Philo, Vetu'rius
2. L.
Veturius Philo, L. F. L. N., was curule aedile B. C. 210, and praetor B. C. 209, when he obtained the jurisdictio peregrina, and likewise Cisalpine Gaul as his province.
He remained in Gaul as propraetor during the following year, B. C. 208, and next year, B. C. 207, he served under Claudius Nero and Livius Salinator, and was sent to Rome along with Q. Caecilius Metells to convey the joyful news of the defeat and death of Hasdrubal.
It was mainly owing to his services in this war that he was elected consul in B. C. 207, with Q. Caecilius Metellus, who had shared with him in the glories of the campaign.
The two consuls received Bruttii as their province, in order to prosecute the war against Hannibal; but their year of office passed by without any important occurrence, and Philo returned to Rome to hold the comitia, while his colleague remained in Bruttii. In B. C. 205 Philo was magister equitum to his former colleague Metellus, who was nominated dictator for the purpose ot holding the comitia. Finally he accompanied Scipio to Africa, and after the battle of Zama, B. C. 202, was sent to Rome to announce the glorious news of the defeat of Hannibal. (
Liv. 27.6,
7,
22,
28.9-
11,
38,
29.11,
30.38,
40;
Cic. Brut. 14.)
PHILO'CHARES, a distinguished painter, as is evident from the way in which he is mentioned by Pliny, who says that Augustus fixed in the walls of his Curia two pictures, the one an encaustic by Nicias, the other a painting by Philochares, representing a father and his youthful son, in so admirable a manner, that the family likeness was perfectly preserved, though the difference of age was clearly marked; over the heads of the figures was an eagle, with a serpent in its claws.
The picture bore an inscription by the artist himself, declaring that it was his painting : at least, so we understand the words, "
Philochares hoc suum opus esse testatus est." The figures also seem to have had their names inscribed near them : for Pliny remarks on this example of the wondrous power of art, that Glaucion and his son Aristippus, persons otherwise utterly obscure, should be gazed upon for so many ages by the Roman senate and people.
It is worthy of notice that the other picture in the Curia was also inscribed with the artist's name -- "
Nicius scripsit se inussisse." (
Plin. Nat. 35.4. s. 10.)
The modern writers on art suppose that this Philochares was the same person as the brother of Aeschines, of whose artistic performances Demosthenes speaks contemptuously, but whom Ulpian ranks with the most distinguished painters. If so, he was alive in B. C. 343, at the time when Demosthenes refers to him. (Demosth.
de Fals. Legat. p. 329e. § 237, Bekker; Ulpian,
ad Demosth. p. 386. c.; Sillig. s.v. Hirt,
Gesch. d. bild. Künste, p. 261.)
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