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Lucullus

(Encyclopedia)Lucullus (Lucius Licinius Lucullus Ponticus) lo͞okŭlˈəs [key], c.110 b.c.–56 b.c., Roman general. He served in the Social War under Sulla, who made him his favorite. He fought in the East (87 b....

Triumvirate

(Encyclopedia)Triumvirate trīŭmˈvĭrĭt, –vĭrātˌ [key], in ancient Rome, ruling board or commission of three men. Triumvirates were common in the Roman republic. The First Triumvirate was the alliance of Ju...

Calahorra

(Encyclopedia)Calahorra käläôrˈrä [key], town, La Rioja prov., NE Spain, on the Cidacos River near its ...

Scipio

(Encyclopedia)Scipio sĭpˈēō [key], ancient Roman family of the Cornelian gens. They were patricians. During the 3d and 2d cent. b.c. they were distinguished by their love of Greek culture and learning. Their we...

Thapsus

(Encyclopedia)Thapsus thăpˈsəs [key], ancient N African seaport, c.100 mi (161 km) SE of Carthage in what is now Tunisia. The last stronghold of Pompey's party, the town was besieged in 46 b.c. by Julius Caesar....

Juba I, king of Numidia

(Encyclopedia)Juba I jo͞oˈbə [key], c.85 b.c.–46 b.c., king of Numidia in N Africa. He joined Pompey's party and in 49 b.c. routed Caesar's legate, Curio. He fought on the side of Metellus Scipio and took his ...

Servile Wars

(Encyclopedia)Servile Wars, name given in Roman history to three slave uprisings. The agricultural slaves were exploited by their owners, who had extreme powers and were never averse to using them. The first of the...

Lucan

(Encyclopedia)Lucan (Marcus Annaeus Lucanus) lo͞oˈkən [key], a.d. 39–a.d. 65, Latin poet, b. Córdoba, Spain, nephew of the philosopher Seneca. At first in Nero's favor, he was later forced to kill himself whe...

Varro, Marcus Terentius

(Encyclopedia)Varro, Marcus Terentius, 116 b.c.–27? b.c., Roman man of letters. Known as the most erudite man and the most prolific writer of his times, Varro is estimated to have written about 620 volumes. He se...

Spartacus

(Encyclopedia)Spartacus spärˈtəkəs [key], d. 71 b.c., leader in an ancient Italian slave revolt, b. Thrace. He broke out (73 b.c.) of a gladiators' school at Capua and fled to Mt. Vesuvius, where many fugitives...

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