THE LIVES OF THE TWELVE CAESARS By C. Suetonius Tranquillus; To which are added, HIS LIVES OF THE GRAMMARIANS, RHETORICIANS, AND POETS. The Translation of Alexander Thomson, M. D. revised and corrected by T. Forester, Esq. , A. M. LIVES OF THE POETS. (531) CONTENTS: Terence Juvenal Persius Horace Lucan Pliny THE LIFE OF TERENCE. Publius Terentius Afer, a native of Carthage, was a slave, at Rome, ofthe senator Terentius Lucanus, who, struck by his abilities and handsomeperson, gave him not only a liberal education in his youth, but hisfreedom when he arrived at years of maturity. Some say that he was acaptive taken in war, but this, as Fenestella [925] informs us, could byno means have been the case, since both his birth and death took place inthe interval between the termination of the second Punic war and thecommencement of the third [926]; nor, even supposing that he had beentaken prisoner by the Numidian or Getulian tribes, could he have falleninto the hands of a Roman general, as there was no commercial intercoursebetween the Italians and Africans until after the fall of Carthage [927]. Terence lived in great familiarity with many persons of high station, andespecially with Scipio Africanus, and Caius Delius, whose favour he iseven supposed to have purchased by the foulest means. But Fenestellareverses the charge, contending that Terence was older than either ofthem. Cornelius Nepos, however, (532) informs us that they were all ofnearly equal age; and Porcias intimates a suspicion of this criminalcommerce in the following passage:-- "While Terence plays the wanton with the great, and recommends himself tothem by the meretricious ornaments of his person; while, with greedyears, he drinks in the divine melody of Africanus's voice; while hethinks of being a constant guest at the table of Furius, and the handsomeLaelius; while he thinks that he is fondly loved by them, and ofteninvited to Albanum for his youthful beauty, he finds himself stripped ofhis property, and reduced to the lowest state of indigence. Then, withdrawing from the world, he betook himself to Greece, where he met hisend, dying at Strymphalos, a town in Arcadia. What availed him thefriendship of Scipio, of Laelius, or of Furius, three of the mostaffluent nobles of that age? They did not even minister to hisnecessities so much as to provide him a hired house, to which his slavemight return with the intelligence of his master's death. " He wrote comedies, the earliest of which, The Andria, having to beperformed at the public spectacles given by the aediles [928], he wascommanded to read it first before Caecilius [929]. Having beenintroduced while Caecilius was at supper, and being meanly dressed, he isreported to have read the beginning of the play seated on a low stoolnear the great man's couch. But after reciting a few verses, he wasinvited to take his place at table, and, having supped with his host, went through the rest to his great delight. This play and five otherswere received by the public with similar applause, although Volcatius, inhis enumeration of them, says that "The Hecyra [930] must not be reckonedamong these. " The Eunuch was even acted twice the same day [931], and earned more moneythan any comedy, whoever was the writer, had (533) ever done before, namely, eight thousand sesterces [932]; besides which, a certain sumaccrued to the author for the title. But Varro prefers the opening ofThe Adelphi [933] to that of Menander. It is very commonly reported thatTerence was assisted in his works by Laelius and Scipio [934], with whomhe lived in such great intimacy. He gave some currency to this reporthimself, nor did he ever attempt to defend himself against it, except ina light way; as in the prologue to The Adelphi: Nam quod isti dicunt malevoli, homines nohiles Hunc adjutare, assidueque una scribere; Quod illi maledictun vehemens existimant, Eam laudem hic ducit maximam: cum illis placet, Qui vobis universis et populo placent; Quorum opera in bello, in otio, in negotio, Suo quisque tempore usus est sine superbia. --------For this, Which malice tells that certain noble persons Assist the bard, and write in concert with him, That which they deem a heavy slander, he Esteems his greatest praise: that he can please Those who in war, in peace, as counsellors, Have rendered you the dearest services, And ever borne their faculties so meekly. Colman. He appears to have protested against this imputation with lessearnestness, because the notion was far from being disagreeable toLaelius and Scipio. It therefore