Taurus
- a high mountainrange in the south-eastern part of Asia Minor, now Allah Dagh, Bulghar Dagh, etc., Mel. 1, 15, 2; Plin. 5, 27, 27, § 97; Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 8; Cic. Fam. 15, 1, 3; 15, 2, 2 al.: Tauri Pylae, a defile between Cappadocia and Cilicia, id. Att. 5, 20, 2.
- a Roman proper name: M. Taurus, Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 1.
(Ταῦρος), a bull, occurs:
1. as a surname of Dionysus. (Eurip. Bacch. 918 ; Athen. 11.476; Plut. Quaest. Graec. 36 ; Lycoph. Cass. 209.)
2. According to some, another name for Talos. (Apollod. 1.9.26.)
3. A son of Neleus and Chloris. (Apollod. 1.9.9.) [L.S]
a tribune of the praetorian cohorts. A. D. 69. (Tac. Hist. 1.20.)
a Platonic philosopher, who defended the Platonic philosoph against Aristotle. (Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. iii. p. 144.)
[Pacuvius, No. 3.]
1. Statilius Taurus, one of the most distinguished of Octavian's generals. His name appears in the Fasti as consul suffectus in B. C. 37, but he is first mentioned by ancient writers in the following year in the war against Sex. Pompeius, in Sicily. He commanded Antony's fleet, which sailed from Tarentum, and he rendered important services in the war. After the flight of Pompeius from Sicily, Taurus sailed over to Africa, which he secured for Octavian without difficulty. In B. C. 34 he received the honour of a triumph on account of his success in Africa (Fasti Capit.), and in the course of the same year he accompanied Octavian to Dalmatia, and was left in the country in command of the army when Octavian returned to Rome. At the battle of Actium, in B. C. 31, Taurus commanded the land-force of Octavian, which was drawn up on the shore. In B. C. 29 he defeated the Cantabri, Vaccaei, and Astures. He was raised to the consulship in B. C. 26; and in B. C. 16, when the emperor went to Gaul, the government of the city and of Italy was left to Taurns, with the title of praefectus urbi. (Appian, App. BC 5.97_99,103, 105, 109, 118; D. C. 49.14, 38; Appian, Ill. 27 ; D. C. 1. 13; Plut. Ant. 65 ; D. C. 51.20, 53.23, 54.19); Tac. Ann. 6.11; Vell. 2.127.) In the fourth consulship of Augustus, B. C. 30, Taurus built an amphitheatre of stone at his own expence, and at its opening exhibited a show of gladiators ; and the people in return allowed him to appoint one of the praetors every year. This amphitheatre was burnt down in the great fire at Rome, in the reign of Nero. (D. C. 51.23, 62.18; Suet. Octav. 29 ; Tac. Ann. 3.72.)
There was a Statilius Taurus, who was triumvir of the mint under Augustus, as we learn from coins, but whether he was the same person as the pre-ceding cannot be determined. The annexed coin has on the obverse the legend, TAVRVS REGVLVS PVLCHER, and on the revere, IIIVIR A A A F F Eckhel, vol. v. p. 316.)
2. T. Statilius Taurus, probably son of No. 1. was consul, A. D. 11, with M. Aemilius Lepidus. (D. C. 56.25.)
3. T. Statilius Sisenna Taurus, consul A. D. 16, with L. Scribonius Libo. (Dio Cass. Ivii. 15; Tac. Ann. 2.1.)
4. M. Statilius Taurus was consul A. D. 44 with L. Quintius Crispinus Secundus. and afterwards governed Africa as proconsul. He possessed great wealth, which proved his ruin. Agrippina, coveting his gardens, got Tarquitius Priscus, who had been the legate of Taurus in Africa. to accuse the latter of repetundac and of magic. Taurus put an end to his own life before the senate pronounced sentence. (D. C. 9.13; Tac. Ann. 12.59, 14.46.)
5. Taurus Statilius Corvinus, consul A. D. 45. [Corvinus.]
(from the Aramaean Tur, “a high mountain”). Now Taurus, Ala-Dagh, and other special names. A great mountain-chain of Asia. In its widest extent, the name was applied, by the later geographers, to the whole of the great chain which runs through Asia from west to east; but in its usual signification it denotes the mountain-chain in the south of Asia Minor, which begins at the Sacrum or Chelidonium Promontory at the southeast angle of Lycia, surrounds the Gulf of Pamphylia, passing through the middle of Pisidia; then along the southern frontier of Lycaonia and Cappadocia, which it divides from Cilicia and Commagené; thence, after being broken through by the Euphrates, it proceeds almost due east through the south of Armenia, forming the water-shed between the sources of the Tigris on the south and the streams which feed the upper Euphrates and the Araxes on the north; thus it continues as far as the southern margin of the lake Arsissa, where it ceases to bear the name of Taurus, and is continued in the chain which, under the names of Niphates, Zagros, etc., forms the northeast margin of the Tigris and Euphrates valley. Of this main range the branches Antitaurus and Amanus are important chains.
A distinguished general of Octavianus (Augustus) commanding his land forces at the battle of Actium (B.C. 31). Two years later he routed the Cantabri, Astures, and Vaccaei in Spain. He was consul in B.C. 26, and praefectus urbi in 16, during the absence of Augustus from Rome. An amphitheatre of stone was built by him in the year 30. (See App. B. C. v. 97-118; Tac. Ann. vi. 11; Dio Cass. xlix. 14; li. 20; liv. 19.)
- Paus. 9.17.4, 5
- Apollod. 1.9.9