Marcus Porcius Latro, a celebrated orator who killed himself when labouring under a quartan ague, A.U.C. 750.——Licinius, a Latin poet during the time of the third Punic war, commended for the elegance, the graceful ease, and happy wit of his epigrams.——A Roman senator who joined the conspiracy of Catiline.——A son of Cato of Utica, given much to drinking.
Poredorax, one of the 40 Gauls whom Mithridates ordered to be put to death, and to remain unburied for conspiring against him. His mistress at Pergamus buried him against the orders of the monarch. Plutarch, Mulierum Virtutes.
Porīna, a river of Peloponnesus. Pausanias, bk. 1, ch. 85.
Poroselēne, an island near Lesbos. Strabo, bk. 13.—Pliny, bk. 5, ch. 31.
Porphyrion, a son of Cœlus and Terra, one of the giants who made war against Jupiter. He was so formidable, that Jupiter, to conquer him, inspired him with love for Juno, and while the giant endeavoured to obtain his wishes, he, with the assistance of Hercules, overpowered him. Horace, bk. 3, ode 4.—Martial, bk. 13, ltr. 78.—Apollodorus, bk. 1, ch. 6.
Porphy̆ris, a name of the island Cythera.
Porphyrius, a Platonic philosopher of Tyre. He studied eloquence at Athens under Longinus, and afterwards retired to Rome, where he perfected himself under Plotinus. Porphyry was a man of universal information, and, according to the testimony of the ancients, he excelled his contemporaries in the knowledge of history, mathematics, music, and philosophy. He expressed his sentiments with elegance and with dignity, and while other philosophers studied obscurity in their language, his style was remarkable for its simplicity and grace. He applied himself to the study of magic, which he called a theourgic or divine operation. The books that he wrote were numerous, and some of his smaller treatises are still extant. His most celebrated work, which is now lost, was against the religion of Christ, and in this theological contest he appeared so formidable, that most of the fathers of the church have been employed in confuting his arguments, and developing the falsehood of his assertions. He has been universally called the greatest enemy which the christian religion had, and, indeed, his doctrines were so pernicious, that a copy of his book was publicly burnt by order of Theodosius, A.D. 388. Porphyry resided for some time in Sicily, and died at the advanced age of 71, A.D. 304. The best edition of his life of Pythagoras is that of Kuster, 4to, Amsterdam, 1707, that of his treatise, De Abstinentiâ, is De Rhoer, Utrecht, 8vo, 1767, and that De Antro Nympharum, in 8vo, Utrecht, 1765.——A Latin poet in the reign of Constantine the Great.
Porrima, one of the attendants of Carmente when she came from Arcadia. Ovid, bk. 1, Fasti, li. 633.
Porsenna, or Porsĕna, a king of Etruria, who declared war against the Romans because they refused to restore Tarquin to his throne and to his royal privileges. He was at first successful; the Romans were defeated, and Porsenna would have entered the gates of Rome, had not Cocles stood at the head of a bridge, and supported the fury of the whole Etrurian army, while his companions behind were cutting off the communication with the opposite shore. This act of bravery astonished Porsenna; but when he had seen Mutius Scævola enter his camp with an intention to murder him, and when he had seen him burn his hand without emotion to convince him of his fortitude and intrepidity, he no longer dared to make head against a people so brave and so generous. He made a peace with the Romans, and never after supported the claims of Tarquin. The generosity of Porsenna’s behaviour to the captives was admired by the Romans, and to reward his humanity they raised a brazen statue to his honour. Livy, bk. 2, ch. 9, &c.—Plutarch, Publicola.—Florus, bk. 1, ch. 10.—Horace, epode 16.—Virgil, Æneid, bk. 8, li. 646.
Porta Capēna, a gate at Rome, which leads to the Appian road. Ovid, Fasti, bk. 6, li. 192.——Aurelia, a gate at Rome, which received its name from Aurelius, a consul who made a road which led to Pisæ, all along the coast of Etruria.——Asinaria led to mount Cœlius. It received its name from the family of the Asinii.——Carmentalis was at the foot of the capitol, built by Romulus. It was afterwards called Scelerata, because the 300 Fabii marched through when they went to fight an enemy, and were killed near the river Cremera.——Janualis was near the temple of Janus.——Esquilina was also called Metia, Taurica, or Libitinensis, and all criminals who were going to be executed generally passed through, as also dead bodies which were carried to be burnt on mount Esquilinus.——Flaminia, called also Flumentana, was situate between the capitol and mount Quirinalis, and through it the Flaminian road passed.——Fontinalis led to the Campus Martius. It received its name from the great number of fountains that were near it.——Navalis was situate near the place where the ships came from Ostia.——Viminalis was near mount Viminalis.——Trigemina, called also Ostiensis, led to the town of Ostia.——Catularia was near the Carmentalis Porta, at the foot of mount Viminalis.——Collatina received its name from its leading to Collatia.——Collina, called also Quirinalis, Agonensis, and Salaria, was near Quirinalis Mons. Annibal rode up to this gate and threw a spear into the city. It is to be observed, that at the death of Romulus there were only three or four gates at Rome, but the number was increased, and in the time of Pliny there were 37, when the circumference of the walls was 13 miles and 200 paces.