AT'TICUS, TITUS POMPONIUS (n.c. 109-32).
One of the most noble and generous men in ancient Rome. He was born in B.C. UM, or a few years before the birth of Cicero. His excellent education, during which he enjoyed the compan ionship of Torquatus, the younger Marius, and Cicero, developed, at an early age, a love of knowledge, which was increased during his stay in Athens, where he remained many years, glad to be separated from the political distractions of his native land. After B.C. 65, when he returned to Rome, he still devoted himself chiefly to study and the pleasures of friendship, and refused to take any part in political affairs. Yet he was by no means without influence on public mat ters, as he lived on terms of familiar intercourse with several leading statesmen, and freely gave his counsel, which was generally sound and wholesome, while it was always benevolent. He was a man of great wealth, having been left a large inheritance by his father and his uncle, which he greatly increased by judicious mercan tile speculations. His mode of life was frugal.
When he was informed that a disorder under which he was laboring, was mortal, he voluntarily starved himself, and died in B.C. 32. Among his personal friends Cicero held the first place. The Animates, written by .Atticus, were highly com mended by his contemporaries. They were espe cially valuable on account of containing gene alogical histories of the old Roman families. At ticus was one of those men (not uncommon either in ancient or modern times) in whom fine culture and a fortunate social position had highly devel oped the faculty of good taste. He had no crea tive genius, but was possessed of such delicate discernment that he could detect the flaw which would have been invisible to Cicero. Every author was anxious to secure his favorable opin ion. None of his writings has been preserved. His biography is found in Cornelius Nepos; and many facts concerning him in Cicero's Epistles to Attims,