gained ground, and prevailed inafter-times. Quintus Memmius, in his speech in his own defence, says "PubliusAfricanus, who borrowed from Terence a character which he had acted inprivate, brought it on the stage in his name. " Nepos tells us he foundin some book that C. Laelius, when he was on some occasion at Puteoli, onthe calends [the first] of March, [935] being requested by his wife torise early, (534) begged her not to suffer him to be disturbed, as he hadgone to bed late, having been engaged in writing with more than usualsuccess. On her asking him to tell her what he had been writing, herepeated the verses which are found in the Heautontimoroumenos: Satis pol proterve me Syri promessa--Heauton. IV. Iv. 1. I'faith! the rogue Syrus's impudent pretences-- Santra [936] is of opinion that if Terence required any assistance in hiscompositions [937], he would not have had recourse to Scipio and Laelius, who were then very young men, but rather to Sulpicius Gallus [938], anaccomplished scholar, who had been the first to introduce his plays atthe games given by the consuls; or to Q. Fabius Labeo, or Marcus Popilius[939], both men of consular rank, as well as poets. It was for thisreason that, in alluding to the assistance he had received, he did notspeak of his coadjutors as very young men, but as persons of whoseservices the people had full experience in peace, in war, and in theadministration of affairs. After he had given his comedies to the world, at a time when he had notpassed his thirty-fifth year, in order to avoid suspicion, as he foundothers publishing their works under his name, or else to make himselfacquainted with the modes of life and habits of the Greeks, for thepurpose of exhibiting them in his plays, he withdrew from home, to whichhe never returned. Volcatius gives this account of his death: Sed ut Afer sei populo dedit comoedias, Iter hic in Asiam fecit. Navem cum semel Conscendit, visus nunquam est. Sic vita vacat. (535) When Afer had produced six plays for the entertainment of the people, He embarked for Asia; but from the time he went on board ship He was never seen again. Thus he ended his life. Q. Consentius reports that he perished at sea on his voyage back fromGreece, and that one hundred and eight plays, of which he had made aversion from Menander [940], were lost with him. Others say that he diedat Stymphalos, in Arcadia, or in Leucadia, during the consulship of Cn. Cornelius Dolabella and Marcus Fulvius Nobilior [941], worn out with asevere illness, and with grief and regret for the loss of his baggage, which he had sent forward in a ship that was wrecked, and contained thelast new plays he had written. In person, Terence is reported to have been rather short and slender, with a dark complexion. He had an only daughter, who was afterwardsmarried to a Roman knight; and he left also twenty acres of garden ground[942], on the Appian Way, at the Villa of Mars. I, therefore, wonder themore how Porcius could have written the verses, --------nihil Publius Scipio profuit, nihil et Laelius, nihil Furius, Tres per idem tempus qui agitabant nobiles facillime. Eorum ille opera ne domum quidem habuit conductitiam Saltem ut esset, quo referret obitum domini servulus. [943] Afranius places him at the head of all the comic writers, declaring, inhis Compitalia, Terentio non similem dices quempiam. Terence's equal cannot soon be found. On the other hand, Volcatius reckons him inferior not only (536) toNaevius, Plautus, and Caecilius, but also to Licinius. Cicero pays himthis high compliment, in his Limo-- Tu quoque, qui solus lecto sermone, Terenti, Conversum expressumque Latina voce Menandrum In medio populi sedatis vocibus offers, Quidquid come loquens, ac omnia dulcia dicens. "You, only, Terence, translated into Latin, and clothed in choicelanguage the plays of Menander, and brought them before the public, who, in crowded audiences, hung upon hushed applause-- Grace marked each line, and every period charmed. " So also Caius Caesar: Tu quoque tu in summis, O dimidiate Menander, Poneris, et merito, puri sermonis amator, Lenibus atque utinam scriptis adjuncta foret vis Comica, ut aequato virtus polleret honore Cum Graecis, neque in hoc despectus parte jaceres! Unum hoc maceror, et doleo tibi deesse, Terenti. "You, too, who divide your honours with Menander, will take your placeamong poets of the highest order, and justly too, such is the purity ofyour style. Would only that to your graceful diction was added morecomic force, that your works might equal in merit