Ptous, a son of Athamas and Themisto, who gave his name to a mountain of Bœotia, upon which he built a temple to Apollo, surnamed Ptous. The god had also a celebrated oracle on mount Ptous. Plutarch, de Defectu Oraculorum.—Pausanias, bk. 9, ch. 23.—Apollodorus, bk. 1, ch. 9.
Publicia lex, forbade any person to play with bad or [♦]fraudulent designs.
[♦] ‘fradulent’ replaced with ‘fraudulent’
Publicius, a Roman freedman, so much like Pompey the Great, that they were often confounded together. Valerius Maximus, bk. 9, ch. 14.
Publicŏla, a name given to Publius Valerius, on account of his great popularity. See: [Valerius]. Plutarch, Publicola.—Livy, bk. 2, ch. 8.—Pliny, bk. 30, ch. 15.
Publilia lex, was made by Publilius Philo the dictator, A.U.C. 445. It permitted one of the censors to be elected from the plebeians, since one of the consuls was chosen from that body. Livy, bk. 8, ch. 12.——Another, by which it was ordained, that all laws should be previously approved by the senators, before they were proposed by the people.
Publius Syrus, a Syrian mimic poet, who flourished about 44 years before Christ. He was originally a slave sold to a Roman patrician, called Domitius, who brought him up with great attention, and gave him his freedom when of age. He gained the esteem of the most powerful at Rome, and reckoned Julius Cæsar among his patrons. He soon eclipsed the poet Laberius, whose burlesque compositions were in general esteem. There remains of Publius a collection of moral sentences, written in iambics, and placed in alphabetical order; the newest edition of which is that of Patavium. Josephus Cominus, 1740.
Publius, a prænomen common among the Romans.——Caius, a man who conspired with Brutus against Julius Cæsar.——A pretor who conquered Palæpolis. He was only a plebeian, and though neither consul nor dictator, he obtained a triumph in spite of the opposition of the senators. He was the first who was honoured with a triumph during a pretorship.——A Roman consul who defeated the Latins, and was made dictator.——A Roman flatterer in the court of Tiberius.——A tribune who accused Manlius, &c.
Pudīcĭtia, a goddess who, as her name implies, presided over chastity. She had two temples at Rome. Festus, Lexicon of Festus.—Livy, bk. 10, ch. 7.
Pulchĕria, a daughter of the emperor Theodosius the Great, famous for her piety, moderation, and virtues.——A daughter of Arcadius, who held the government of the Roman empire for many years. She was mother of Valentinian. Her piety, and her private as well as public virtues, have been universally admired. She died A.D. 452, and was interred at Ravenna, where her tomb is still to be seen.——A sister of Theodosius, who reigned absolute for some time in the Roman empire.