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Mercury, in Roman religion

(Encyclopedia)Mercury, in Roman religion, god of commerce and messenger of the gods; identified with the Greek Hermes. He was honored at the Mercuralia, a festival held in May and attended primarily by traders and ...

Narcissus, in Roman history

(Encyclopedia)Narcissus, d. a.d. 54, secretary of the Roman Emperor Claudius I. A freedman with great influence, he revealed to Claudius the intrigue of Messalina and expedited her death (a.d. 48). The woman that N...

Larvae, in Roman religion

(Encyclopedia)Larvae: see lemures.

Virginia, in Roman legend

(Encyclopedia)Virginia, in Roman legend, daughter of the centurion Virginius. Her father stabbed her to save her from the lust of Appius Claudius Crassus, decemvir. This precipitated the fall of the decemvirs. The ...

Wenceslaus, Holy Roman emperor

(Encyclopedia)Wenceslaus, 1361–1419, Holy Roman emperor (uncrowned) and German king (1378–1400), king of Bohemia (1378–1419) as Wenceslaus IV, elector of Brandenburg (1373–76), son and successor of Emperor ...

Sol, in Roman religion

(Encyclopedia)Sol sŏl [key], in Roman religion, sun god. An ancient god of Mesopotamian origin, he was introduced (c.220) into Roman religion as Sol Invictus by emperor Heliogabalus. His worship remained an import...

Regulus, in Roman history

(Encyclopedia)Regulus (Marcus Atilius Regulus) rĕgˈyo͝oləs [key], d. c.250 b.c., Roman general in the First Punic War. While consul (267 b.c.) he conquered the Sallentini and captured Brundisium (now Brindisi)....

Quintilian

(Encyclopedia)Quintilian (Marcus Fabius Quintilianus) kwĭntĭlˈyən [key], c.a.d. 35–c.a.d. 95, Roman rhetorician, b. Calagurris (now Calahorra), Spain. He taught rhetoric at Rome (Pliny the Younger and possibl...

Claudius

(Encyclopedia)Claudius, ancient Roman gens. Appius Claudius Sabinus Inregillenis or Regillensis was a Sabine; he came (c.504 b.c.) with his tribe to Rome. While consul (495), his severe interpretation of the laws o...

Macrobius

(Encyclopedia)Macrobius məkrōˈbēəs [key], fl. c.430, Latin writer and philosopher. His Saturnalia, a dialogue in seven books chiefly concerned with a literary evaluation of Vergil, incorporates valuable quotat...