MARCH MARCQMANNI. 



being considered as allies of Rome. As a mark of 

 : raiitude, they declared themselves the clients of the 

 Marcellian family. In the mean time, Marcellus 

 carried on the war against Hannibal in Italy, and 

 fought an undecisive battle at Numistrum. In the 

 sin-reeding year, he was defeated by Hannibal at 

 CRiiuMum ; but, having rallied the fugitives, and 

 inspired them with fresh courage, he renewed the 

 < ontcst on the following day, and gained the victory, 

 thoueh with a heavy loss. B. C. 209, he was chosen 

 consul the fifth time, with T. Quintius Crispinus. 

 The two consuls united their forces on the Ljris, but 

 Hannibal avoided giving battle. The Romans, prepar- 

 ing to encamp upon a neighbouring hill, were suddenly 

 surrounded ; they would, however, have been able 

 to cut their way through, had not the Etrurians, who 

 composed the largest part of the cavalry, immedi- 

 ately surrendered. Marcellus himself fell ; his son 

 and the other consul escaped. Thus died this great 

 general, who made himself formidable to Hannibal 

 himself. He was called the sword, as Fabius was 

 the shield, of Rome. Hannibal took the ring from 

 his finger, and caused the body to be burnt with the 

 most distinguished honours, and sent the ashes to 

 his son, in a costly urn. His family continued to 

 flourish, and furnished many consuls, until it became 

 extinct with the son of Octavia, the sister of Augus- 

 tus, whom Virgil has immortalized. 



MARCH (Latin Mars) ; originally the first month 

 of the Roman year ; so named, according to tradition, 

 by Romulus in honour of his father, Mars. Till the 

 adoption of the new style in Britain (1752), the 25th 

 of March was new year's day ; hence January, Feb- 

 ruary, and the first twenty-four days of March have 

 frequently two years appended, as January 1, 170|, 

 or 1701 2. See Calendar. 



MARCH; a movement by regular steps in the 

 manner of soldiers ; also a journey performed by a 

 body of soldiers either on foot or on horseback. Sol- 

 diers on a march are subject to certain rules very 

 necessary to keep them in good order, and fit to 

 meet the enemy. The march in the first sense of 

 regular step differs on different occasions. In the 

 parade-march, from seventy-five to ninety-five steps, 

 differing in different armies, are made in a minute ; 

 in the quick-march, from 108 to 115 steps; and in 

 the storming-march, 120 steps. 



March further signifies the music composed for 

 such movements ; it is composed in -J- or f time for 

 the parade-march, and in ; for quick-time. There 

 are many sorts of such marches for festivals, fun- 

 erals, &c., varying according to their different pur- 

 poses. 



MARC HE ; one of the ancient provinces of 

 France, bounded north by Berry, and the Bourbon- 

 nais, east by Auvergne, and south by Guienne and 

 Limousin. Its name is derived from its having been 

 on the frontier of these provinces, and it was often 

 called Marche de Limousin. In the middle ages, it 

 had, for some time, its own sovereign counts. Phi- 

 lippe le Bel acquired it by confiscation. It after- 

 wards belonged to the house of Armagnac, and that 

 of Bourbon-Montpensier. Francis finally united it 

 with the crown domains. See Department. 



MARCHES (from the Middle Latin, marca, 

 marcha, a boundary) ; the frontiers of a state. Thus 

 in English history, we read of the lords of the Welsh 

 marches, that is, of the frontiers of England and 

 Wales ; the marches of Scotland were divided into 

 west and middle marches. The office of the lords 

 marchers was originally to guard the frontiers. (See 

 Marquess.) The corresponding word in French is 

 marche (see Marche), in German mark, in Italian 

 marca. In the estates of the church was a province 

 nailed Marca, divided into the march or marquisate 



of Ancoua, and that of Fermo. In the Venetian ter- 

 ritory was the Marca Trcvisana. In Germany, the 

 mark of Brandenburg or the electoral mark (Kur- 

 mark), was divided into the Mittelmark, Neumark, 

 Altmark, Vormark, and Ukermark. So Steiermark 

 (marquisate of Stiria), Danemark (Denmark). See 

 Margrave. 



MARCH ESI, LUIGI, called also Marchesini, a 

 celebrated singer, born at Milan, about 1755. 

 While a youth, having attracted the attention of 

 some cognoscenti, he was encouraged by them to 

 quit his father's house privately, went to Bergamo,and 

 there subjected himself to the necessary mutilation. 

 After completing his studies at Munich (1775 77), 

 he returned to his native country, where he was re- 

 ceived with the greatest admiration and enthusiasm. 

 The academy at Pisa caused a medal to be struck in 

 his honour; he afterwards sung in Rome, Vienna, 

 Petersburg, Berlin, and in 1788 went to London, 

 where the directors of the Italian opera gave him 

 '1500 for one winter, with a benefit and his ex- 

 penses. Marches! was not less remarkable for the 

 beauty of his person, and his grace and propriety of 

 gesture, than for his voice. He sung in Vienna in 

 1801 . The time of his death is unknown. 



MARCHFELD; the Austrian circle under the 

 Mannhartzberg, in the country below the Ens (as it 

 is called) ; particularly the fertile plain from Bock- 

 fliess to the rivers March and Danube, about twenty- 

 three English miles long and fourteen wide a spot, 

 the position of which has made it at several epochs 

 the field of decisive battles, and which is therefore 

 of great interest for the military student. Ottocar 

 of Bohemia, defeated here, in 1260, Bela IV. of 

 Hungary, and conquered Stiria, which has since 

 remained united to Germany. In another battle, 

 fought here August 26, 1278, between Ottocar and 

 Rodolph of Hapsburg, Ottocar fell. This day laid 

 the foundation of the house of Hapsburg, which is 

 still seated on the throne of Austria. The third 

 battle on this bloody plain was that of Aspern, May 

 21 and 22, 1809; and the fourth, the battle of 

 Wagram, July 5 and 6, 1809. 



MARCION, MARCIONITES. See Gnostics. 



MARCOMANNI, MARKOMANNI, i. e. bor- 

 derers (see Marches) ; a powerful league of ancient 

 German nations. After Caesar's death, they lived 

 between the Danube and the Rhine. After the 

 Romans had conquered Noricum and Pannonia, and 

 had become dangerous to the Marcomanni from 

 their proximity, the latter retired, under their king, 

 Maroboduus, made themselves masters of the king- 

 dom of the Boii in the present Bohemia, called by 

 the Germans Bojenheim. By artifice and violence, 

 Maroboduus soon formed a union of a number of 

 tribes under his sovereignty, and became dangerous 

 to the Romans, as this league could bring 70,000 

 disciplined troops into the field. The Romans were 

 prevented from attacking him by an insurrection of 

 the Pannonians; for which reason Tiberius con- 

 cluded a treaty with him, six years after Christ; 

 but he was defeated by the Cherusci under Her- 

 mann (Arminius), (A. D. 19). The same was the 

 fate of his successor, the Goth, Catualda. Both fled 

 to the Romans, who assigned them Ravenna and 

 Aquileia for a residence. Relations of Maroboduus 

 now governed the Marcomanni, who avoided all 

 hostilities against the Romans till the time of Domi- 

 tian. They subsequently made incursions into the 

 Roman territory. Trajan and Hadrian held them in 

 check. They invaded Pannonia (A. D. 166). Af- 

 ter a long conflict, which is celebrated in Roman 

 history, under the name of the Marcomannic war, 

 Antoninus the Philosopher drove them back beyond 

 the Danube. Commodus purchased peace in 180, 



