a fortified city of Spain, in the province of Catalonia, and district of Gerona. It stands on an elevation on Cape de Creus, on the Mediterranean Sea, and commands the celebrated bay of that name where so much valour was displayed by our ships of war, whose boats' crews boarded and captured or destroyed many of the enemy's ships during the long hostilities. The bay has a lighthouse, and is protected by two strong forts, and is one of the most secure anchorages on that coast. The city contains 1900 inhabitants, who in time of peace depend chiefly on the fisheries. Long. 3° 31'. W. Lat. 42° 16'. N.

ROSCUS, Q., a celebrated comic actor, who is spoken of in terms of the highest commendation by Cicero. The exact period of his birth is unknown; but he must have been somewhat older than Cicero (born B.C. 106), as he had already earned a high reputation before the death of Sulla, A.D. 78. His subsequent career was said to have been predicted by a strange occurrence whilst he was still a child. His early years were spent at Solonium, near Larinum; and whilst he was sleeping in his cradle, a serpent entwined itself round his body without injuring him. This circumstance in the life of the actor was afterwards represented by the artist Praxiteles, and celebrated by the poet Archias. The orator afterwards remarks, that it seems ridiculous that the gods should predict the future fate of an actor, whilst they neglected statesmen and heroes, whom the world admired. Of his education we know nothing, except that he and Æsopus the tragic actor used to attend the forum when Hortensius the orator pleaded, that they might imitate on the stage what they admired in him. He had a particular quaint of the eye, but this was of course concealed by the mask he wore. His private character was highly respected, and Cicero remarked that he was such an artist that he seemed the only one fit to appear upon the stage, and yet so excellent a man that it was beneath his dignity, which he thought worthy of the senate. He used to contend with Cicero which of them could represent the same sentiment in the greatest variety of ways, he by acting, and Cicero by his eloquence. So high an opinion did he entertain of his profession, that he wrote a work comparing it with oratory. He gave lessons in elocution, and used to say that he never had a pupil whom he could altogether approve of. His gains as an actor are variously stated, by Macrobius at 1000 denarii (£32.5s. 10d.) a day; and by Cicero at 600,000 sesterces for ten years (£48,434. 10s.), which would make it somewhat less than £5000 a year; but for the last ten years he had refused to receive this pension from the Roman people. He had a dispute with one Fannius Cherea respecting a slave, of whom they were joint owners, and he was defended by Cicero; but at what time this took place we have no means of judging. Only a part of the speech has been preserved. He died a little before the time (about B.C. 61) that Cicero delivered his oration in defence of Archias.