 32. s. 65.4; Inst. 2. tit. 18, " hoc colore," &c., and Dig. 5. tit. 2. s. 2); two books on Publica Judicia; two books on Appellationes ; five books entitled Regularia; a single book on Delatores; a single book on the Hypothccaria Formula; and a single book ad Sct. Turpillianum. He also wrote notes on Papinian. Marcianus is cited by Ulpianus and Paulus. There are 275 excerpts from Marcianus in the Digest. Zimmern (Geschichte des Röm. Privatreckts) cites a work by G. Oelrichs, De Vita, Studüs, Honoribus et Scriptis Ael. Marciani ICti. Traj. ad Rhen. 1754. 4to.

There are rescripts addressed by Alexander Severus to A. Marcianus (Cod. 2. tit. 13. s. 6) and to A. Martianus, which may be the same name (Cod. 7. tit. 21. s. 4), and one by Gordian to A. Martianus in the year 239 (Cod. 4. tit. 21. s. 4); but this may be a different person from the jurist whose writings are excerpted in the Digest. [G.L]

[Capella.]

a native of Syria, the husband of Julia Mamaea, by whom he was the reputed father of Alexander Severus. We know nothing of his history, except that he on several occasions discharged the duties of an imperial procurator. (D. C. 78.30.) [W.R]

a Roman senator, was accused of majestas in A. D. 35, by C. Gracchus, and put an end to his own life. (Tac. Ann. 6.38.)

[Icelus.]

• of a Marcius: carmina, L.: foedus.

(Μαρκιανός). (1) A Greek geographer, who lived at Heraclea in Bithynia. With the aid of the best sources of information from Hanno and Scylax down to Ptolemaeus he compiled, about A.D. 400, a description of the Western and Eastern Ocean in two books, not completely preserved. Edition by Hoffmann (Leipzig, 1841). It is of particular importance for ancient geography, as the distances in stadia are given.

(2) Aelius. A Roman jurist, who lived under Caracalla and Alexander Severus, and who is frequently cited in the Digest.

(3) Emperor of the East, A.D. 450-457. He was a native of Thrace or Illyricum, and served for many years as a common soldier in the imperial army. Of his early history we have only a few particulars; but he had attained such distinction at the death of Theodosius II. in 450 that the widow of the latter, the celebrated Pulcheria, offered her hand and the imperial title to Marcian, who thus became emperor of the East. Marcian was a man of resolution and bravery; and when Attila sent to demand the tribute which the younger Theodosius had engaged to pay annually, the emperor sternly replied, “I have iron for Attila, but no gold.” Attila swore vengeance; but he first invaded the Western Empire, and his death, two years afterwards, saved the East. In 451 Marcian assembled the Council of Chalcedon, in which the doctrines of the Eutychians were condemned. He died in 457, and was succeeded by Leo.

(4) Marciānus Capella. See Capella.