A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

Smith, William

A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. William Smith, LLD, ed. 1890

CU'RTIUS, was accused by Eprius Marcellus in A. D. 67 of libelling Nero. The charge was disproved, but Montanus was exiled. At his father's petition, however, he was shortly afterwards recalled, on condition of abstaining from all public employments. In A. D. 71 Montanus was present in the senate, and, on Domitian's moving the restoration of Galba's titles and statues, he proposed that the decree against Piso also should be rescinded. At the same time Montanus vehemently attacked the notorious delator, Aquilius Regulus. (Tac. Ann. 16.28, 29, 33, Hist. 4.40, 42, 43 ) If the same person with the Curtius Montanus satirised by Juvenal (4.107, 131, 11.34), Montanus in later life sullied the fair reputation he enjoyed in youth. (Tac. Ann. 16.28.) For Juvenal (ll. cc.) describes him as a corpulent epicure, a parasite of Domitian, and a hacknied declaimer. Plinythe Younger addressed two letters to Curtius Montanus (7.29, 8.6.)

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