A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

8. C.CassiusLonginus, C. F. C. N., of uncertain descent. He was chosen in B. C. 173 as one of the decemviri for distributing a portion of the Ligurian land; and two years afterwards, B. C. 171, was consul with P. Licinius Crassus. He obtained as his province Italy and Cisalpine Gaul; but anxious to distinguish himself in the war which had now commenced against Macedonia, he attempted to reach Macedonia by marching through Illyricum; he was obliged, however, to relinquish his design, and return to Italy. In the following year, while he was serving as legate in Macedonia under the consul A. Hostilius Mancinus, he was accused before the senate by ambassadors of the Gallic king, Cincibilus, as well as by ambassadors of the Carni, I stri and Iapydes, who complained that Cassius had treated them as enemies in his attempt to penetrate into Macedonia in the previous year. The senate intimated their disapproval of the conduct of Cassius, but stated that they could not condemn a man of consular rank unheard, and while he was absent on the service of the state. In B. C. 154 Cassius was censor with M. Valerius Messalla. (Liv. 42.4, 28, 32, 43.1, 5; Oros. 4.20; Plin. Nat. 7.3. s. 4; Cic. pro Dom. 50, 53; Plin. Nat. 17.25. s. 38.) A theatre, which these censors had contracted to have built, was pulled down by order of the senate, at the suggestion of P. Scipio Nasica, as useless and injurious to public morals. (Liv. Epit. 48; Vell. 1.15; V. Max. 2.4.2; Oros. iv, 21; Augustin, de Civ. Dei, 1.31 ; Appian, App. BC 1, 28, who erroneously calls Cassius Lucius, and places the event at too late a period.) Cassius accused M. Cato in his extreme old age: the speech of the latter, which he delivered in his defence, was extant in the time of Gellius. (Gel. 10.14; comp. Liv. 39.40; V. Max. 8.7.1; Plut. Cat. 15; Meyer, Orat. Rom. Frag. p. 111, 2d. ed.)