PUBLIUS POPILLIUS LAENAS

publius popillius laenas, son of the preceding. when consul in 132 b.c. he incurred the hatred of the democrats by his harsh measures as head of a special commission appointed to take measures against the accomplices of tiberius gracchus. in 123 gaius gracchus brought in a bill prohibiting all such commissions, and declared that, in accordance with the old laws of appeal, a magistrate who pronounced sentence of death against a citizen, without the people's assent, should be guilty of high treason. it is not known whether the bill contained a retrospective clause against laenas, but he left rome and sentence of banishment from italy was pronounced against him. after the restoration of the aristocracy the enactments against him were cancelled, and he was recalled (121). see cicero, _brutus_, 25. 34, and _de domo sua_, 31; vell. pat. ii. 7; plutarch, _c. gracchus_, 4. footnote: [1] the name is said by cicero to be derived from _laena_, the sacerdotal cloak carried by marcus popillius (consul 359) when he went to the forum to quell a popular rising. laer (or laar), pieter van (1613-c. 1675), dutch painter, was born at laaren in holland. the influence of a long stay in rome begun at an early age is seen in his landscape and backgrounds, but in his subjects he remained true to the dutch tradition, choosing generally lively scenes from peasant life, as markets, feasts, bowling scenes, farriers' shops, robbers, hunting scenes and peasants with cattle. from this taste, or from his personal deformity, he was nicknamed bamboccio by the italians. on his return to holland about 1639, he lived chiefly at amsterdam and haarlem, in which latter city he died in 1674 or 1675. his pictures are marked by skilful composition and good drawing; he was especially careful in perspective. his colouring, according to crowe, is "generally of a warm, brownish tone, sometimes very clear, but oftener heavy, and his execution broad and spirited." certain etched plates are also attributed to him.