Capitolinus, Petillius

was according to the Scholiast on Horace (Sat. 1.4. 94) entrusted with the care of the temple of Jupiter on the Capitol, and was accused of having stolen the crown of Jupiter, but was acquitted by the judges in consequence of his being a friend of Augustus. The Scholiast states that Petillius received the surname of Capitolinus from his being placed over the Capitol; but whether this be so, or whether it was a regular family-name of the gens, so much is certain, that the annexed coin of the gens refers to the connexion of one of the Petillii with the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, for the obverse represents the head of Jupiter, and the reverse the temple.