Granius Flaccus
Encyclopedia
Granius Flaccus was an antiquarian
and scholar of Roman law
and religion
, probably in the time of Julius Caesar
and Augustus
.
did his Antiquitates Divinae. The title of the book is taken from a citation in the 3rd-century grammarian Censorinus
. Macrobius cites him jointly with Varro as an authority on a religious point.
Granius was used as a source on ancient Roman religion by the Church Fathers
; Arnobius
, for instance, refers to him as many as five times in his books Contra Paganos, second in number only to Varro, equal to the famed Pythagorean
scholar Nigidius Figulus
, and more often than Cicero
. Arnobius implies that he knows the works of Aristotle
only indirectly, and cites Granius as his intermediary source at least once. Granius, he says, demonstrates that Minerva
is Luna, and also identified the Novensiles with the Muses.
Granius maintained that the Genius
and the Lar
were one and the same. He shared the view of Varro that the res divina
e for both Apollo
and Father Liber
were celebrated on Mount Parnassus
. It is sometimes unclear whether references to "Flaccus" refer to him or to Verrius Flaccus
.
, where he is said to have written a book on Papirian law (ius Papirianum) as ascribed to the 6th-century pontifex Papirius
. A reference in Cicero
to the Papirii dates the book to sometime after October 46 BC. The ius Papirianum dealt with the laws of the kings (leges regiae
), which were sacred laws and required knowledge of pontifical records; therefore, the interests of Granius in legal and religious formulas should be seen as compatible. Granius recorded, for instance, that Numa Pompilius
, in founding religious rites for the Romans, struck a deal with the gods to punish those who committed perjury
. It may be that no collection of leges regiae existed earlier, and the idea that there was a ius Papirianum originated with the work of Granius at the beginning of Augustus' reign. He may thus be a more significant jurist than the extremely scant remains of his work would indicate.
The point of law cited in the Digest involves distinguishing a girlfriend (amica) from a concubine as defined by law (concubina). Granius explained that pellex (found elsewhere as paelex), Greek pallakis, had become the usual term for a woman sleeping regularly with a man who has a legal wife (uxor), but that formerly it referred to a live-in partner in lieu of a wife.
This Granius is sometimes identified with Granius Licinianus
; the latter, however, is almost always dated to the time of Hadrian
.
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
and scholar of Roman law
Roman law
Roman law is the legal system of ancient Rome, and the legal developments which occurred before the 7th century AD — when the Roman–Byzantine state adopted Greek as the language of government. The development of Roman law comprises more than a thousand years of jurisprudence — from the Twelve...
and religion
Religion in ancient Rome
Religion in ancient Rome encompassed the religious beliefs and cult practices regarded by the Romans as indigenous and central to their identity as a people, as well as the various and many cults imported from other peoples brought under Roman rule. Romans thus offered cult to innumerable deities...
, probably in the time of Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
and Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
.
Religious scholar
Granius wrote a book De indigitamentis ("On Forms of Address"), on the indigitamenta, that is, those pontifical books that contained prayer formularies or lists of deity names as a reference for accurate invocations. Granius dedicated this work to Caesar, as his contemporary VarroVarro
Varro was a Roman cognomen carried by:*Marcus Terentius Varro, sometimes known as Varro Reatinus, the scholar*Publius Terentius Varro or Varro Atacinus, the poet*Gaius Terentius Varro, the consul defeated at the battle of Cannae...
did his Antiquitates Divinae. The title of the book is taken from a citation in the 3rd-century grammarian Censorinus
Censorinus
Censorinus, Roman grammarian and miscellaneous writer, flourished during the 3rd century AD.He was the author of a lost work De Accentibus and of an extant treatise De Die Natali, written in 238, and dedicated to his patron Quintus Caerellius as a birthday gift...
. Macrobius cites him jointly with Varro as an authority on a religious point.
Granius was used as a source on ancient Roman religion by the Church Fathers
Church Fathers
The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were early and influential theologians, eminent Christian teachers and great bishops. Their scholarly works were used as a precedent for centuries to come...
; Arnobius
Arnobius
Arnobius of Sicca was an Early Christian apologist, during the reign of Diocletian . According to Jerome's Chronicle, Arnobius, before his conversion, was a distinguished Numidian rhetorician at Sicca Veneria , a major Christian center in Proconsular Africa, and owed his conversion to a...
, for instance, refers to him as many as five times in his books Contra Paganos, second in number only to Varro, equal to the famed Pythagorean
Pythagoreanism
Pythagoreanism was the system of esoteric and metaphysical beliefs held by Pythagoras and his followers, the Pythagoreans, who were considerably influenced by mathematics. Pythagoreanism originated in the 5th century BCE and greatly influenced Platonism...
scholar Nigidius Figulus
Nigidius Figulus
Among his contemporaries, Nigidius's reputation for learning was second only to that of Varro. Even in his own time, his works were regarded as often abstruse, perhaps because of their esoteric Pythagoreanism, into which Nigidius incorporated Stoic elements...
