line, the humanity which he displayed on one occasion towards the enemy (a rare virtue with Roman generals !), and the prudence and skill with which he prosecuted the war, are particularly celebrated by Valerius Maximus and Frontinus.
But he sullied his reputation by the efforts which he used to render his army as inefficient as possible on his departure from the province, in order that his successor, Q. Pompeius, whom he envied and hated, might find it difficult to obscure his glory.
In B. C. 131 Metellus was censor with Q. Pompeius, the first time that both the censors were elected from the plebs.
In his censorship Metellus proposed that every Roman should be compelled to marry, for the purpose of increasing the free population of the city: the oration which he delivered on the subject was extant in the time of Augustus, and was read by that emperor in the senate when he brought forward his law de Maritandis Ordinibus. (Suet. Aug. 89.) Some fragments of it are preserved by A. Gell
that of his father in the treaty concluded by Pharnaces with Eumenes, in a manner that would lead one to suppose he was already admitted to some share in the sovereign power. (Plb. 26.6.)
He was the first of the kings of Pontus who entered into a regular alliance with the Romans, whom he supported with some ships and a small auxiliary force during the third Punic war. (Appian, App. Mith. 10.)
At a subsequent period he rendered them more efficient assistance in the war against Aristonicus （B. C. 131-129), and for his services on this occasion was rewarded by the consul M'. Aquillius with the province of Phrygia.
The acts of Aquillius were rescinded by the senate on the ground of bribery, but it appears that Mithridates continued in possession of Phrygia till his death. (Just. 37.1, 38.5; Appian, App. Mith. 12, 56, 57 ; Oros. 5.10; Eutrop. 4.20, who, however, confounds him with his son.)
The close of his reign carl only be determined approximately, from the statements concerning the ac
by the express order of his son, B. C. 149. (Appian. Mithr. 4-7; Just. 34.4; Zonar. 9.28; Liv. Epit. 1.; Strab. xiii. p.624; Diod. xxxii. Exc. Pilot. p. 523, Exc. Vat. p. 92.)
Nicomedes retained, during a period of no less than fifty-eight years, the crown which he had thus gained by parricide.
But of his long and tranquil reign very few events have been transmitted to us.
He appears to have uniformly courted the friendship of the Romans, whom he assisted in the war against Aristonicus, B. C. 131. (Strab. xiv. p.646; Oros. 5.10; Eutrop. 4.20.)
At a later period, B. C. 103, Marius applied to him for auxiliaries in the wav against the Cimbri, which he, however, refused on account of the exactions and oppressions exercised by the Roman farmers of the revenue upon his subjects. (Diod. xxxvi. Exc. Pilot. p. 531.)
But it is clear that Nicomedes was not wanting in ambition when an opportunity of aggrandizement presented itself, and we find him uniting with Mithridates VI. (apparently abou
om the responsibility of the war. had the effrontery to disown the treaty, although it had been witnessed by the officers of his own army. Laenas referred the matter to the senate, to which the Numantine legates accordingly repaired. Pompeius persisted in the same lie; the senate declared the treaty invalid; and the war was accordingly renewed. Pompeius escaped all punishment for this conduct in relation to the treaty : he was, however, accused shortly afterwards of extortion in his province, but was fortunate enough to obtain an acquittal, although some of the most eminent men at Rome, such as Q. Metellus Macedonicus and L. Metellus Calvus, bore witness against him. (V. Max. 8.5.1; Cic. Font. 7.) His want of success in Spain did not lose him the favour of the people, for he was elected censor in B. C. 131 with Q. Metellus Macedonicus, the first time that both censors were chosen from the plebs. (Appian, App. Hisp. 76-79; Liv. Epit. 54, 59; Oros. 5.4; Cic. de Off. 3.30, de Fir. 2.17.)
Pylae'menes
1. A king of Paphlagonia, who in B. C. 131 assisted the Romans in the war against Aristonicus, the pretender to the throne of Pergamus. (Eutrop. 4.20).
At his death the race of the ancient kings of Paphlagonia appears to have become extinct, and it was asserted that he had by his testament bequeathed his kingdom to Mithridates V., king of Pontus. (Just. 38.5.)
Rupi'lius
1. P. Rupilius, P. F. P. N., was consul B. C. 132 with C. Popillius Laenas, the year after the murder of Tib. Gracchus.
In conjunction with his colleague, he prosecuted with the utmost cruelty all the adherents and friends of the fallen tribune.
In the same year he was sent into Sicily against the slaves, and brought the servile war to a conclusion, for which he obtained a triumph on his return to Rome.
He remained in the island as proconsul in the. following year, B. C. 131; and, with ten commissioners appointed by the senate, he made various regulations for the government of the province, which were known by the name of Lex Rupilia, though it was not a lex proper. (Vell. 2.7; Cic. Lael. 11; Liv. Epit. 59 ; Oros. 5.9; V. Max. 2.7.3, 6.9.8, 9.12.1; Cic. Ver. 3.54, 4.50, ad Ati. 13.32, Verr. 2.13, 15, 16.) Rupilius was condemned, along with his colleague in the tribunate of C. Gracchus, B. C. 123, on account of his illegal and cruel acts in the prosecution of the friends of
a, was probably the son of P. Mucius Scaevola [No. 3]. Publius Mucius, Manilius, and Brutus, are called by Pomponius (Dig. 1. tit. 2. s. 2.9) the founders of the Jus Civile. Publius was tribunus plebis, B. C. 141, in which year he brought L. Hostilius Tubulus to trial for mal-administration as praetor (Rein, Criminalrecht der Kömer, p. 602): he was praetor urbanus in B. C. 136. In B. C. 133, Publius was consul with L. Calpurnius Piso Frugi, the year in which Tib. Gracchus lost his life. In B. C. 131, he succeeded his brother Mucianus [MUCIANUS] as Pontifex Maximus. Plutarch (Tib. Gracchus, 100.9) says, that Tib. Gracchus consulted P. Scaevola about the provisions of his Agrarian Law. When Tiberius was a candidate for a second tribuneship, and the opposite faction had resolved to put him down, Scipio Nasica in the senate " entreated the consul (Mucius) to protect the state, and put down the tyrant.
The consul, however, answered mildly, that he would not be the first to use violence, an
Sici'nius
11. C. Sicinius, the grandson of Q. Pompeius, censor B. C. 131, by his daughter, died before he had held any higher office in the state than the quaestorship, but obtained a place in Cicero's Brutus (100.76), as one of the Roman orators.
