The Student's Companion to Latin Authors. Thomas Ross Mills
(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’;
ll. 83–5,
‘Nam isti qui linguam avium intellegunt
plusque ex alieno iecore sapiunt quam ex suo,
magis audiendum quam auscultandum censeo.’
For Pacuvius’ stilted expressions, cf. Quint. i. 5, 67, ‘Ceterum etiam ex praepositione et duobus vocabulis dure videtur struxisse Pacuvius
“Nerei repandirostrum, incurvicervicum pecus” ’ (l. 408);
Paulus, l. 5
‘Qua vix caprigeno generi gradilis gressio est.’
Some views on Pacuvius may be referred to:
Cic. de Opt. Gen. Or. 1, ‘Itaque licet dicere et Ennium summum epicum poetam et Pacuvium tragicum et Caecilium fortasse comicum.’
Hor. Ep. ii. 1, 55,
‘Ambigitur quotiens uter utro sit prior, aufert
Pacuvius docti[18] famam senis, Accius alti’;
Mart. xi. 90, 5,
‘Attonitusque legis “terrai frugiferai,”
Accius et quidquid Pacuviusque vomunt.’
Cf. also Gell. vi. 14, 6; Cic. Brut. 258; Or. 36; Quint. x. 1, 97; Persius, 1. 76–8; Tac. Dial. 20.
CAECILIUS STATIUS.
(1) LIFE.
Jerome yr. Abr. 1838 = B.C. 179, ‘Statius Caecilius comoediarum scriptor clarus habetur, natione Insuber Gallus et Ennii primum contubernalis. Quidam Mediolanensem ferunt. Mortuus est anno post mortem Ennii [iii.] et iuxta eum in Ianiculo sepultus.’
iii. is an addition by Ritschl, as we know Caecilius to have been alive in B.C. 166, when Terence’s Andria was performed. Some read iv. The date of his death will then be B.C. 166 or 165. Caecilius probably came to Rome among the Insubrian prisoners of war at some time between B.C. 200 and 194. The year of his birth is unknown; he is never mentioned, like other old writers, such as Plautus and Ennius, as having lived to a great age. If he died B.C. 166, we might suppose that he was born about B.C. 219, as that would make him of military age when the Insubrian war began in B.C. 200. His name as a slave was Statius. His patron is unknown.
Gell. iv. 20, 13, ‘Statius servile nomen fuit … Caecilius quoque ille comoediarum poeta inclutus servus fuit; et propterea nomen habuit “Statius.” Sed postea versum est quasi in cognomentum: appellatusque est Caecilius Statius.’
Elsewhere he is sometimes called merely Caecilius (as Cic. de Or. ii. 40), but never Statius alone.
(2) WORKS.
Caecilius’ works were at first unsuccessful; cf. the actor Ambivius’ words in Ter. Hec. prol. ii. 6–7,
‘In eis quas primum Caecili didici novas,
partim sum earum exactus, partim vix steti.’
Later he examined plays before they were acted, as, e.g. Terence’s Andria in B.C. 166 (see under ‘Terence,’ p. 42). This implies that he occupied a responsible and leading position in the guild of poets.
We have two hundred and ninety lines of fragments, and titles of forty-two comedies, sixteen of which correspond with those of plays by Menander. For Caecilius’ imitation of Menander see Gell. ii. 23. Cf., e.g., ‘Caecilii Plocium legebamus; hautquaquam mihi et qui aderant displicebat … Sed enim postquam in manus Menander venit, a principio statim, di boni, quantum stupere atque frigere quantumque mutare a Menandro Caecilius visus est!’
Among the views on Caecilius are:
Cic. ad Att. vii. 3,