(Marcus Claudius), a famous Roman general, who, after the first Punic war, had the management of an expedition against the Gauls. Here he obtained the Spolia opima, by killing with his own hand Viridomarus the king of the enemy. Such success rendered him popular, and soon after he was entrusted to oppose Hannibal in Italy. He was the first Roman who obtained some advantage over this celebrated Carthaginian, and showed his countrymen that Hannibal was not invincible. The troubles which were raised in Sicily by the Carthaginians at the death of Hieronymus, alarmed the Romans; and Marcellus, in his third consulship, was sent with a powerful force against Syracuse. He attacked it by sea and land; but his operations proved long ineffectual, and the invention and industry of Archimedes were able to baffle all the efforts, and to destroy all the great and stupendous machines and military engines of the Romans during three successive years. The perseverance of Marcellus at last obtained the victory. After this conquest, Marcellus was called upon by his country to oppose a second time Hannibal. In this campaign he behaved with greater vigour than before; the greatest part of the towns of the Samnites, which had revolted, were recovered by force of arms, and 3000 of the soldiers of Hannibal made prisoners. Some time after, in an engagement with the Carthaginian-general, Marcellus had the disadvantage; but on the morrow a more successful skirmish vindicated his military character and the honour of the Roman soldiers. Marcellus, however, was not sufficiently vigilant against the snare of his adversary. He imprudently separated himself from his camp, and was killed in an ambuscade, in the 65th year of his age, in his 5th consulship, A.U.C. 544. His body was honoured with a magnificent funeral by the conqueror, and his ashes were conveyed in a silver urn to his son. Marcellus claims our commendation for his private as well as public virtues; and the humanity of a general will ever be remembered, who, at the surrender of Syracuse, went on the thought that many were going to be exposed to the avarice and rapacity of an incensed soldiery, which the policy of Rome and the laws of war rendered inevitable.

MARGRAVE, or MARGRAVE, a kind of dignity nity in Germany, answering to our marquis; (see Marquis.) The word is derived from the German Marche, or Marck, which signifies "a frontier;" and Graffe, "count, governor;" Marigraver being originally governors of cities lying on the frontiers of a country or state.