the Greek masterpieces, and your inferiority in this particular should not expose you to censure. This is my only regret; in this, Terence, I grieve to say you arewanting. " THE LIFE OF JUVENAL. D. JUNIUS JUVENALIS, who was either the son [944] of a wealthy freedman, or brought up by him, it is not known which, declaimed till the middle oflife [945], more from the bent of his inclination, than from any desireto prepare himself either for the schools or the forum. But havingcomposed a short satire [946], which was clever enough, on Paris [947], the actor of pantomimes, (537) and also on the poet of Claudius Nero, whowas puffed up by having held some inferior military rank for six monthsonly; he afterwards devoted himself with much zeal to that style ofwriting. For a while indeed, he had not the courage to read them even toa small circle of auditors, but it was not long before he recited hissatires to crowded audiences, and with entire success; and this he didtwice or thrice, inserting new lines among those which he had originallycomposed. Quod non dant proceres, dabit histrio, tu Camerinos, Et Bareas, tu nobilium magna atria curas. Praefectos Pelopea facit, Philomela tribunos. Behold an actor's patronage affords A surer means of rising than a lord's! And wilt thou still the Camerino's [948] court, Or to the halls of Bareas resort, When tribunes Pelopea can create And Philomela praefects, who shall rule the state? [949] At that time the player was in high favour at court, and many of thosewho fawned upon him were daily raised to posts of honour. Juvenaltherefore incurred the suspicion of having covertly satirized occurrenceswhich were then passing, and, although eighty years old at that time[950], he was immediately removed from the city, being sent intohonourable banishment as praefect of a cohort, which was under orders toproceed to a station at the extreme frontier of Egypt [951]. That (538)sort of punishment was selected, as it appeared severe enough for anoffence which was venial, and a mere piece of drollery. However, he diedvery soon afterwards, worn down by grief, and weary of his life. THE LIFE OF PERSIUS. AULUS PERSIUS FLACCUS was born the day before the Nones of December [4thDec. ] [952], in the consulship of Fabius Persicus and L. Vitellius. Hedied on the eighth of the calends of December [24th Nov. ] [953] in theconsulship of Rubrius Marius and Asinius Gallus. Though born atVolterra, in Etruria, he was a Roman knight, allied both by blood andmarriage to persons of the highest rank [954]. He ended his days at anestate he had at the eighth milestone on the Appian Way. His father, Flaccus, who died when he was barely six years old, left him under thecare of guardians, and his mother, Fulvia Silenna, who afterwards marriedFusius, a Roman knight, buried him also in a very few years. PersiusFlaccus pursued his studies at Volterra till he was twelve years old, andthen continued them at Rome, under Remmius Palaemon, the grammarian, andVerginius Flaccus, the rhetorician. Arriving at the age of twenty-one, he formed a friendship with Annaeus Cornutus [955], which lasted throughlife; and from him he learned the rudiments of philosophy. Among hisearliest friends were Caesius Bassus [956], and Calpurnius Statura; thelatter of whom died while Persius himself was yet in his youth. Servilius (539) Numanus [957], he reverenced as a father. ThroughCornutus he was introduced to Annaeus, as well as to Lucan, who was ofhis own age, and also a disciple of Cornutus. At that time Cornutus wasa tragic writer; he belonged to the sect of the Stoics, and left behindhim some philosophical works. Lucan was so delighted with the writingsof Persius Flaccus, that he could scarcely refrain from giving loudtokens of applause while the author was reciting them, and declared thatthey had the true spirit of poetry. It was late before Persius made theacquaintance of Seneca, and then he was not much struck with his naturalendowments. At the house of Cornutus he enjoyed the society of two verylearned and excellent men, who were then zealously devoting themselves tophilosophical enquiries, namely, Claudius Agaternus, a physician fromLacedaemon, and Petronius Aristocrates, of Magnesia, men whom he held inthe highest esteem, and with whom he vied in their studies, as they wereof his own age, being younger than Cornutus. During nearly the last tenyears of his life he was much beloved by Thraseas, so that he sometimestravelled abroad in his company; and his cousin Arria was married to him. Persius was remarkable