Capio, a Roman, famous for his friendship with Cato. Plutarch, [♦]de Pat. Am.
[♦] reference unknown
Capĭto, the uncle of Paterculus, who joined Agrippa against Crassus. Paterculus, bk. 2, ch. 69.——Fonteius, a man sent by Antony to settle his disputes with Augustus. Horace, bk. 1, satire 5, li. 32.——A man accused of extortion in Cilicia, and severely punished by the senate. Juvenal, satire 8, li. 93.——An epic poet of Alexandria, who wrote on love.——An historian of Lycia, who wrote an account of Isauria in eight books.——A poet who wrote on illustrious men.
Capĭtolīni ludi, games yearly celebrated at Rome in honour of Jupiter, who preserved the capitol from the Gauls.
Capĭtolīnus, a surname of Jupiter, from his temple on mount Capitolinus.——A surname of Marcus Manlius, who, for his ambition, was thrown down from the Tarpeian rock which he had so nobly defended.——A mountain at Rome, called also Mons Tarpeius, and Mons Saturni. The Capitol was built upon it.——A man of lascivious morals, consul with Marcellus. Plutarch, Marcellus.——Julius, an author in Diocletian’s reign, who wrote an account of the life of Verus, Antoninus Pius, the Gordians, &c., most of which are now lost.
Capĭtōlium, a celebrated temple and citadel at Rome on the Tarpeian rock, the plan of which was made by Tarquin Priscus. It was begun by Servius Tullius, finished by Tarquin Superbus, and consecrated by the consul Horatius after the expulsion of the Tarquins from Rome. It was built upon four acres of ground, the front was adorned with three rows of pillars, and the other sides with two. The ascent to it from the ground was by 100 steps. The magnificence and richness of this temple are almost incredible. All the consuls successively made donations to the capitol, and Augustus bestowed upon it at one time 2000 pounds weight of gold. Its thresholds were made of brass, and its roof was gold. It was adorned with vessels and shields of solid silver, with golden chariots, &c. It was burnt during the civil war of Marius, and Sylla rebuilt it, but died before the dedication, which was performed by Quintus Catulus. It was again destroyed in the troubles under Vitellius; and Vespasian, who endeavoured to repair it, saw it again in ruins at his death. Domitian raised it again, for the last time, and made it more grand and magnificent than any of his predecessors, and spent 12,000 talents in gilding it. When they first dug for the foundations, they found a man’s head called Tolius, sound and entire in the ground, and from thence drew an omen of the future greatness of the Roman empire. The hill was from that circumstance called Capitolium, a capite Toli. The consuls and magistrates offered sacrifices there, when they first entered upon their offices, and the procession in triumphs was always conducted to the capitol. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 6, li. 136; bk. 8, li. 347.—Tacitus, Histories, bk. 3, ch. 72.—Plutarch, Publicola.—Livy, bks. 1, 10, &c.—Pliny, bk. 33, &c.—Suetonius, Augustus, ch. 40.
Cappădŏcia, a country of Asia Minor, between the Halys, the Euphrates, and the Euxine. It receives its name from the river Cappadox, which separates it from Galatia. The inhabitants were called Syrians and Leuco-Syrians by the Greeks. They were of a dull and submissive disposition, and addicted to every vice, according to the ancients, who wrote this virulent epigram against them:
Vipera Cappadocem nocitura momordit; at illa Gustato periit sanguine Cappadocis.
When they were offered their freedom and independence by the Romans, they refused it, and begged of them a king, and they received Ariobarzanes. It was some time after governed by a Roman proconsul. Though the ancients have ridiculed this country for the unfruitfulness of its soil, and the manners of its inhabitants, yet it can boast of the birth of the geographer Strabo, St. Basil, and Gregory Nazianzen, among other illustrious characters. The horses of this country were in general esteem, and with these they paid their tributes to the king of Persia, while under his power, for want of money. The kings of Cappadocia mostly bore the name of Ariarathes. Horace, bk. 1, ltr. 6, li. 39.—Pliny, bk. 6, ch. 3.—Curtius, bks. 3 & 4.—Strabo, bks. 11 & 16.—Herodotus, bk. 1, ch. 73; bk. 5, ch. 49.—Mela, bk. 1, ch. 2; bk. 3, ch. 8.
Cappădox, a river of Cappadocia. Pliny, bk. 6, ch. 3.