Clarus

a cognomen of a noble Roman family in the second century of the Christian aera.

1. C. Septicius Clarus, a brother of No. 2, and an uncle of No. 3, was an intimate friend of the younger Pliny, who dedicated to him his Epistles, and speaks of him as one "quo nihil verius, nihil simplicius, nihil candidius, nihil fidelius novit." (Ep. 2.9.) Several of Pliny's Epistles are addressed to him (1.1, 15, 7.28, 8.1). Clarus was appointed Praefectus Praetorio by Hadrian, but removed from this office soon afterwards, having, like most of Hadrian's other friends, incurred his suspicion. (Spartian. Hadr. 9, 11, 15.)

2. M. Erucius Clarus, brother of the preceding, is spoken of by Pliny (Plin. Ep. 2.9), as a man of honour, integrity, and learning, and well skilled in pleading causes. He is probably the same as the Erucius Clarus who took and burnt Seleuceia, in conjunction with Julius Alexander, in A. D. 115 (D. C. 68.30), and also the same as the M. Erucius Clarus, who was consul suffectus with Ti. Julius Alexander, in A. D. 117, the year of Trajan's death.

3. Sex. Erucius Clarus, son of No. 2, was also a friend of Pliny, who obtained for him from Trajan the latus clavus, which admitted him to the senate, subsequently secured the quaestorship for him, and writes a letter to his friend Apollinaris, requesting his assistance in canvassing for Erucius who was then aspiring to the tribunate. (Plin. Ep. 2.9.) A. Gellius speaks of him as a contemporary, and says that he was most devoted to the study of ancient literature; we also learn from the same author that he was praefect of the city, and had been twice consul. (Gel. 6.6, 13.17.) The date of his first consulship is not known, but we learn from Spartianus (Sever. 1), and an ancient inscription, that he was consul a second time in A. D. 146, with Cn. Claudius Severus. One of Pliny's Epistles (1.15), is addressed to him.

4. C. Erucius Clarus, consul in A. D. 170, with M. Cornelius Cethegus (Fast.), was probably the son of No. 3, and the same as the Praefectus Vigilum mentioned in the Digest. (1. tit. 15. s. 3.2.)

5. C. Julius Erucius Clarus, probably the son of No. 4, was consul in A. D. 193, with Q. Sosius Falco. The emperor Commodus had determined to murder both consuls, as they entered upon their office on the st of January, but he was himself assassinated on the preceding day. (D. C. 67.22; Capitol. Pertin. 15.) After the death of Niger, who had been one of the claimants to the vacant throne, Severus wished Clarus to turn informer, and accuse persons falsely of having assisted Niger, partly with the view of destroying the character of Clarus, and partly that the wellknown integrity of Clarus might give an appearance of justice to the unjust judgments that might be pronounced. But as Clarus refused to discharge this disgraceful office, he was put to death by Severus. (D. C. 74.9; Spartian. Sever. 13.)

CLARUS (Κλάρος: Eth. Κλάριος), a place in Ionia, near Colophon, where there was a temple of Apollo, and an oracle of high antiquity. (Paus. 7.3.1.) Claros is mentioned in the so-called Homeric hymns (1.40, 8.5), and by the Latin poets. (Ovid. Met. 1.515; Verg. A. 3.359.) There was an old story that Calchas, on his return from Troy, came to Clarus, and died of vexation on finding that Mopsus, the grandson of Tiresias, was a better seer than himself. (Strab. p. 642.) When Germanicus was on his way to the East, he consulted the Clarian oracle, which foretold his speedy death. The priest was selected from certain families, and generally brought from Miletus. It was only necessary to tell him the number and names of those who consulted the oracle, on which he went into a cave, drank of the water of the secret fountain, and then delivered in verse an answer to what each had in his thoughts: his answers, as usual with oracles, were ambiguous. (Tac. Ann. 2.54; Plin. Nat. 2.103.)

Chandler (Asia Minor, 100.31) supposes that he discovered the site of Clarus at a place called Zillé, where he found a spring of water, with marble steps that led down to it; and he considers that this is the sacred fountain. Aiasaluck, the site of Ephesus, may be seen from this spot, with the plain of Ephesus and the town of Scala Nova. He saw also a confused mass of ruins of a large temple, and remains mains of Christian churches. Pausanias, who wrote in the second century of the Christian aera, speaks of an unfinished temple of Apollo at Clarus. The French editors of Chandler suggest that the ruins at Zillé may be those of Notium. On the coins of Clarus from the time of Domitian to Gallienus, there is Apollo Clarius and Diana Claria.

(Κλάρος). A small town on the Ionian coast, near Colophon, with a celebrated temple and oracle of Apollo, surnamed Clarius.