M. CLAUDIUS, one of the most celebrated Roman generals, the principal events of whose life The civil war broke out (b.c.49), when Marcellus joined Marcgrave the party of Pompey; but on the death of the latter (b.c.48), he ceased to take part in the political affairs of his country, and retired to Mitylene, that he might not witness the overthrow of the republic. Here he was found by Brutus as he was returning from Asia. (Senec. ad Helv. c.9.) His friends at Rome, however, were anxious that he should return, and they did not find it difficult to prevail on Caesar to forget the part he had taken against him. His pardon, indeed, seems to have been more readily granted by Caesar than accepted by Marcellus. He was unwilling to leave his retreat at Mitylene, if we may judge from the letters of Cicero addressed to him. They are the seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth of the fourth book ad Familiares. The eleventh is from Marcellus to Cicero. Marcellus, however, at last yielded, and had reached Athens on his way homewards, when he was murdered by P. Magius, one of his companions in exile, in despair at his departure, b.c.46. His old colleague Sulpicius happened to be at Athens at this time, and took care that his funeral rites should be properly attended to. (Cic. ad Die. iv.12.) When Caesar granted the pardon of Marcellus, Cicero returned thanks in a most eloquent speech, which is still preserved (Pro Marcellio). This was the first time he had spoken in the senate after the downfall of the republic, and his speech is supposed to be the model on which Pliny the younger formed his Panegyric on Trajan.