er 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 (Buecheler),

'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, dignumq