PUBLIUS CORNELIUS LENTULUS, called SPINTHER from his like ness to an actor of that name, supporter of Pompey. In 63 B.C., as curule aedile, he assisted Cicero in the suppression of the Catilinarian conspiracy. He was praetor in 6o, and with Caesar's support got the province of Hispania Citerior in 59 and was con sul in 57. He took a leading part in recalling Cicero from exile. From Lentulus was governor of the province of Cilicia (with Cyprus) and during that time was commissioned by the senate to restore Ptolemy XI. Auletes to his kingdom (see PTOLEMIES). In spite of his indebtedness to Caesar, Lentulus joined the Pompeians on the outbreak of civil war (49). The generosity with which he was treated by Caesar after the capitula tion of Corfinium made him hesitate, but he finally decided in favour of Pompey. After Pharsalus, Lentulus escaped to Rhodes.
According to Aurelius Victor (De vir. ill. lxxviii., 9, if the reading be correct), he subsequently fell into Caesar's hands and was put to death.
Lucius CORNELIUS LENTULUS, surnamed CRUS or CRUSCELLO, member of the anti-Caesarian party. In 61 B.C. he was the chief accuser of P. Clodius (q.v.) in the affair of the festival of Bona Dea. When consul (49) he advised the rejection of all peace terms offered by Caesar, and declared that, if the senate did not at once decide upon opposing him by force of arms, he would act upon his own responsibility. He fled from Rome as soon as he heard of Caesar's advance, and crossed over to Greece. After Pharsalus, he made his way to Rhodes (but was refused admission), thence, by way of Cyprus, to Egypt. He landed at Pelusium the day after the murder of Pompey, and was seized and put to death by Ptolemy.
A full account of the different Cornelii Lentuli, with genealogical table, will be found in Pauly-Wissowa's Realencyclopddie, iv. pt. i, p. 1355 (Iwo) (s.v. "Cornelius") ; see also V. de Vit, Onomasticon, ii. 433.