Saxa
- a surname of L. Decidius, a partisan of Caesar, Caes. B. C. 1, 66; Cic. Phil. 10, 10, 22; 11, 5, 12; 12, 8, 20.
Ipse brevis gladius apud illos Saxa vocatur,
Unde sibi Saxo nomen peperisse notatur.
Eadem fere Engelhusius :
Quippe brevis gladius apud illos Saxa vocatur,
Unde sibi nomen Saxo traxisse putatur.
Saxones longis cultellis pugnasse auctor est etiam Continuator Florentii
Wigorniensis ann. 1138. indeque genti datum nomen : Mutato denique nomine, quæ ad
id tempus Turingia, ex longis cultellis, sed victoriosis, postmodum vocata est non
Saxonica , sed Anglico elemento Sexonia . Neque aliter Lambertus Schafnaburgensis
ann. 1075 : Reliquam partem gladiis, qua bellandi arte plurimum excellit Saxonia,
peragunt. Et Fridericus II. Imp. in Epistola ad Saladinum, apud Rogerum
Hovedenum pag. 650 : In gladio ludens Saxonia. A voce
igitur
Saax, et
Sahsappellata Saxonia : ita enim Saxonibus dictus cultellus, gladius, de qua voce consulendus in primis Mericus Casaubonus in Tractatu de Lingua Saxonica pag. 395. ubi Saxones inde dictos etiam contendit. Glossarium Lat. Theotiscum :
Fuerunt autem et qui hoc facinore nomen
illis (Saxonibus) inditum tradant : cultelli enim nostra lingua Sahs
dicuntur, ideoque Saxones nuncupatos, quia cultellis tantam multitudinem
fudissent. Eadem habet Albertus Stadensis ann. 917. Istius etiam vocis notionem
attigit Gobelinus Persona in Cosmodromio ætate 5. cap. 11 : Apud nos senioribus
novacula, qua pili raduntur, dicitur Sass ; et habemus inde vulgare verbum Sassen, id
est, novacula cæsariem radere. Præterea Gaufridus Monemuthensis lib. 3. cap. 3 :
Commilitonibus suis præcepit, ut unusquisque longum cultrum intra caligas
absconderet, et cum colloquium securius tractarent Britones, ipse eis hoc signum daret,
Nimet oure Saxas, (i. capite vestros cultros,) unde quisque paratus
adstantem Britonem audacter occuparet.saxovidelicet, seu
lapide. Tidericus Langenius in Saxonia :
Restat laudanda Saxonia magnificanda,
A Saxo dicta, gens Saxoniæ benedicta,
Est fortis, dura, gens bellica, vix ruitura.
Ita Roswitha de Gestis Odon. cap. 1 :
Ad claram gentem Saxonum nomen habentem
A Saxo, per duritiem mentis bene firmam.
Papias ex Isidoro lib. 9. cap. 2 : Sax.
Sachob administrationem justitiæ, appellatos Saxones existimat. Vide Schilteri Gloss. Teuton.
1. A native of Celtiberia, was one of Caesar's soldiers, who rose from the ranks to offices of importance and trust. According to Cicero, he was originally a land-surveyor, who marked out the ground for the camp, and was not even a Roman citizen (Cic. Phil. 11.5, 13.13). He served under Caesar in Spain, against the legates of Pompey, in B. C. 49, and appears to have remained in that country till the conclusion of the war against the sons of Pompey in B. C. 45, when he came to Rome with Caesar, and was made by the latter tribune of the plebs for the following year. In the troubles following Caesar's death, Saxa took an active part in supporting the friends of his murdered patron. He attached himself to M. Antonius, and served under him as centurion in the siege of Mutina. In B. C. 42, Saxa and Norbanus were sent by Antonius and Octavianus to Macedonia, with eight legions. They took possession of the mountain-passes beyond Philippi, in order to stop the march of Brutus and Cassius, but the latter changed their route and arrived safely at Philippi. Saxa and Norbanus now fell back upon Amphipolis, and confined themselves to the defensive, as the forces of the enemy far outnumbered their own. After the defeat of Brutus and Cassius Saxa accompanied Antony to the East, and was made by the latter governor of Syria. Soon after his appointment the younger Labienus invaded Syria (B. C. 40), at the head of a powerful Parthian army, and defeated Saxa, who lied from his camp in the course of the same night, fearing that his soldiers would go over to Labienus. He had intended to take refuge in Antioch; but hearing that the important town of Apameia had fallen into the hands of Labienus, he did not venture to go to Antioch, but continued his flight towards Cilicia. He was, however, overtaken by the troops of Labienus, and put to death by them. One account states that he killed himself to avoid falling into their power. (Caes. Civ. 1.66; Cic. Phil. 8.3, 9.26, 10.10, 11.5, 12.8, 13.13, 14.4; Dion Cass. 47.35, 36, 48.24, 25; Appian, App. BC 4.87, 5.102_107, Syr. 51; Veil. Pat. 2.78 ; Liv. Epit. 127; Flor. 4.9.)
2. The brother of the preceding, served under him as quaestor, in Syria, and had the command, as it appears, of the town of Apameia, which he continued to keep while all the surrounding garrisons surrendered to Labienus, till he heard a report of the death of his brother, when he likewise surrendered Antioch. (D. C. 48.25.)
tribune of the plebs, B. C. 169, proposed the Voconia lex, which was supported by the elder Cato, who spoke in its favour, when he was sixty-five years of age (Liv. Epit. 41 ; Cic. de Senect. 5, pro Balb. 8, Verr. Act. 1.48). Respecting the contents of this important lex, see Dict. of Ant. s. v.
A native of Celtiberia, and originally one of Caesar's common soldiers ( B. C. i. 66). He eventually accompanied Antony to the East, and was made by him governor of Syria. Here he was defeated by the younger Labienus and the Parthians, and was slain in the flight after the battle (B.C. 40) (Dio Cass. xlvii. 35; xlviii. 24).
A tribune of the plebs, B.C. 169, who proposed the lex Voconia. See Voconia lex.