Augurinus

• a surname of the Minucii in the Fasti Capitolini.

the name of families in the Genucia and Minucia gentes. The word is evidently derived from augur.

I. Genucii Augurini.

They must originally have been patricians, as we find consuls of this family long before the consulship was open to the plebeians. But here a difficulty arises. Livy calls (5.13, 18) Cn. Genucius, who was consular tribune in B. C. 99 and again in 396, a plebeian, and we learn from the Capitoline Fasti that his surname was Augurinus. Now if Livy and the Capitoline Fasti are both right, the Genucii Augurini must have gone over to the plebeians, as the Minucii Augurini did. It is possible, however, that Augurinus in the Capitoline Fasti may be a mistake for Aventinensis, which we know was a plebeian family of the same gens. [Aventinensis.]

1. T. Genucius Augurinus, L. F. L. N., consul B. C. 451, abdicated his office and was made a member of the first decemvirate. (Liv. 3.33; Dionys. A. R. 10.54, 56; Zonar. 7.18.) He was not included in the second. In the contests in 445 respecting the admission of the plebs to the consulship, which ended in the institution of the consular tribunate, Augurinus recommended the patricians to make some concessions. (Dionys. A. R. 11.60.)

2. M. Genucius Augurinus, L. F. L. N., brother of the preceding (Dionys. A. R. 11.60), consul B. C. 445, in which year the consular tribunate was instituted, and the lex Canuleia carried, establishing connubium between the patres and plebs. (Liv. 4.1, &c.; Dionys. A. R. 11.52, 58; Diod. 12.31; Zonar. 7.19; Varr. L. L. 5.150, ed. Müller.)

3. Cn. Genucius Augurinus, M. F. M. N., consular tribune B. C. 399, and again in 396, in the latter of which years he was cut off by an ambuscade in the war with the Faliscans and Capenates. (Liv. 5.13, 18; Diod. 14.54, 90.)

II. Minucii Augurini.

They were originally patricians, but a part of the family at least passed over to the plebeians in B. C. 439. [See below, No. 5.]

1. M. Minucius Augurinus, consul B. C. 497, in which year the temple of Saturn was dedicated and the Saturnalia instituted. (Liv. 2.21; Dionys. A. R. 6.1.) He was consul again in 492, when there was a great famine at Rome. He took an active part in the defence of Coriolanus, who was brought to trial in this year, but was unable to obtain his acquittal. (Liv. 2.34; Dionys. A. R. 7.20, 27_32, 38, 60, 61.) In the victorious approach of Coriolanus to Rome at the head of the Volscian army, Augurinus was one of the embassy sent to intercede with him on behalf of the city. (Dionys. A. R. 8.22, 23.)

2. P. Minucius Augurinus, consul B. C. 492, was chiefly engaged in his consulship in obtaining a supply of corn from different countries, on account of the famine at Rome. (Liv. 2.34; Dionys. A. R. 7.1; Oros. 2.5.)

3. L. Minucius Esquilinus Augurinus, P. F. M. N., consul B. C. 458, carried on the war against the Aequians, but through fear shut himself up in his camp on the Algidus, and allowed the enemy to surround him. He was delivered from his danger by the dictator L. Quinctius Cincinnatus, who compelled him, however, to resign his consulship. In the Fasti Capitolini we have one of the inversions which are so common in Roman history: in the Fasti, Augurinus is represented as consul suffectus in place of one whose name is lost, instead of being himself succeeded by another. (Liv. 3.25-29; Dionys. A. R. 10.22; Dio Cass. Frag. 34.27, p. 140, ed. Reimar; V. Max. 2.7.7, 5.2.2; Flor. 1.11; Zonar. 7.17; Niebuhr, Rom. Hist. ii. n. 604.)

4. Q. Minucius Esquilinus Augurinus, P. F. M. N., brother of No. 3, consul B. C. 457, had the conduct of the war against the Sabines, but could not do more than ravage their lands, as they shut themselves up in their walled towns. (Liv. 3.30; Dionys. A. R. 10.26, 30.)

5. L. Minucius Augurinus, was appointed praefect of the corn-market (praefectus annonae) in B. C. 439, in order to regulate the price of corn and obtain a supply from abroad, as the people were suffering from grievous famine. Sp. Maelius, who distinguished himself by his liberal supplies of corn to the people, was accused by the patricians of aiming at the sovereignty; and Augurinus is said to have disclosed his treasonable designs to the senate. The ferment occasioned by the assassination of Maelius was appeased by Augurinus, who is said to have gone over to the plebs from the patricians, and to have been chosen by the tribunes one of their body. It is stated, indeed, that he was elected an eleventh tribune, as the number of their body was full; but this seems incredible. That he passed over to the plebs, however, is confirmed by the fact, that we find subsequently members of his family tribunes of the plebs. Augurinus also lowered the price of corn in three market days, fixing as the maximum an as for a modius. The people, in their gratitude, presented him with an ox having its horns gilt, and erected a statue to his honour outside the Porta Trigemina, for which every body subscribed an ounce of brass. (Liv. 4.12_16 Plin. Nat. 18.4, 34.11; Niebuhr, Rom. Hist. ii. p. 423, &c.) This circumstance is commemorated in the preceding coin of the Minucia gens. The obverse represents the head of Pallas winged: the reverse a column surmounted by a statue, which is not clearly delineated in the annexed cut, with ears of corn springing up from its base. The inscription is C. MINVCI. C. F. AVGVRINI., with Roma at the top. (Eckhel, v. p. 254.)

6. Ti. Minucius Augurinus, consul B. C. 305, the last year of the Samnite war, was said in some annals to have received a mortal wound in battle. (Liv. 9.44; Diod. 20.81.)

7. M. Minucius (Augurinus), tribune of the plebs, B. C. 216, introduced the bill for the creation of the triumviri mensarii. (Liv. 23.21.)

8. C. Minucius Augurinus, tribune of the plebs, B. C. 187, proposed the imposition of a fine upon L. Scipio Asiaticus, and demanded that Scipio should give security (praedes). As Scipio, however, refused to do so, Augurinus ordered him to be seized and carried to prison, but was unable to carry his command into effect in consequence of the intercession of his colleague, Tib. Sempronius Gracchus, the father of Tib. and C. Gracchi. (Gel. 7.19.) A different account of this affair is given in Livy. (38.55-60.)

9. Ti. Minucius (Augurinus) Molliculus, was praetor peregrinus B. C. 180, and died of the pestilence which visited Rome in that year. (Liv. 40.35, 37.)

a poet in the time of the younger Pliny, who wrote short poems, such as epigrams, idylls, &c., which he called poematia, and which were in the style of Catullus and Calvus. He was an intimate friend of the younger Pliny, whom he praised in his verses ; and Pliny in return represented Augurinus as one of the first of poets. One of his poems in praise of Pliny is preserved in a letter of the latter. (Plin. Ep. 4.27, 9.8.)