for gentle manners, for a modesty amounting tobashfulness, a handsome form, and an attachment to his mother, sister, and aunt, which was most exemplary. He was frugal and chaste. He lefthis mother and sister twenty thousand sesterces, requesting his mother, in a written codicil, to present to Cornutus, as some say, one hundredsesterces, or as others, twenty pounds of wrought silver [958], besidesabout seven hundred books, which, indeed, included his whole library. Cornutus, however, would only take the books, and gave up the legacy tothe sisters, whom his brother had constituted his heirs. He wrote [959] seldom, and not very fast; even the work we possess heleft incomplete. Some verses are wanting at the end of the book [960], but Cornutus thoughtlessly recited it, as if (540) it was finished; andon Caesius Bassus requesting to be allowed to publish it, he delivered itto him for that purpose. , In his younger days, Persius had written aplay, as well as an Itinerary, with several copies of verses on Thraseas'father-in-law, and Arria's [961] mother, who had made away with herselfbefore her husband. But Cornutus used his whole influence with themother of Persius to prevail upon her to destroy these compositions. Assoon as his book of Satires was published, all the world began to admireit, and were eager to buy it up. He died of a disease in the stomach, inthe thirtieth year of his age [962]. But no sooner had he left schooland his masters, than he set to work with great vehemence to composesatires, from having read the tenth book of Lucilius; and made thebeginning of that book his model; presently launching his invectives allaround with so little scruple, that he did not spare cotemporary poetsand orators, and even lashed Nero himself, who was then the reigningprince. The verse ran as follows: Auriculas asini Mida rex habet; King Midas has an ass's ears; but Cornutus altered it thus; Auriculas asini quis non hahet? Who has not an ass's ears? in order that it might not be supposed that it was meant to apply toNero. THE LIFE OF HORACE. HORATIUS FLACCUS was a native of Venusium [963], his father having been, by his own account [964], a freedman and collector of taxes, but, as itis generally believed, a dealer in salted (541) provisions; for some onewith whom Horace had a quarrel, jeered him, by saying; "How often have Iseen your father wiping his nose with his fist?" In the battle ofPhilippi, he served as a military tribune [965], which post he filled atthe instance of Marcus Brutus [966], the general; and having obtained apardon, on the overthrow of his party, he purchased the office of scribeto a quaestor. Afterwards insinuating himself first, into the goodgraces of Mecaenas, and then of Augustus, he secured no small share inthe regard of both. And first, how much Mecaenas loved him may be seenby the epigram in which he says: Ni te visceribus meis, Horati, Plus jam diligo, Titium sodalem, Ginno tu videas strigosiorem. [967] But it was more strongly exhibited by Augustus, in a short sentenceuttered in his last moments: "Be as mindful of Horatius Flaccus as youare of me!" Augustus offered to appoint him his secretary, signifyinghis wishes to Mecaenas in a letter to the following effect: "Hitherto Ihave been able to write my own epistles to friends; but now I am too muchoccupied, and in an infirm state of health. I wish, therefore, todeprive you of our Horace: let him leave, therefore, your luxurious tableand come to the palace, and he shall assist me in writing my letters. "And upon his refusing to accept the office, he neither exhibited thesmallest displeasure, nor ceased to heap upon him tokens of his regard. Letters of his are extant, from which I will make some short extracts toestablish this: "Use your influence over me with the same freedom as youwould do if we were living together as friends. In so doing you will beperfectly right, and guilty of no impropriety; for I could wish that ourintercourse should be on that footing, if your health admitted of it. "And again: "How I hold you in memory you may learn (542) from our friendSeptimius [968], for I happened to mention you when he was present. Andif you are so proud as to scorn my friendship, that is no reason why Ishould lightly esteem yours, in return. " Besides this, among otherdrolleries, he often called him, "his most immaculate penis, " and "hischarming little man, " and loaded him from time to time with proofs of hismunificence. He admired his works so much, and was so convinced of theirenduring fame, that he directed