Megabocchus

• a praetor in Sardinia, Cic. Scaur. § 40; id. Att. 2, 7, 3 Orell.

is mentioned by Cicero in his oration for Scaurus ( 2.40) as condemned along with T. Albucius on account of his crimes in the government of Sardinia. He is, perhaps, the same as the Megabcchus who perished along with Crassus in the expedition against the Parthians (Plut. Crass. 25). The Magabocchus spoken of by Cicero, in one of his letters (ad Att. 2.7.3), is supposed by Manutius and others to be a nickname given to Pompey on account of his victories in the war between Sulla and the Marian party, and this supposition is also maintained by Drumann (Gesch. Roms, vol. vi. p. 44). But as there was evidently a Roman at that time of the name of Megabocchus, and Cicero in the letter referred to speaks of "Megabocchus et haec sanguinaria juventus,"' the opinion of Gronovius appears the more probable, that this Megabocchus was one of the reputed conspirators of Catiline; and he may, therefore, have been the same as the one mentioned in the oration for Scaurus, and by Plutarch.