B.C. 103, 'C. Lucilius satirarum scriptor Neapoli
moritur, ac publico funere effertur anno aetatis xlvi.'

If Jerome's notice were correct, Lucilius would have been only
thirteen years old at the time of the Numantine War (B.C. 134) in
which he served.

Velleius ii. 9, 4, 'Celebre et Lucili nomen fuit qui sub P. Africano
Numantino bello eques militaverat.'

It is probable that Jerome has confused the consuls of B.C. 180, A.
Postumius Albinus and C. Calpurnius Piso, with those of B.C. 148, Sp.
Postumius Albinus and L. Calpurnius Piso, and that Lucilius was born
B.C. 180. No reference is found in Lucilius to any event after B.C.
103, so that Jerome may be right in giving that as the year of his
death. In Hor. _Sat._ ii. 1, 34, Lucilius is called _senex_, which
shows that he lived a long life.

Lucilius was born at Suessa in Campania. He was an _eques_, and was
the great-uncle of Pompey. Juv. 1, 19,

'Cur tamen hoc potius libeat decurrere campo,
per quem magnus equos Auruncae flexit alumnus,
si vacat ac placidi rationem admittitis, edam.'

Porphyr. ad Hor. _Sat._ ii. 1, 75, '"infra Lucili censum": Constat
enim Lucilium avonculum maiorem Pompei fuisse: etenim avia Pompei
Lucilii soror fuerat.'

Velleius ii. 29, 2, 'Fuit [Cn. Pompeius] genitus matre Lucilia,
stirpis senatoriae.' This Lucilia was Lucilius' niece, and her father,
Lucilius' brother, was a senator.

Lucilius was very intimate with Africanus the younger and Laelius, and
celebrated them in his works. Hor. _Sat._ ii. 1, 71,

'Quin ubi se a volgo et scaena in secreta remorant
virtus Scipiadae et mitis sapientia Laeli,
nugari cum illo et discincti ludere, donec
decoqueretur olus, soliti.'

Schol. Cruq. _ad loc._, 'Scipio Africanus et Laelius feruntur tam
fuisse familiares et amici Lucilio, ut quodam tempore Laelio circum
lectos triclinii fugienti Lucilius superveniens eum obtorta mappa quasi
feriturus sequeretur.'

Hor. _Sat._ ii. 1, 16,

'Attamen et iustum poteras et scribere fortem,
Scipiadam ut sapiens Lucilius.'

Lucil. _Sat._ xxx. 5 (of Scipio),

'Sicubi ad auris
fama tuam pugnam clarans adlata dicasset.'

Such intimate association could not have existed if Lucilius had been,
as Jerome implies, only nineteen at Scipio's death in B.C. 129.

There are many references to Lucilius' attacks on public men. Cf. Hor.
_Sat._ ii. 1, 62,

'Quid? cum est Lucilius ausus
primus in hunc operis