us _Philippics_ against Antony caused his proscription
by the Second Triumvirate, and his murder near his villa at Formiae, in
December, 43.

His chief writings on rhetoric were _De Oratore; Brutus de Claris
Oratoribus;_ and _Orator ad M. Brutum_. Cicero was a lover of
philosophy, and his writings on the subject were numerous. Those most
read are _De Senectute, De Amicitia,_ and _De Officiis_.

Eight hundred and sixty-four of Cicero's letters are extant, and they
furnish an inexhaustible treasure of contemporaneous history.

CAESAR (100-44).

Of CAESAR'S literary works the most important are his _Commentarii_,
containing the history of the first seven years of the Gallic war, and
the history of the civil strife down to the Alexandrine war. The account
of his last year in Gaul was written probably by Aulus Hirtius; that of
the Alexandrine, African, and Spanish wars, by some unknown hand. As an
orator, Caesar ranks next to Cicero.

NEPOS (94-24).

CORNELIUS NEPOS, a native of Northern Italy, was a friend of both
Cicero and Atticus. He was a prolific writer, but only his _De Viris
Illustribus_ is preserved. It shows neither historical accuracy nor good
style.

LUCRETIUS (98-55).

TITUS LUCRETIUS CARUS has left a didactic poem, _De Rerum Natura_. The
tone of the work is sad, and in many places bitter.

CATULLUS (87-47).

GAIUS VALERIUS CATULLUS, of Verona, is the greatest lyric poet of Roman
literature. One hundred and sixteen of his poems are extant.

VIRGIL (70-19).

The great epic Roman poet was VIRGIL. His _Aeneis_, in twelve books,
gives an account of the wanderings and adventures of Aeneas, and his
struggles to found a city in Italy. The poem was not revised when Virgil
died, and it was published contrary to his wishes.

Besides the _Aeneis_, Virgil wrote the _Bucolica_, ten Eclogues imitated
and partially translated from the Greek poet Theocritus. The _Georgica_,
a poem of four books on agriculture in its different branches, is
considered his most finished work, and the most perfect production of
Roman art-poetry. (See page 179.)

HORACE (65-8).

QUINTUS HORATIUS FLACCUS left four books of Odes, one of Epodes, two of
Satires, two of Epistles, and the _Ars Poetica_. (See page 180.)

TIBULLUS (54-29).

ALBIUS TIBULLUS, an elegiac poet, celebrated in exquisitely fine poems
the beauty and cruelty of his mistresses.

PROPERTIUS (49-15).

SEXTUS PROPERTIUS, a native of Umbria, was