Secundus

• I C. Plinius Secundus, the writer on natural history.—
• II C. Plinius Caecilius Secundus, his nephew: OCTAVIA Q. F. SECVNDA, Inscr. Grut. 445, 2; cf. Varr. L. L. 9, § 60 Müll.

(Σεκοῦνδος), Greek literary.

1. Of Athens, a distinguished sophist of the time of Hadrian, and one of the teachers of Herodes Atticus, who quarrelled with him, and wrote a sarcastic verse upon him; but, after his death, Herodes pronounced his funeral oration, and shed tears over him. He was the son of a carpenter, whence he obtained the nickname of ἐπίουρος. A cording to Philostratus, he was exceedingly learned, but very interior as a critic. (Philostr. Vit. Soph. 1.26, pp. 544, 545; Suid. s.v. who appears to have confounded him with Pliny! though the reading is doubtful.) Works μελέτας ῥητορικάς

Of his works very little is known with certainty. Suidas tells us that he wrote μελέτας ῥητορικάς, and we have in Philostratus the theme and heads of his most celebrated rhetorical exercise. Sententiae

There is a collection of Sententiae ascribed to him, of doubtful authenticity, and not of sufficient importance to require further notice here. The whole question respecting them is discussed, and an account of their MSS. and editions given, in Fabricius, Bibl. Graec. vol. i. pp. 866-870.

2. Of Tarentum, an epigrammatic poet, three of whose epigrams are preserved in the Greek Anthology. His verses were included in the collection of Philip of Thessalonica, about whose time he seems to have lived. (Brunck, Anal. vol. iii. p. 5 ; Jacobs, Anth. Graec. vol. iii. p. 226, vol. xiii. pp. 950, 951.) [P.S]

known only from coins, a specimen of which is annexed. It has been supposed by some that the head on the obverse is that of Augustus; by others that of Arrms himself : but it is impossible to obtain any certainty on the point. (Eckhel, vol. v. p. 143.)

vowed during an illness of Caligula to fight in the gladiatorial games, if the emperor recovered, expecting to be rewarded for his devotion. But when Caligula got well, and Secundus was unwilling to fulfil his vow, the emperor compelled him to fight. (D. C. 59.8 ; comp. Suet. Calig. 27.)

[Carrinas, No. 4.]

a Roman orator and a friend of Quintilian, is one of the speakers in the Dialogus de Oratoribus, usually ascribed to Tacitus. Quintilian praises his elegantia, and says that if he had lived longer, he would have obtained with posterity the reputation of an illustrious orator. (Auctor, Dial. de Orat. 2, &c.; Quint. Inst. 10.1.120, 12.10.11.)

was governor of Phoenicia, under Macrinus, and took a share in the administration of Egypt also. He was slain in the tumult which arose when intelligence was first received of the victory achieved by Elagabalus. (D. C. 78.35.) [W.R]

[Pedanius, No. 3.]

praefectus praetorio along with Norbanus ill the reign of Domitian, and one of the parties privy to the murder of the emperor. (D. C. 67.15; Eutrop. 8.1.)

[Plinius.]

1. A distinguished poet in the reigns of Tiberius, Caligula, and Claudius. He was one of the friends of Sejanus, and on the fall of that minister in A. D. 31 was thrown into prison, where he remained till the accession of Caligula in A. D. 37, by whom he was released, and who raised him to the consulship in A.D. 41. Dio Cassius says (59.6), that he had been consul seven years before the accession of Caligula; but his name does not occur in the Fasti. In the reign of Claudius he was appointed the emperor's legatus in Germany, and in A. D. 50 defeated the Chatti, and obtained the honour of the triumphal ornaments. Secundus was an intimate friend of the elder Pliny, who showed his affection for him by writing his life in two books. Tacitus speaks of him (Ann. 5.8) as a man " multa morum elegantia et ingenio illustri." It was by his tragedies that Secundus obtained the most celebrity. They are spoken of in the highest terms by Tacitus, Quintilian, and the younger Pliny, and were read even in a much later age, as one of them is quoted by the grammarian Charisius (Tac. Ann. 5.8, 6.18; D. C. 59.6, 29; Tac. Ann. 11.13, 12.27, 28 ; Dial. de Orat. 13 ; Quint. Inst. 10.1.98; Plin. Nat. 7.19, 13.12. s. 26, 14.4. s. 6; Plin. Ep. 3.5, 7.17; Charisius, apud Bothe, Poet. Scen. Lat. Fragm. vol. ii. p. 279). The praenomen of Pomponius Secundus is doubtful. In one passage Tacitus calls him Publius (Ann. 11.13), and in another Lucius (Ann. 12.27), while Dio Cassius (59.6) names him Quintus. Tacitus, however, call his brother Quintus. [No. 2.]

2. Q. Pomponius Secundus, the brother of the preceding, a man of abandoned character, accused Sancia and others towards the end of the reign of Tiberius, under the pretext of warding off dangers from his brother by acquiring the favour of the emperor. He subsequently revolted against the emperor Claudius. (Tac. Ann. 6.18, 13.43.)

a dependent of Sejanus, accused Cremutius Cordus in A. D. 25. He afterwards betrayed his master, and gave information to Tiberius of the conspiracy which Sejanus had formed against him. Josephus relates (Ant. 18.6) that Antonia informed Tiberius of the conspiracy of Sejanus; and hence it has been conjectured that Secundus, unwilling or unable to have an interview with the emperor, had acquainted Antonia with the plot. Secundus was married to the notorious Albucilla. (Tac. Ann. 4.34, 6.6, 47; Senec. Consol. ad Marciam, 22.)

a Roman eques, was accused of malversation (repetundae) in Mauritania, and condemned, A. D. 60. He was banished from Italy, and escaped a heavier punishment through the influence of his brother Vibius Crispus. (Tac. Ann. xiv 28.)

secretary to Commodus, was put to death along with Paternus and Julianus upon the discovery of the conspiracy against the emperor in A. D. 183. (Lamprid. Com-mod. 4.) [W.R]

(1) A distinguished Roman poet, who lived in the reigns of Tiberius, Caligula, and Claudius. He was one of the friends of Seianus, and on the fall of that minister in A.D. 31, was thrown into prison, where he remained till the accession of Caligula in 37, by whom he was released. He was consul in 41, and in the reign of Claudius commanded in Germany, when he defeated the Chatti (Tac. Ann. v. 8; xi. 13; xii. 28). Secundus was an intimate friend of the elder Pliny , who wrote his life in two books (Quint.x. 1, 98). His tragedies were the most celebrated of his literary compositions.

(2) Iulius, a Roman orator, and a friend of Quintilian, is one of the speakers in the Dialogus de Oratoribus of Tacitus.