Titus Pomponius, one of the most distinguished men in ancient Rome. He understood so thoroughly the art of conducting himself with address, that without in any degree compromising his neutrality, he preserved the esteem and affection of all parties. His strict friendship with Cicero did not prevent him from being at the same time on terms of great intimacy with Hortensius. The contests at Rome between Cinna's party and that of Marius induced him to retire to Athens, where he continued for a considerable time. Atticus was much attached to polite learning, and kept constantly employed at his house several librarians and readers. He might have obtained the most considerable offices in the government; but he chose rather not to interfere, because amidst the corruption and faction which then prevailed he could not discharge the duties connected with them according to the laws. He wrote Annals, or Universal History, embracing (as we learn from Cicero) a period of 700 years; and some other pieces, of which none has been preserved. He married his daughter to Agrippa. Having reached the seventy-seventh year of his age,

---

1 This inscription was first published by Chandler from a most inaccurate transcript, together with a Latin version, also very indifferently executed. It was afterwards given by Boeckh, in the appendix to his Staatsverwaltung der Athener, where he corrected many of Chandler's errors; and he has since repeated it with some additional improvements in his collection of Greek Inscriptions, p. 141. It consists of twenty-three lines without the date, which is written in larger characters upon a projecting ledge of the stone, and with the final corrections of the English translator of Boeckh, is as follows:

\[ \text{Επι Αρχικού προστάτου, Φιλομάθου δημοσίου.} \]

The date, mutilated at the end, is either Olymp. 114. 4, or 115. 3. he was seized with an incurable disorder; and his case being considered hopeless, he anticipated the consummation of the disease, by abstaining from food, in consequence of which he died upon the fifth day, b. c. 33.