him to compose the Secular Poem, as wellas that on the victory of his stepsons Tiberius and Drusus over theVindelici [969]; and for this purpose urged him to add, after a longinterval, a fourth book of Odes to the former three. After reading his"Sermones, " in which he found no mention of himself, he complained inthese terms: "You must know that I am very angry with you, because inmost of your works of this description you do not choose to addressyourself to me. Are you afraid that, in times to come, your reputationwill suffer; in case it should appear that you lived on terms of intimatefriendship with me?" And he wrung from him the eulogy which begins with, Cum tot sustineas, et tanta negotia solus: Res Italas armis tuteris, moribus ornes, Legibus emendes: in publica commoda peccem, Si longo sermone morer tua tempora, Caesar. --Epist. Ii. I. While you alone sustain the important weight Of Rome's affairs, so various and so great; While you the public weal with arms defend, Adorn with morals, and with laws amend; Shall not the tedious letter prove a crime, That steals one moment of our Caesar's time. --Francis. In person, Horace was short and fat, as he is described by himself in hisSatires [970], and by Augustus in the following letter: "Dionysius hasbrought me your small volume, which, little as it is, not to blame youfor that, I shall judge favourably. You seem to me, however, to beafraid lest your volumes should be bigger than yourself. But if you areshort in stature, you are corpulent enough. You may, therefore, (543) ifyou will, write in a quart, when the size of your volume is as largeround as your paunch. " It is reported that he was immoderately addicted to venery. [For he issaid to have had obscene pictures so disposed in a bedchamber lined withmirrors, that, whichever way he looked, lascivious images might presentthemselves to his view. ] [971] He lived for the most part in theretirement of his farm [972], on the confines of the Sabine and Tiburtineterritories, and his house is shewn in the neighbourhood of a little woodnot far from Tibur. Some Elegies ascribed to him, and a prose Epistleapparently written to commend himself to Mecaenas, have been handed downto us; but I believe that neither of them are genuine works of his; forthe Elegies are commonplace, and the Epistle is wanting in perspicuity, afault which cannot be imputed to his style. He was born on the sixth ofthe ides of December [27th December], in the consulship of Lucius Cotta[973] and Lucius Torquatus; and died on the fifth of the calends ofDecember [27th November], in the consulship of Caius Marcius Censorinusand Caius Asinius Gallus [974]; having completed his fifty-ninth year. He made a nuncupatory will, declaring Augustus his heir, not being able, from the violence of his disorder, to sign one in due form. He wasinterred and lies buried on the skirts of the Esquiline Hill, near thetomb of Mecaenas. [975] (544) M. ANNAEUS LUCANUS, a native of Corduba [976], first tried thepowers of his genius in an encomium on Nero, at the Quinquennial games. He afterwards recited his poem on the Civil War carried on between Pompeyand Caesar. His vanity was so immense, and he gave such liberty to histongue, that in some preface, comparing his age and his first effortswith those of Virgil, he had the assurance to say: "And what now remainsfor me is to deal with a gnat. " In his early youth, after being longinformed of the sort of life his father led in the country, inconsequence of an unhappy marriage [977], he was recalled from Athens byNero, who admitted him into the circle of his friends, and even gave himthe honour of the quaestorship; but he did not long remain in favour. Smarting at this, and having publicly stated that Nero had withdrawn, allof a sudden, without communicating with the senate, and without any othermotive than his own recreation, after this he did not cease to assail theemperor both with foul words and with acts which are still notorious. Sothat on one occasion, when easing his bowels in the common privy, therebeing a louder explosion than usual, he gave vent to the nemistych ofNero: "One would suppose it was thundering under ground, " in the hearingof those who were sitting there for the same purpose, and who took totheir heels in much consternation [978]. In a poem also, which was inevery one's hands, he severely lashed both the emperor and his mostpowerful adherents. At length, he became nearly the most active leader in Piso's conspiracy[979]; and while he dwelt without reserve in many quarters