Roman (The), Jean Dumont, the French painter, Le Romain (1700-1781).
Stephen Picart, the French engraver, Le Romain (1631-1721).
Giulio Pippi, called Giulio Romano (1492-1546).
Adrian von Roomen, mathematician, Adriānus Romānus (1561-1615).
Roman Achillês, Sicinius Dentātus (slain R.C. 450).
Roman Brevity. Cæsar imitated laconic brevity when he announced to Amintius his victory at Zela, in Asia Minor, over Pharna´cês, son of Mithridatês; Veni, vidi, vici.
Poins. I will imitate the honorable Roman in brevity.—Shakespeare, 2 Henry IV. act ii. sc. 2 (1598).
Sir Charles Napier is credited with a far more laconic despatch, on making himself master of Scinde, in 1843. Taking possession of Hyderabad, and outflanking Shere Mohammed by a series of most brilliant manœuvres, he is said to have written home this punning despatch: Peccāvi (“I have sinned” [Scinde]).
Roman Father (The), Horatius, father of the Horatii and of Horatia. The story of the tragedy is the well-known Roman legend about the Horatii and Curiatii. Horatius rejoices that his three sons have been selected to represent Rome, and sinks the affection of the father in love for his country. Horatia is the betrothed of Caius Curiatius, but is also beloved by Valerius, and when the Curiatii are selected to oppose her three brothers, she sends Valerius to him with a scarf, to induce him to forego the fight. Caius declines, and is slain. Horatia is distracted; they take from her every instrument of death, and therefore she resolves to provoke her surviving brother, Publius, to kill her. Meeting him in his triumph, she rebukes him for murdering her lover, scoffs at his “patriotism,” and Publius kills her. Horatius now resigns Publius to execution for murder, but the king and Roman people rescue him.—W. Whitehead (1741).
*** Corneille has a drama on the same subject, called Les Horaces (1639).