HORTENSIUS, Quintus, one of the most celebrated orators that Rome produced, the contemporary and rival of Cicero, was born b. c. II4, and eight years before Cicero. He was son of L. Hortensius, who had distinguished himself in his praetorship in Rome, and proconsulship in Italy, by a strict adherence to justice and the ancient laws of his country. His mother Sempronia was grand-daughter to Tuditanus. Of the manner in which he spent his earlier years, we have received no information; but we find him at the age of nineteen (b. c. 95), at once taking a distinguished place amongst the orators of his country. (Cic. Br. 64.) The first cause which he undertook was that of Africa, in which he was eminently successful; and shortly afterwards he was employed by the king of Bithynia in his defence before the senate. The breaking out of the Social War, b. c. 90, so alarmed the Romans for the very existence of their power, that all domestic proceedings were for a time suspended, and the youth enrolled themselves for the defence of their country. Hortensius, like others of his own age, joined the army, and in the second campaign was raised to the rank of tribune. It does not appear, however, that he possessed military talents, as we do not find him taking an active part in any warlike proceedings. His aedileship was distinguished by the magnificence of his exhibition of the public games, and by a gratuitous distribution of corn among the people. It was in 70 b∙ c. that he was first directly opposed to Cicero in the celebrated trial of Verres, but notwithstanding the utmost efforts of his eloquence, Verres was brought in guilty of the charges which Cicero brought against him. The following year (b. c. 69) we find him raised to the consulship, along with Q. Cecilius Metellus; but it was a period during which Rome enjoyed profound peace at Rome, whilst she was triumphing over Mithridates in the east by the arms of Lucullus. The conduct of the war against the Cretans fell by lot to Hortensius, but feeling that the proper arena for the display of his talents was in the peaceful contests of the Forum, he refused to leave Rome, and gave up the commission to his colleague Metellus, who derived the name of Creticus from the subjugation of the island. (Xiphilin. Epit. Dion. tom. i. p. 75.) He amassed great riches, and became remarkable for the magnificence of his villas, and his sumptuous mode of living. He opposed with success a sumptuary law proposed by Pompey and Crassus (Dion.) ; and resisted the proposals of Gabinius and Manilius to invest Pompey with powers of so extraordinary a nature, that they seemed calculated to annihilate the independence of Rome. Though the most formidable rival of Cicero in the Forum, he was the intimate and affectionate friend of that orator; and when Clodius threatened Cicero with exile, Hortensius appeared in the assembly of the people in deep mourning, and was attacked by the slaves of that factious tribune. (Cic. Mil. 14.) In his latter years, he did not exert himself to maintain the rank to which he had attained, and allowed his glory to be eclipsed by the wonderful powers of eloquence displayed by Cicero. A few days before his death, b. c. 50, he defended the cause or Appius Claudius; and it was in consequence of the exertions which he made in that case that he broke a blood-vessel, which put an end to his life. Cic. Br. 94; Ep. Fam. viii. 13; Ep. Att. vi. 6. Hortensius was first married to Lutatia, the daughter of the celebrated Lutatius Catullus, by whom he had a son, whose conduct gave him great cause of uneasiness, and a daughter, Hortensia, distinguished for her talents, who married Valerius Messala. Hortensius afterwards contracted a second marriage with Marcia, daughter of Philippus, and wife of Cato. This transaction was of a very extraordinary nature, and was little to the honour of any of the parties; but the details may be read in Plutarch (Life of Cato). As none of his writings have been preserved, we are without the means of forming an opinion of his eloquence, except from the statements of the ancients. It was highly ornamented, flowery, and even more Asiatic in its character than that of Cicero. His style was full of animation, and his composition was extremely polished. Hortensius also cultivated poetry with success. (Ovid. Trist, ii. 441; Aul. Gell. xix. 9∙ See Sallier, Recherches sur la Vie de Q. Hort, in the Mem. de TAcad. des Jnscript. vi. 500. Luzac. Specimen historic. jurisdic. de Q. Hort, oratore, Lugd. Bat. 1810. Tiraboschi Sto? ia della Litterat. Italiana, iii. 2.) [7:11:630]