A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

a Roman jurist, who is often cited in the Digest; but there is no excerpt from his writings there. The fact that he is cited by Africanus (Dig. 46. tit. 3. s. 39, and 50. tit. 16. s. 207) shows that he was at least his contemporary. But it may be collected from another passage (Dig. 9. tit. 2. s. 11) that he was prior to Proculus, or at least his contemporary; for in that passage Ulpian cites Mela before Proculus. In another passage Ulpian (Dig. 19. tit. 1. s. 17) cites Mela as the authority for an opinion of Gallus Aquilius who was a friend of Cicero, and praetor B. C. 66; and again (Dig. 19. tit. 9. s. 3) as authority for an opinion of Servius Sulpicius. He is often cited in connection with Labeo and Trebatius. As Africanus wrote under Hadrian, who died A. D. 138, and in the reign of Pius, the successor of Hadrian, we cannot with certainty fix the period of Mela as earlier than that of Antoninus Pilus; but from the other citations here mentioned it has been inferred that he was a contemporary of Labeo and Trebatius. We are not acquainted with the title of any of Mela's writings, though he wrote at least ten books about something. (Dig. 46. tit. 3. s. 39.)

[G.L]