on the gloryof those who dipped their hands in the (545) blood of tyrants, helaunched out into open threats of violence, and carried them so far as toboast that he would cast the emperor's head at the feet of hisneighbours. When, however, the plot was discovered, he did not exhibitany firmness of mind. A confession was wrung from him without muchdifficulty; and, humbling himself to the most abject entreaties, he evennamed his innocent mother as one of the conspirators [980]; hoping thathis want of natural affection would give him favour in the eyes of aparricidal prince. Having obtained permission to choose his mode ofdeath [981], he wrote notes to his father, containing corrections of someof his verses, and, having made a full meal, allowed a physician to openthe veins in his arm [982]. I have also heard it said that his poemswere offered for sale, and commented upon, not only with care anddiligence, but also in a trifling way. [983] THE LIFE OF PLINY. [984] PLINIUS SECUNDUS, a native of New Como [985], having served in (546)the wars with strict attention to his duties, in the rank of a knight, distinguished himself, also, by the great integrity with which headministered the high functions of procurator for a long period in theseveral provinces intrusted to his charge. But still he devoted so muchattention to literary pursuits, that it would not have been an easymatter for a person who enjoyed entire leisure to have written more thanhe did. He comprised, in twenty volumes, an account of all the variouswars carried on in successive periods with the German tribes. Besidesthis, he wrote a Natural History, which extended to seven books. He fella victim to the calamitous event which occurred in Campania. For, havingthe command of the fleet at Misenum, when Vesuvius was throwing up afiery eruption, he put to sea with his gallies for the purpose ofexploring the causes of the phenomenon close on the spot [986]. Butbeing prevented by contrary winds from sailing back, he was suffocated inthe dense cloud of dust and ashes. Some, however, think that he waskilled by his slave, having implored him to put an end to his sufferings, when he was reduced to the last extremity by the fervent heat. [987] THE END OF LIVES OF THE POETS. FOOTNOTES: [925] Lucius Fenestella, an historical writer, is mentioned byLactantius, Seneca, and Pliny, who says, that he died towards the closeof the reign of Tiberius. [926] The second Punic war ended A. U. C. 552, and the third began A. U. C. 605. Terence was probably born about 560. [927] Carthage was laid in ruins A. U. C. 606 or 607, six hundred andsixty seven years after its foundation. [928] These entertainments were given by the aediles M. Fulvius Nobiliorand M. Acilius Glabrio, A. U. C. 587. [929] St. Jerom also states that Terence read the "Andria" to Caeciliuswho was a comic poet at Rome; but it is clearly an anachronism, as hedied two years before this period. It is proposed, therefore, to amendthe text by substituting Acilius, the aedile; a correction recommended byall the circumstances, and approved by Pitiscus and Ernesti. [930] The "Hecyra, " The Mother-in-law, is one of Terence's plays. [931] The "Eunuch" was not brought out till five years after the Andria, A. U. C. 592. [932] About 80 pounds sterling; the price paid for the two performances. What further right of authorship is meant by the words following, is notvery clear. [933] The "Adelphi" was first acted A. U. C. 593. [934] This report is mentioned by Cicero (Ad Attic, vii. 3), who appliesit to the younger Laelius. The Scipio here mentioned is ScipioAfricanus, who was at this time about twenty-one years of age. [935] The calends of March was the festival of married women. Seebefore, VESPASIAN, c. Xix. [936] Santra, who wrote biographies of celebrated characters, ismentioned as "a man of learning, " by St. Jerom, in his preface to thebook on the Ecclesiastical Writers. [937] The idea seems to have prevailed that Terence, originally anAfrican slave, could not have attained that purity of style in Latincomposition which is found in his plays, without some assistance. Thestyle of Phaedrus, however; who was a slave from Thrace, and lived in thereign of Tiberius, is equally pure, although no such suspicion attachesto his work. [938] Cicero (de Clar. Orat. C. 207) gives Sulpicius Gallus a highcharacter as a finished orator and elegant scholar. He was consul whenthe Andria was first produced. [939] Labeo and Popilius are also spoken of by Cicero in high terms, Ib. Cc. 21 and 24. Q. Fabius Labeo was