ublilio palmam et Laberio anulum aureum cum quingentis
sestertiis dedit.'

We have forty-three titles of mimes by Laberius, and about one hundred
and fifty lines of fragments. From the above we see that Laberius
criticized contemporary society with great vigour. Other features are

(_a_) His invention of words.

Gell. xvi. 7, 1, 'Laberius in mimis, quos scriptitavit, oppido quam
verba finxit praelicenter.' Examples are _manuatus est_ for _furatus
est_; _abluvium_ for _diluvium_.

(_b_) His use of plebeian expressions.

Gell. xix. 13, 3, 'quae a Laberio ignobilia nimis et sordentia in usum
linguae Latinae intromissa sunt.'

(_c_) His references to philosophy.

Cf. l. 17,

'nec Pythagoream dogmam doctus';

l. 72,

'Democritus Abderites physicus philosophus,' etc.

For views on Laberius cf. Hor. _Sat._ i, 10, 5,

'Nam sic
et Laberi mimos ut pulchra poemata mirer.'

Cic. _ad Fam._ xii. 18, 2 (written B.C. 46), 'Equidem sic iam obdurui
ut ludis Caesaris nostri animo aequissimo viderem T. Plancum, audirem
Laberi et Publili poemata.'

Contemporaries of Laberius were the satirist Abuccius, and Egnatius,
who wrote a didactic poem _de rerum natura_.

M. FURIUS BIBACULUS.

According to Jerome, Bibaculus was born B.C. 103, but, as he laughs at
the old age of the grammarian Orbilius (114-c. 17 B.C.), authorities
put the date twenty years later.

Jerome yr. Abr. 1914, 'M. Furius poeta cognomento Bibaculus Cremonae
nascitur.'

Sueton. _Gramm._ 9, '[Orbilius] vixit prope ad centesimum aetatis
annum, amissa iam pridem memoria, ut versus Bibaculi docet,

"Orbilius ubinam est, litterarum oblivio?"'

Bibaculus wrote poems against the monarchical party; these are
referred to as _iambi_ by Quintilian, x. 1, 96.

Tac. _Ann._ iv. 34, 'Carmina Bibaculi et Catulli referta contumeliis
Caesarum leguntur: sed ipse divus Iulius, ipse divus Augustus et
tulere ista et reliquere.'

Two epics, _Aethiopis_ and _Bellum Gallicum_ (on Iulius Caesar's
exploits), are probably referred to by Hor. _Sat._ i. 10, 36,

'Turgidus Alpinus iugulat dum Memnona, dumque
diffingit Rheni luteum caput.'

Acron _ad loc._, 'Bibaculum quemdam poetam Gallum tangit.'

Cf. Hor. _Sat._ ii. 5, 40,

'Seu pingui tentus omaso
Furius hibernas cana nive conspuet Alpes.'

Acron _ad loc._, 'Furius Bibaculus in pragmatia belli Gallici:
Iuppiter hibernas,' etc.

It is probably from this epic that Macrob. _Satur