C. Orchius
tribune of the plebs in the third year after the consulship of Cato, B. C. 181, was the author of a sumtuaria lex, limiting the number of guests to be present at entertainments. When attempts were afterwards made to repeal this law, Cato offered the strongest opposition, and delivered a speech in defence of the law, which is referred to by the grammarians. (Macrob. Saturn. 2.13; Festus, s. vv. Obsonitavere, Percunctatem; Schol. Bob. in Cic. pro Sest. p. 310, ed. Orelli; Meyer, Orat. Rom. Franlqenta, p. 91, &c., 2nd ed.
From William Smith (ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Text provided under a CC BY-SA license by Perseus Digital Library, http://www.perseus.tufts.edu, with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Tufts University. Data accessed from https://github.com/PerseusDL/canonical-pdlrefwk/ on 17 October 2026.