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CURIO, OAIUS SCRIBONIUS

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Originally appearing in Volume V07, Page 644 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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CURIO, OAIUS SCRIBONIUS , See also:Roman statesman and orator, son of a distinguished orator of the same name, flourished during the 1st See also:century B.C. He was See also:tribune of the See also:people in 90 B.C., and afterwards served in See also:Sulla's See also:army in See also:Greece against See also:Archelaus, See also:general of See also:Mithradates, and as his See also:legate in See also:Asia, where he was commissioned to restore See also:order in the kingdoms abandoned by Mithradates. In 76 he was See also:consul, and as See also:governor of See also:Macedonia carried on See also:war successfully against the Thracians and Dardanians, and was the first Roman general who penetrated as far as the See also:Danube. On his return he was granted the See also:honour of a See also:triumph. During the discussion as to the See also:punishment of the Catilinarian conspirators he supported See also:Cicero, but he spoke in favour of P. See also:Clodius (q.v.) when the latter was being tried for the See also:Bona Dea affair. This led to a violent attack on the See also:part of Cicero, but it does not appear to have interfered with their friendship. Curio was a vehement opponent of See also:Caesar, against whom he wrote a See also:political pamphlet in the See also:form of a See also:dialogue. He was See also:pontifex See also:maximus in 57, and died in 53. His reputation as an orator was considerable, but according to Cicero he was very illiterate, and his only qualifications were brilliancy of See also:style and the purity of his Latin: He was nicknamed Burbuleius (after an actor) from the way in which he moved his See also:body while speaking. See also:Orelli, Onomasticon to Cicero; Floras iii. 4; See also:Eutropius vi.

2; Val. Max. ix. 14, 5; See also:

Quintilian, Instit., vi. 3, 76; Dio See also:Cassius xxxviii. i6. His son, Gams SCRIBOI IUS CURIO, was first a supporter of See also:Pompey, but after his tribuneship (5o B.C.) went over to Caesar, by whom he was said to have been bribed. But, while breaking off relations with Pompey, Curio desired to keep up the See also:appearance of impartiality. When it was-demanded that Caesar should See also:lay down his imperium before entering See also:Rome, Curio proposed See also:CURLEW that Pompey should do the same, adding that, if the rivals refused to do so, they ought both to be declared public enemies: His proposal was carried by a large See also:majority, but a See also:report having spread that Caesar was on the way to attack Rome, the consuls called upon Pompey to undertake the command of all the troops stationed in See also:Italy. Curio's See also:appeal to the people to prevent the levying of an army by Pompey was disregarded; whereupon, feeling himself in danger, he fled to See also:Ravenna to Caesar. He was commissioned by Caesar, who was still unwilling to proceed to extremities, to take a See also:message to the See also:senate. But Curio's reception was so hostile that he hurriedly returned during the See also:night to Caesar. It was now obvious that See also:civil war would break out. Curio collected troops in See also:Umbria and See also:Etruria for Caesar, who sent him to See also:Sicily as propraetor in 49.

After having fought with considerable success there against the Pompeians, Curio crossed over to See also:

Africa, where he was defeated and slain by See also:Juba, See also:king of See also:Numidia. Curio, although a See also:man of profligate See also:character, possessed conspicuous ability, and was a distinguished orator. In spite of his faults, Cicero, as an old friend of his See also:father, took a See also:great See also:interest in him and did his utmost to reform him. Seven of Cicero's letters (Ad. Fam. ii. 1-7) are addressed to him. There can be no doubt that Curio's behaviour in regard to the laying down of the imperium by Caesar and Pompey in great measure contributed to the outbreak of civil war. The first See also:amphitheatre in Rome was erected by him (50), for the celebration of the funeral See also:games in honour of his father. Orelli, Onomasticon to Cicero; See also:Livy, Epit. 109, 110; Caesar, See also:Bell. Civ., ii. 23, for Curio's See also:African See also:campaign; See also:Appian, Bell.

Civ., ii. 26-44; Vell. Pat. ii. 48.

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