consul with M. Claudius Marcellus, A. U. C. 570 and Popilius with L. Postumius Albinus, A. U. C. 580. [940] The story of Terence's having converted into Latin plays thislarge number of Menander's Greek comedies, is beyond all probability, considering the age at which he died, and other circumstances. Indeed, Menander never wrote so many as are here stated. [941] They were consuls A. U. C. 594. Terence was, therefore, thirty-fouryears old at the time of his death. [942] Hortulorum, in the plural number. This term, often found in Romanauthors, not inaptly describes the vast number of little inclosures, consisting of vineyards, orchards of fig-trees, peaches, etc. , withpatches of tillage, in which maize, legumes, melons, pumpkins, and othervegetables are cultivated for sale, still found on small properties, inthe south of Europe, particularly in the neighbourhood of towns. [943] Suetonius has quoted these lines in the earlier part of his Lifeof Terence. See before p. 532, where they are translated. [944] Juvenal was born at Aquinum, a town of the Volscians, as appearsby an ancient MS. , and is intimated by himself. Sat. Iii. 319. [945] He must have been therefore nearly forty years old at this time, as he lived to be eighty. [946] The seventh of Juvenal's Satires. [947] This Paris does not appear to have been the favourite of Nero, whowas put to death by that prince [see NERO, c. Liv. ], but another personof the same name, who was patronised by the emperor Domitian. The nameof the poet joined with him is not known. Salmatius thinks it wasStatius Pompilius, who sold to Paris, the actor, the play of Agave; Esurit, intactam Paridi nisi vendat Agaven. --Juv. Sat. Vii. 87. [948] Sulpicius Camerinus had been proconsul in Africa; Bareas Soranusin Asia. Tacit. Annal. Xiii. 52; xvi. 23. Both of them are said to havebeen corrupt in their administration; and the satirist introduces theirnames as examples of the rich and noble, whose influence was less thanthat of favourite actors, or whose avarice prevented them from becomingthe patrons of poets. [949] The "Pelopea, " was a tragedy founded on the story of the daughterof Thyestes; the "Philomela, " a tragedy on the fate of Itys, whoseremains were served to his father at a banquet by Philomela and hersister Progne. [950] This was in the time of Adrian. Juvenal, who wrote first in thereigns of Domitian and Trajan, composed his last Satire but one in thethird year of Adrian, A. U. C. 872. [951] Syene is meant, the frontier station of the imperial troops inthat quarter of the world. [952] A. U. C. 786, A. D. 34. [953] A. U. C. 814, A. D. 62. [954] Persius was one of the few men of rank and affluence among theRomans, who acquired distinction as writers; the greater part of themhaving been freedmen, as appears not only from these lives of the poets, but from our author's notices of the grammarians and rhetoricians. ACaius Persius is mentioned with distinction by Livy in the second Punicwar, Hist. Xxvi. 39; and another of the same name by Cicero, de Orat. Ii. 6, and by Pliny; but whether the poet was descended from either of them, we have no means of ascertaining. [955] Persius addressed his fifth satire to Annaeus Cornutus. He was anative of Leptis, in Africa, and lived at Rome in the time of Nero, bywhom he was banished. [956] Caesius Bassus, a lyric poet, flourished during the reigns of Neroand Galba. Persius dedicated his sixth Satire to him. [957] "Numanus. " It should be Servilius Nonianus, who is mentioned byPliny, xxviii. 2, and xxxvii. 6. [958] Commentators are not agreed about these sums, the text varyingboth in the manuscripts and editions. [959] See Dr. Thomson's remarks on Persius, before, p. 398. [960] There is no appearance of any want of finish in the sixth Satire ofPersius, as it has come down to us; but it has been conjectured that itwas followed by another, which was left imperfect. [961] There were two Arrias, mother and daughter, Tacit. Annal. Xvi. 34. 3. [962] Persius died about nine days before he completed his twenty-ninthyear. [963] Venusium stood on the confines of the Apulian, Lucanian, andSamnite territories. Sequor hunc, Lucanus an Appulus anceps; Nam Venusinus arat finem sub utrumque colonus. Hor Sat. Xi. 1. 34. [964] Sat. I. 6. 45. [965] Horace mentions his being in this battle, and does not scruple toadmit that he made rather a precipitate retreat, "relicta non beneparmula. "--Ode xi. 7-9. [966] See Ode xi. 7. 