, and more often than Cicero
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
. Arnobius implies that he knows the works of Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
only indirectly, and cites Granius as his intermediary source at least once. Granius, he says, demonstrates that Minerva
Minerva
Minerva was the Roman goddess whom Romans from the 2nd century BC onwards equated with the Greek goddess Athena. She was the virgin goddess of poetry, medicine, wisdom, commerce, weaving, crafts, magic...
is Luna, and also identified the Novensiles with the Muses.
Granius maintained that the Genius
Genius (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion, the genius was the individual instance of a general divine nature that is present in every individual person, place or thing.-Nature of the genius:...
and the Lar
Lares
Lares , archaically Lases, were guardian deities in ancient Roman religion. Their origin is uncertain; they may have been guardians of the hearth, fields, boundaries or fruitfulness, hero-ancestors, or an amalgam of these....
were one and the same. He shared the view of Varro that the res divina
Res divina
In ancient Rome, res divinae, singular res divina , were the laws that pertained to the religious duties of the state and its officials...
e for both Apollo
Apollo
Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
and Father Liber
Liber
In ancient Roman religion and mythology, Liber , also known as Liber Pater was a god of viticulture and wine, fertility and freedom. He was a patron deity of Rome's plebeians and was part of their Aventine Triad. His festival of Liberalia became associated with free speech and the rights...
were celebrated on Mount Parnassus
Mount Parnassus
Mount Parnassus, also Parnassos , is a mountain of limestone in central Greece that towers above Delphi, north of the Gulf of Corinth, and offers scenic views of the surrounding olive groves and countryside. According to Greek mythology, this mountain was sacred to Apollo and the Corycian nymphs,...
. It is sometimes unclear whether references to "Flaccus" refer to him or to Verrius Flaccus
Verrius Flaccus
Marcus Verrius Flaccus was a Roman grammarian and teacher who flourished under Augustus and Tiberius.-Life:He was a freedman, and his manumitter has been identified with Verrius Flaccus, an authority on pontifical law; but for chronological reasons the name of Veranius Flaccus, a writer on augury,...
.
Jurist
Granius is cited as an authority in the Digest of JustinianJustinian I
Justinian I ; , ; 483– 13 or 14 November 565), commonly known as Justinian the Great, was Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the Empire's greatness and reconquer the lost western half of the classical Roman Empire.One of the most important figures of...
, where he is said to have written a book on Papirian law (ius Papirianum) as ascribed to the 6th-century pontifex Papirius
Papirius (pontifex)
Papirius was a Roman pontifex to whom is ascribed a collection of laws constituting the Roman code under the kings - Ius Papirianum or Ius Civile Papirianum.-References:...
. A reference in Cicero
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
to the Papirii dates the book to sometime after October 46 BC. The ius Papirianum dealt with the laws of the kings (leges regiae
Leges regiae
The Leges Regiae were early Roman laws, which classical historians, such as Plutarch, claimed were introduced by the Kings of Rome.By the 19th century most historians doubted the authenticity of the leges regiae story...
), which were sacred laws and required knowledge of pontifical records; therefore, the interests of Granius in legal and religious formulas should be seen as compatible. Granius recorded, for instance, that Numa Pompilius
Numa Pompilius
Numa Pompilius was the legendary second king of Rome, succeeding Romulus. What tales are descended to us about him come from Valerius Antias, an author from the early part of the 1st century BC known through limited mentions of later authors , Dionysius of Halicarnassus circa 60BC-...
, in founding religious rites for the Romans, struck a deal with the gods to punish those who committed perjury
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
. It may be that no collection of leges regiae existed earlier, and the idea that there was a ius Papirianum originated with the work of Granius at the beginning of Augustus' reign. He may thus be a more significant jurist than the extremely scant remains of his work would indicate.
The point of law cited in the Digest involves distinguishing a girlfriend (amica) from a concubine as defined by law (concubina). Granius explained that pellex (found elsewhere as paelex), Greek pallakis, had become the usual term for a woman sleeping regularly with a man who has a legal wife (uxor), but that formerly it referred to a live-in partner in lieu of a wife.
This Granius is sometimes identified with Granius Licinianus
Granius Licinianus
Granius Licinianus was a Roman author of historical and encyclopedic works that survive only in fragments. He most likely lived at the time of Hadrian.-History:...
; the latter, however, is almost always dated to the time of Hadrian
Hadrian
Hadrian , was Roman Emperor from 117 to 138. He is best known for building Hadrian's Wall, which marked the northern limit of Roman Britain. In Rome, he re-built the Pantheon and constructed the Temple of Venus and Roma. In addition to being emperor, Hadrian was a humanist and was philhellene in...
.
External links
- The fragments of Granius Flaccus, conflated with those of Granius Licinianus, are collected by Philipp Eduard Huschke, Iurisprudentiae anteiustinianae quae supersunt (Leipzig, 1889, 4th ed.), pp. 107–109 online.