Publilius

Pūblĭlĭus, a, the name of a Roman gens, of whom the best known are,

• I Publilius, brother of Publilia, second wife of Cicero, Cic. Att. 12, 32, 1.—
• II Volero Publilius, who secured to the plebs the election of the tribunes, A. U. C. 282, Liv. 2, 55 sqq. —
• III Publilius Syrus, a famous composer and actor of mimes, at the beginning of the eighth century A. U. C., Plin. 35, 17, 58, § 199; Macr. S. 2, 7, 6 sqq.; Sen. Ep. 8, 8; less correctly called Publius Syrus, Gell. 17, 14, 1; Sen. Tranq. 11, 8 al.; v. Wölfflin, Philol. 22, p. 439 sq.; Teuffel, Röm. Lit. § 208, 2. —Hence, adj.: Publĭlĭānus, a, um, of or belonging to Publilius: sententiae, Sen. Contr. 7, 18, 8 sq. (where the common text has Publiliae).—
• IV Publilia, Cicero's second wife, whom he married B. C. 46, and divorced the next year, Cic. Att. 12, 32, 1; cf. id. Fam. 4, 14, 3; Quint. 6, 3, 75.

Pūblilius, a, um, Name einer röm. gens, aus der Publilius, Vater der zweiten Gemahlin Ciceros, u. Publilia, eben diese Gemahlin, am bekanntesten sind, Cic. ad Att. 12, 32. § 1. – Außerdem Publius Publilius Lochius Syrus, gew. bl. Publius Syrus od. bl. Publilius od. bl. Publius gen., ein röm. Freigelassener von syrischer Abkunft, ein sehr beliebter Mime u. Mimendichter, gegen das Ende der Republik, von dessen Gedichten sich nur eine Sammlung Sentenzen erhalten hat, Cic. ep. 12, 18, 2. Sen. contr. 7 (3), 18. § 8. Sen. ep. 8, 8. Gell. 17, 14, 1. Macr. sat. 2, 7, 1 sqq. Vgl. W. Teuffel Gesch. der röm. Liter.⁶ § 212; u. (über den vollständigen Namen) Sillig Plin. 35, 199. – Dav.: a) Pūbliliānus, a, um, publilianisch, des Publilius (Syrus), sententia, Sen. contr. 7, 3 (18). § 8. – b) Pūblilius, publilisch, tribus, Liv. 7, 15, 12.

Pūblĭlĭus, (11) ĭī, m. , nom de fam. rom. || Publilius Syrus, auteur de mimes : Plin. 35, 199 ; Cic. Fam. 12, 18, 2 ; Sen. Ep. 8, 7.

Publi'lius

1. Volero Publilius, the author of an important change in the Roman constitution. He had served with distinction as a first centurion, and, accordingly, when he was called upon to enlist as a common soldier at the levy in B. C. 473, he refused to obey. The consuls ordered the lictors to seize him and scourge him. He appealed to the tribunes, but as they took no notice of the outrage, he resisted the lictors, and was supported by the people. The consuls were driven out of the forum, and the senate was obliged to bow before the storm. Publilius had acquired so much popularity by his courageous conduct, that he was elected tribune of the plebs for the following year, B. C. 472. He did not, however, bring the consuls of the previous year to trial, as had been expected, but, sacrificing his private wrongs to the public welfare, he brought forward a measure to secure the plebeians greater freedom in the election of the tribunes. They had been previously elected in the comitia centuriata, where the patricians had a great number of votes; and Publilius accordingly proposed that they should be elected in future by the comitia tributa. This measure was undoubtedly proposed to the comitia tributa, but the patricians, by their violent opposition, prevented the tribes from coming to any vote respecting it this year. In the following year, B. C. 471, Publilius was reelected tribune, and together with him C. Laetorius, a man of still greater resolution. He now brought forward fresh measures. He proposed that the aediles, as well as the tribunes, should be elected by the tribes, and, what was still more important, that the tribes should have the power of deliberating and determining in all matters affecting the whole nation, and not such only as might concern the plebs. These measures were still more violently resisted by the patricians; but though the consul Ap. Claudius had recourse to force he could not prevent the tribes from passing them. Some said that the number of the tribunes was now for the first time raised to five, having been only two previously. (Liv. 2.55-58; Dionys. A. R. 9.41, &c.; Zonar. 7.17; Niebuhr, Hist. of Rome, vol. ii. p. 211, &c.)

Publi'lius

2. Q. Publilius, tribune of the plebs B. C. 384, in which year, in conjunction with his colleague, M. Maenius or Menenius, he accused Manlius. (Liv. 6.19, 20.)

Publi'lius

3. Q. Publilius, was appointed one of the triumviri mensarii in B. C. 352. (Liv. 7.21.)

Publi'lius

4. C. Publilius, a youth who had given himself up to slavery (as a nexus), in order to pay the debts of his father, and whose cruel treatment by the usurer, L. Papirius, so roused the indignation of the people, as to lead to the enactment, in B. C. 326, of the Lex Poetelia Papiria, which abolished imprisonment for debt in the case of the nexi (Liv. 8.28). Valerius Maximus (6.1.9) calls this youth T. Veturius.

Publi'lius

5. T. Publilius, one of the first plebeian augurs created on the passing of the Ogulnia lex, in B. C. 300. (Liv. 10.9.)

Publi'lius

6. Publilius, the brother of Cicero's second wife, with whom Cicero had considerable negotiation respecting the repayment of Publilia's dowry, after he had divorced her in B. C. 45. (Cic. Att. 13.34, 47, 14.19, 16.2, 6.)

Publi'lius

7. Publilius, a Roman comic poet, only known by the quotation of a single line by Nonius (s. v. latibulet), from one of his comedies entitled Putatores. As he is not mentioned elsewhere, it has been supposed that we ought to read Publius (that is, Publius Syrus) in this passage of Nonius.

Publilius, Volĕro

A tribune of the plebs, B.C. 472, and again 471, who effected an important change in the Roman constitution. In virtue of the laws which he proposed, the tribunes of the plebs and the aediles were elected by the Comitia Tributa, instead of by the Comitia Centuriata, as had previously been the case, and the tribes obtained the power of deliberating and determining in all matters affecting the whole nation, and not such only as concerned the plebs. Some say that the number of the tribunes was now for the first time raised to five, having been only two previously.