SCAURUS, MARCUS AEMILIUS, was the son of Mar cus Aemilius Scaurus (c. 163-88 B.c.), who was curule aedile, praetor and consul in 115, censor in 109, and in charge (IN) of the corn supply at Ostia. The father belonged to the moderate aristocratical party, and was frequently in difficulties with ex tremists on either side. Though not a great orator, his speeches were weighty and impressive. The son served during the 3rd Mithradatic War B.c.) as quaestor to Pompey, by whom be was sent to Judaea to settle the quarrel between Hyrcanus and Aristobulus. Scaurus decided in favour of the latter, who was able to offer more money. On his arrival in Syria, Pompey reversed the decision, but, ignoring the charge of bribery brought against Scaurus, left him in command of the district. An incidental cam paign against Aretas, king of the Nabataeans, was ended by the payment of 30o talents by Aretas to secure his possessions. This agreement is represented on coins of Scaurus. As curule aedile in 58, Scaurus celebrated the public games on a scale of magnificence never seen before. The show included many animals never before seen in Rome, and a wooden theatre was erected to hold 8o,000 spectators. In 56 Scaurus was praetor, and in the following year
governor of Sardinia. On his return to Rome (54) he was accusal of extortion in his province. Cicero and five others (amongst them the famous Q. Hortensius) undertook his defence, and, although there was no doubt of his guilt, he was acquitted. During the same year however (according to some, two years later, under illegal new law), Scaurus was condemned on a charge of llegal practices as a candidate for the consulship, and was exiled.
See Josephus, Antiq. xiv. 3-5, Bell. Jud. i. 7 Appian, Syr. 51, Bell. civ. ii. 24; Pliny, Nat. Hist. xxxvi. 24 ; Cicero, Pro Sestio, 54, fragments of Pro Scauro, numerous references in the Letters; Asconius, Argu mentum in Scaurum. See also, for both the above, AEMILIUS (Nos. 140, 141) in Pauly-Wissowa's Realencyclopiidie der classischen Alter tumswissenschaft, i. pt. I. (1894), and Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography, s.v. Scaurus.