“M. Telentius” (an unattested nomen) at CMGen 7.6 (13.973 K.). All five of these are probably
the same as Scribonius’ teacher “Valens” (for whom scholars have also suggested V
V).
“Marcus my teacher (kathe ̄ge ̄te ̄s)” in Askle ̄piade ̄s, in CMLoc 4.7 (12.750–751 K.), repeated
by O Ecl. Med. 117.8 (CMG 6.2.2, p. 292), is the same man, if Askle ̄piade ̄s as
often is quoting Scribonius’ Greek. Citations of a “Valens” occur in Andromakhos, in Gale ̄n
CMLoc 7.4 (13.115 K.), CMLoc 9.4 (13.285 K.), and in C A, Acute 3.2
“physicus” (Drabkin, p. 298; CML 6.1.1, p. 392), as the author of a work curationes (Book 3
considered sunankhe ̄).
Terentius Valens’ recipes are consistently anesthetic, emollient, or styptic. CMLoc 9.4
(13.279 K.) prescribes for colicky pains of the bowels good measures of the leaves of the
stone parsley, white pepper, henbane seeds, the latex of the opium poppy, saffron, and the
peeled bark of mandrake-root, to be combined with honey and north Arabian balsam; not
only are the stone parsley and Arabian balsam effective treatments for stomach and intes-
tinal complaints, the henbane, opium, and mandrake all are powerful narcotics, and the
saffron oil likewise is analgesic. Gladiators, soldiers, and civilians alike would have appreci-
ated the styptic actions of the compound suggested in CMGen 5.11 (13.827 K.), that stopped
bleeding from hemorrhoids and wounds in general: using a finger, the physician applied the
drug made from realgar, misu, khalkanthon, fissile alum, myrrh, copper flakes, aloes,
rock alum, pomegranate calices, rose petals, oak galls, acacia gum, and pomegranate peel-
ings. Other formulas include spikenard, beeswax, common rue, bitter-vetch seeds, birthwort,
and clover.
Fabricius (1726) 431, 440.
John Scarborough
P. Terentius Varro of Narbo, “Atax” (ca 60 – 30 BCE)
Geographer and meterological poet born in Narbo or in the Atax valley of Gallia Narbon-
ensis, 82 BCE. Learning Greek at age 35 ( Jerome, Chronicle 151), he translated Apollo ̄nios
Rhodios’ Argonautika into Latin. He wrote an historical panegyric epic on C’s cam-
paign against Ariovistus in 58 (Bellum Sequanicum), satires (Horace, Sat. 1.10.46), and erotic
poetry addressed to a Leucadia (Propertius 2.34.85, O Tr. 439). His didactic
Chorographia, in three books, possibly deriving from A E, discussed the
geography of Europe, Africa, and Asia, detailing the limits of bodies of water, describing
vegetation, and using astral data to depict locations and explain climate. His Ephemeris, a
verse treatment of weather forecasting relying on A, influenced V, Georgics
1.375–397.
Ed.: FLP 235 – 253.
KP 5.1140 (#2), P.L. Schmidt; OCD3 1485, E. Courtney; NP 12/1.1144–5 (#3), P.L. Schmidt.
GLIM
M. Terentius Varro of Reate (81 – 27 BCE)
Ancient Rome’s greatest scholar, born 116 BCE, came from the Sabine territory to the
north-east of the city. Varro studied first at Rome under the philologist and antiquarian
L. Aelius Stilo, then at Athens with the Academic philosopher Antiokhos of Askalon.
A partisan of Pompey the Great, he was active in politics, being elected tribune, aedile, and
quaestor, and serving several times as a naval and army commander. He was also a member
P. TERENTIUS VARRO OF NARBO, “ATAX”