Scaptia, a town of Latium. Silius Italicus, bk. 8, li. 396.—Pliny, bk. 3, ch. 5.—Livy, bk. 8, ch. 17.
Scaptius, an intimate friend of Brutus. Cicero, Letters to Atticus, bk. 5, &c. His brother was a merchant of Cappadocia.
Scapŭla, a native of Corduba, who defended that town against Cæsar, after the battle of Munda. When he saw that all his efforts were useless against the Roman general, he destroyed himself. Cæsar, Hispanic War, ch. 33.——A usurper. Cicero, Letters to Atticus, bk. 12, ltr. 37.
Scandon, a town on the confines of Dalmatia.
Scardii, a ridge of mountains of Macedonia, which separates it from Illyricum. Livy, bk. 43, ch. 20.
Scarphia, or Scarphe, a town near Thermopylæ, on the confines of Phthiotis. Seneca, Troades.
Scatinia lex, de pudicitiâ, by Caius Scatinius Aricinus the tribune, was enacted against those who kept catamites, and such as prostituted themselves to any vile or unnatural service. The penalty was originally a fine, but it was afterwards made a capital crime under Augustus. It is sometimes called Scantinia, from a certain Scantinius upon whom it was first executed.
Scaurus Marcus Æmylius, a Roman consul who distinguished himself by his eloquence at the bar, and by his successes in Spain in the capacity of commander. He was sent against Jugurtha, and some time after accused of suffering himself to be bribed by the Numidian prince. Scaurus conquered the Ligurians, and in his censorship he built the Milvian bridge at Rome, and began to pave the road, which from him was called the Æmylian. He was originally very poor. He wrote some books, and among these a history of his own life, all now lost.——His son, of the same name, made himself known by the large theatre which he built during his edileship. This theatre, which could contain 30,000 spectators, was supported by 360 columns of marble, 38 feet in height, and adorned with 3000 brazen statues. This celebrated edifice, according to Pliny, proved more fatal to the manners and the simplicity of the Romans, than the proscriptions and wars of Sylla had done to the inhabitants of the city. Scaurus married Murcia. Cicero, Brutus.—Valerius Maximus, bk. 4, ch. 4.—Pliny, bk. 34, ch. 7; bk. 36, ch. 2.——A Roman of consular dignity. When the Cimbri invaded Italy, the son of Scaurus behaved with great cowardice, upon which the father sternly ordered him never to appear again in the field of battle. The severity of this command rendered young Scaurus melancholy, and he plunged a sword into his own heart, to free himself from further ignominy.——Aurelius, a Roman consul taken prisoner by the Gauls. He was put to a cruel death because he told the king of the enemy not to cross the Alps to invade Italy, which was universally deemed unconquerable.——Marcus Æmilius, a man in the reign of Tiberius accused of adultery with Livia, and put to death. He was an eloquent orator, but very lascivious and debauched in his morals.——Mamercus, a man put to death by Tiberius.——Maximus, a man who conspired against Nero.——Terentius, a Latin grammarian. He had been preceptor to the emperor Adrian. Aulus Gellius, bk. 11, ch. 15.
Scedăsus, a native of Leuctra in Bœotia. His two daughters, Meletia and Molpia, whom some called Theano and Hippo, were ravished by some Spartans, in the reign of Cleombrotus, and after this they killed themselves, unable to survive the loss of their honour. The father became so disconsolate, that when he was unable to obtain relief from his country, he killed himself on their tomb. Pausanias, bk. 9, ch. 13.—Plutarch, Amatoriæ narrationes, ch. 3.
Scelerātus, a plain of Rome near the Colline gate, where the vestal Minucia was buried alive, when convicted of adultery. Livy, bk. 8, ch. 15.——One of the gates of Rome was called Scelerata, because the 300 Fabii, who were killed at the river Cremera, had passed through it when they went to attack the enemy. It was before named Carmentalis.——There was also a street at Rome formerly called Cyprius, which received the name of the Sceleratus vicus, because there Tullia ordered her postilion to drive her chariot over the body of her father, king Servius. Livy, bk. 1, ch. 48.—Ovid, Ibis, li. 365.