Cornificius
- I Q. Cornificius, friend of Cicero and author of rhet. and gram. works, Cic. Fam. 12, 17, 2; Quint. 3, 1, 21 al.; Cic. Att. 1, 13, 3 al.—
- II A Latin poet, Cat. 38, 1; Ov. Tr. 2, 436; Macr. S. 6, 5; cf. Don. Vit. Verg. 67.
- 1. Q. ~, pretor in 67 v. Chr.;
- 2. Q. ~, zoon van
- 1. , pretor in 46 v. Chr.; redenaar en dichter.
(1) Quintus, a contemporary of Cicero, distinguished for talents and literary acquirements, who attained to some of the highest offices in the State. Catullus and Ovid both speak of his poetic abilities, and he appears to have been the friend of both. Cornificius distinguished himself as propraetor in the Illyrian War, and also as governor of Syria and afterwards of Africa. In this latter province he espoused the cause of the Senate after Caesar's death, and received and gave protection to those who had been proscribed by the Second Triumvirate. He lost his life, however, while contending in that country against Sextius, who had been sent against him by Octavianus. Some scholars make this Cornificius to have been the author of the rhetorical treatise to Herennius commonly ascribed to Cicero. (See Quint. iii. 1. 21.) He is said also to have been an enemy of Vergil's, but this supposition violates chronology, since the poet only became eminent subsequent to the date when Cornificius died.
(2) Lucius, a partisan of Octavianus, by whom he was appointed to accuse Brutus, before the public tribunal at Rome, of the assassination of Caesar (Plut. Brut. 27). He afterwards distinguished himself, as one of Octavianus's lieutenants, by a masterly retreat in Sicily during the war with Sextus Pompeius. He was consul, B.C. 35.