1. [967] The editors of Suetonius give different versions of this epigram. It seems to allude to some passing occurrence, and in its present formthe sense is to this effect: "If I love you not, Horace, to my veryheart's core, may you see the priest of the college of Titus leaner thanhis mule. " [968] Probably the Septimius to whom Horace addressed the ode beginning Septimi, Gades aditure mecum. --Ode xl. B. I. [969] See AUGUSTUS, c. Xxi. ; and Horace, Ode iv, 4. [970] See Epist. I. Iv. Xv. Me pinguem et nitidum bene curata cute vises. [971] It is satisfactory to find that the best commentators consider thewords between brackets as an interpolation in the work of Suetonius. Some, including Bentley, reject the preceding sentence also. [972] The works of Horace abound with references to his Sabine farmwhich must be familiar to many readers. Some remains are still shewn, consisting of a ruined wall and a tesselated pavement in a vineyard, about eight miles from Tivoli, which are supposed, with reason, to markits site. At least, the features of the neighbouring country, as oftensketched by the poet--and they are very beautiful--cannot be mistaken. [973] Aurelius Cotta and L. Manlius Torquatus were consuls A. U. C. 688. The genial Horace, in speaking of his old wine, agrees with Suetonius infixing the date of his own birth: O nata mecum consule Manlio Testa. --Ode iii. 21. And again, Tu vina, Torquato, move Consule pressa meo. --Epod. Xiii. 8. [974] A. U. C. 745. So that Horace was in his fifty-seventh, not hisfifty-ninth year, at the time of his death. [975] It may be concluded that Horace died at Rome, under the hospitableroof of his patron Mecaenas, whose villa and gardens stood on theEsquiline hill; which had formerly been the burial ground of the lowerclasses; but, as he tells us, Nunc licet Esquiliis habitare salubribus, atque Aggere in aprico spatiare. --Sat. I. 8. [976] Cordova. Lucan was the son of Annaeus Mella, Seneca's brother. [977] This sentence is very obscure, and Ernesti considers the text tobe imperfect. [978] They had good reason to know that, ridiculous as the tyrant madehimself, it was not safe to incur even the suspicion of being parties toa jest upon him. [979] See NERO, c. Xxxvi. [980] St. Jerom (Chron. Euseb. ) places Lucan's death in the tenth yearof Nero's reign, corresponding with A. U. C. 817. This opportunity istaken of correcting an error in the press, p. 342, respecting the date ofNero's accession. It should be A. U. C. 807, A. D. 55. [981] These circumstances are not mentioned by some other writers. SeeDr. Thomson's account of Lucan, before, p. 347, where it is said that hedied with philosophical firmness. [982] We find it stated ib. P. 396, that Lucan expired while pronouncingsome verses from his own Pharsalia: for which we have the authority ofTacitus, Annal. Xv. 20. 1. Lucan, it appears, employed his last hours inrevising his poems; on the contrary, Virgil, we are told, when his deathwas imminent, renewed his directions that the Aeneid should be committedto the flames. [983] The text of the concluding sentence of Lucan's life is corrupt, and neither of the modes proposed for correcting it make the senseintended very clear. [984] Although this brief memoir of Pliny is inserted in all theeditions of Suetonius, it was unquestionably not written by him. Theauthor, whoever he was, has confounded the two Plinys, the uncle andnephew, into which error Suetonius could not have fallen, as he lived onintimate terms with the younger Pliny; nor can it be supposed that hewould have composed the memoir of his illustrious friend in so cursory amanner. Scaliger and other learned men consider that the life of Pliny, attributed to Suetonius, was composed more than four centuries after thathistorian's death. [985] See JULIUS, c. Xxviii. Caius Plinius Caecilius Secundus (theyounger Pliny) was born at Como, A. U. C. 814; A. D. 62. His father's namewas Lucius Caecilius, also of Como, who married Plinia, the sister ofCaius Plinius Secundus, supposed to have been a native of Verona, theauthor of the Natural History, and by this marriage the uncle of Plinythe Younger. It was the nephew who enjoyed the confidence of theemperors Nerva and Trajan, and was the author of the celebrated Letters. [986] The first eruption of Mount Vesuvius occurred A. U. C. 831, A. D. 79. See TITUS, c. Viii. The younger Pliny was with his uncle at Misenum atthe time, and has left an account of his disastrous enterprise in one ofhis letters, Epist. Vi. Xvi. [987] For further accounts of the elder Pliny, see the Epistles ofhis nephew, B. Iii. 5; vi. 16. 20; and Dr. Thomson's remarks before, pp. 475-478.