MARCELLUS, M. CLAUDIUS, a Ro man general and member of one of the most eminent plebeian families. In his first consulship (222 B. C.) he defeated the Insubrian Gauls and slew with his own hand their king, Britomartus or Viridomarus. In the second Punic war Marcellus took command after the dis aster of Cannw, and checked Hannibal at Nola, in Campania (216 B. C.) Again consul in 214 B. C., he gave a fresh im pulse to the war in Sicily. The skill of Archimedes compelled him to regularly blockade the city of Syracuse. Famine, pestilence, and ultimately treachery on the part of the Spanish auxiliaries of the Syracusans, opened its gates (212 B. C.) , after which the remainder of Sicily was soon brought under the dominion of the Romans. In his fifth consulship, 208 B. C., he fell in a skirmish against Han nibal.
MARCH, a frontier or boundary of a March, a frontier or boundary of a territory; especially applied to the bound aries or confines of political divisions, or to the country lying near and about such; as, for example, the frontiers be tween England and Scotland, and Eng land and Wales. Geneva is situated in the Marches of France, Savoy and Switzerland.
MARCH, a musical composition, chiefly March, a musical composition, chiefly for military bands, with wind instru ments, intended to accompany the march ing of troops. There are slow and quick marches, and marches peculiar to differ ent countries. Marches are also intro duced into oratorios, the best-known examples being the "Dead March" from the oratorio of "Saul" and Mendelssohn's "Wedding March." MARCH, the first month of the Roman March, the first month of the Roman year, and the third according to our present calendar, consisting of 31 days. It was considered as the first month of the year in England till the change of style in 1752, and the legal year was reckoned from March 25. Its last three days (old style) were once popularly sup posed to have been "borrowed" by March from April, and are proverbially stormy.
MARCH (marh,), the principal river March (marh,), the principal river of Moravia, rising on the boundary be tween that country and Prussian Silesia, and flowing 214 miles S. to the Danube, which it joins 6 miles above Pressburg. It receives on the right the Thaya. In its lower course it forms the boundary between Austria and Hungary. It is navigable for small boats from Goding, 80 miles from its mouth.