Chapter 18

expressions. Thus _Ann._ l. 452 (above quoted), becomes, in Verg. _Aen._ ix. 503,

'At tuba terribilem sonitum procul aere sonoro increpuit';

_Ann._ l. 464,

'irarumque effunde quadrigas'

becomes in Verg. _Aen._ xii. 499,

'irarumque omnes effundit habenas.'

_Views on Ennius._--A very few of these may be quoted. Lucr. i. 117-9,

'Ennius ut noster cecinit qui primus amoeno detulit ex Helicone perenni fronde coronam, per gentes Italas hominum quae clara clueret.'

Cic. _Opt. Gen. Or._ 2, 'Licet dicere Ennium summum epicum poetam, si cui ita videtur.' Hor. _Ep._ ii. 1, 50,

'Ennius et sapiens et fortis et alter Homerus, ut critici dicunt, leviter curare videtur quo promissa cadant et somnia Pythagorea.'

Propert. v. 1, 61,

'Ennius hirsuta cingat sua dicta corona.'

Quint. x. 1, 88, 'Ennium sicut sacros vetustate lucos adoremus, in quibus grandia et antiqua robora iam non tantam habent speciem quantam religionem.'

PACUVIUS.

(1) LIFE.

M. Pacuvius, the son (not grandson as Jerome states) of Ennius' sister, was born at Brundisium, B.C. 220, spent most of his life at Rome, and died at Tarentum shortly before B.C. 130. He was a painter as well as a poet.

Jerome yr. Abr. 1863 = B.C. 154, 'Pacuvius Brundusinus tragoediarum scriptor clarus habetur, Ennii poetae ex filia nepos, vixitque Romae quoad picturam exercuit ac fabulas venditavit, deinde Tarentum transgressus prope nonagenarius diem obiit.'

Pliny, _N.H._ xxxv. 19, 'Celebrata est in foro boario, aede Herculis, Pacuvii poetae pictura. Ennii sorore genitus hic fuit, clarioremque eam artem Romae fecit gloria scaenae.'

Cic. _Brut._ 229, 'Accius isdem aedilibus ait se et Pacuvium docuisse fabulam, cum ille octoginta, ipse triginta annos natus esset.'

As Accius was born B.C. 170, Cicero's words imply that Pacuvius was born B.C. 220, and produced plays as late as B.C. 140, while from Jerome we may conclude that he died shortly before B.C. 130. That Pacuvius was taught by his uncle Ennius is shown by Varro, _Sat. Menipp._ 356 (Bücheler),

'Pacvi[17] discipulus dicor, porro is fuit Enni, Ennius Musarum: Pompilius clueor.'

He was a member of the literary circle of Laelius. Cf. Laelius' words in Cic. _Lael._ 24, 'In hospitis et amici mei M. Pacuvi nova fabula.' In his last years he was intimate with Accius: cf. Gell. xiii. 2, 'Cum Pacuvius, inquiunt, grandi iam aetate et morbo corporis diutino adfectus, Tarentum ex urbe Roma concessisset, Accius tunc, haut parvo iunior, proficiscens in Asiam, cum in oppidum venisset, devertit ad Pacuvium comiterque invitatus plusculisque ab eo diebus retentus, tragoediam suam, cui Atreus nomen est, desideranti legit.'

Gell. i. 24, 4, gives Pacuvius' epitaph, as written by himself, 'Epigramma Pacuvii verecundissimum et purissimum, dignumque eius elegantissima gravitate:

"Adulescens, tam etsi properas, te hoc saxum rogat, ut sese aspicias, deinde quod scriptum est legas. Hic sunt poetae Pacuvi Marci sita ossa. Hoc volebam nescius ne esses. Vale."'

(2) WORKS.

1. _Tragedies._--Titles of twelve are known, and over four hundred lines of fragments are extant. The _Antiopa_, which is the best known, was from Euripides.

Cic. _de Fin._ i. 4, 'Quis enim tam inimicus paene nomini Romano est, qui Enni Medeam aut Antiopam Pacuvi spernat aut reiciat quod se eisdem Euripidis fabulis delectari dicat?'

The _Niptra_ is from Sophocles. Cic. _T.D._ ii. 49, speaking of ll. 256-8 (Ribbeck), says, 'Pacuvius melius quam Sophocles.'

Pacuvius also wrote one praetexta, _Paulus_, doubtless on L. Aemilius Paulus, the victor of Pydna.

2. _Saturae_ (lost).

Sueton. p. 20 R., 'Carmen quod ex variis poematibus constabat satura vocabatur, quale scripserunt Pacuvius et Ennius.'

Pacuvius, like Ennius, shows interest in philosophy, and attacks superstition; l. 93,

'Mater est terra: ea parit corpus, animam aeter adiugat';

ll. 366-75; cf. l. 372,

'Sunt autem alii philosophi, qui contra fortunam negant esse ullam, sed temeritate res regi omnis autumant';