Roman Literature from the Earliest Period to the Death of Marcus Aurelius
1. FROM LIVIUS ANDRONICUS TO SULLA (240-80 B.C.)
a. The Beginnings of Roman Literature
i. The Latin character
1. Romans a practical people
2. Their religion unromantic
3. Primitive culture of Latium
ii. Germs of drama and epos
1. No early historians
2. Early speeches
3. Ballad literature
4. No early Roman epos
iii. Poets despised
1. "Fescenninae"
2. "Saturae"
3. "Mime" or "Planipes"
4. "Atellanae"-Saturnian metre
iv. Early interest in politics and law as giving the germs of oratory and jurisprudence.
b. The Introduction of Greek Literature: Livius and Naevius (240-204 B.C.)
i. Introduction of Greek literature to Rome
ii. Its first translators
iii. Livius Andronicus
iv. His translation of the "Odyssey", Tragedies, &c.
v. Cn. Naevius
vi. Inventor of "Praetextae"
vii. Style
viii. A politician
ix. Writer of the first national epic poem
x. His exile and death
xi. Cicero's opinion of him
xii. His epitaph.
c. Roman Comedy: Plautus to Turpilius (254-103 B.C.)
i. The Roman theatre
ii. Plan of construction
iii. Comedy
iv. Related to Athenian Middle and New Comedy
v. Plautus
vi. His plays
vii. Their plots and style
viii. "Palliatae" and "Togatae"
ix. His metres
x. Caecilius
xi. Admires Terence
xii. Terence
xiii. His intimate friends
xiv. His style
xv. Use of "contamination"
xvi. Lesser comedians.
d. Roman Tragedy: Ennius - Accius (233-94 B.C.)
i. Contrast between Greek and Roman tragedy
ii. Oratorical form of Latin tragedy
iii. Ennius
iv. The father of Roman poetry
v. His "humamitas"
vi. Relations with Scipio
vii. A follower of Pythagoras
viii. His tragedies
ix. Pacuvius
x. Painter and tragedian
xi. Cicero's criticism of his "Niptra"
xii. His epitaph
xiii. L. Accius
xiv. The last tragic writer
xv. A reformer of spelling.
e. Epic Poetry: Ennius - Furius (200-100 B.C.)
i. Naevius and Ennius
ii. Olympic deities and heroes of Roman story
iii. Hexameter of Ennius
iv. Its treatment
v. Matius
vi. Hostius
vii. Furius.
f. The Early History of Satire: Ennius to Lucilius (200-103 B.C.)
i. Roman satire a native growth
ii. Origin of word "Saturae"
iii. It is didactic
iv. Not necessarily poetical in form
v. Ennius
vi. Pacuvius
vii. Lucilius
viii. The objects of his attack
ix. His popularity
x. His humility
xi. His style and language.
g. The Minor Departments of Poetry: The Atellanae (Pomponius and Novius, circ. 90 B.C.) and the Epigram (Ennius Callus, 100 B. C.)
i. "Atellanae"
ii. Oscan in origin
iii. Novius
iv. Pomponius
v. Mummius
vi. Epigrammatists
vii. Catulus
viii. Porcius Licinius
ix. Pompilius
x. Valerius Aedituus.
h. Prose Literature: History, Fabius Pictor Macer (210-80 B.C.)
i. Early records
ii. "Annales, Libri Lintei, Commentarii", &c.
iii. Narrow view of history
iv. Fabius
v. Cincius Alimentus
vi. Cato
1. Creator of Latin prose
2. His orations
3. His "Origines"
4. His treatise on agriculture
5. His miscellaneous writings
6. "Catonis dicta"
vii. Calpurnius Piso
viii. Sempronius Asellio
ix. Claudius Quadrigarius Valerius Antias
x. Licinius Macer.
i. The History of Oratory before Cicero
i. Comparison of English, Greek, and Roman oratory
ii. Appius-Cornelius Cethegus
iii. Cato
iv. Laelius
v. The younger Scipio
vi. Galba
vii. Carbo
viii. The Gracchi
ix. Self-praise of ancient orators
x. Aemilius Scaurus
xi. Rutilius
xii. Catulus
xiii. A violent death often the fate of a Roman orator
xiv. M. Antonius
xv. Crassus
xvi. The Roman law-courts
xvii. Bribery and corruption prevalent in them
xviii. Feelings and prejudices appealed to
xix. Cotta and Sulpicius
xx. Carbo the younger
xxi. Hortensius
xxii. His friendship for Cicero
xxiii. Asiatic and Attic styles.
j. Other kinds of Prose Literature: Grammar, Rhetoric, and Philosophy (147-63 B.C.)
i. Legal writers
ii. P. Mucius Scaevola
iii. Q. Mucius Scaevola
iv. Rhetoric
v. Plotius Gallus
vi. Cornificius
vii. Grammatical science
viii. Aelius Stilo
ix. Philosophy
x. Amafinius
xi. Rabirius
xii. Relation of philosophy to religion.
2. THE GOLDEN AGE: FROM THE CONSUL OF CICERO TO THE DEATH OF AUGUSTUS (63 B.C.-l4 A.D.)
a. THE REPUBLICAN PERIOD
i. The two Divisions of this culminating period
ii. Classical authors
iii. Varro
1. His life, his character, his encyclopaedic mind
2. His "Menippean Satires"
3. "Logistorici"-"Antiquities Divine and Human"
4. "Imagines"
5. "De Lingua Latina"
6. "De Re Rustica".
iv. "Oratory and Philosophy: Cicero" (106-43 B.C.)
1. His life
a. "Pro Roscio"
b. "In Verrem"
c. "Pro Cluentio"
d. "Pro lege Manilia"
e. "Pro Rabirio"
f. Cicero and Clodius
2. His exile
a. "Pro Milone"
3. His "Philippics"
4. Criticism of his oratory
5. Analysis of "Pro Milone"
6. His Philosophy, moral and political
a. On the existence of God and the human soul
b. His philosophical works
c. His rhetorical works
d. His letters
7. His contemporaries and successors.
v. "Historical and Biographical Composition
1. Roman view of history
2. Caesar's "Commentaries"
a. Trustworthiness of his statements
3. His style
a. Caesar's oratorical and scientific position
b.
4. Other writers of commentaries
a. A. Hirtius
b. Cornelius Nepos
c. C. Sallustius Crispus
d. Tubero
vi. "The History of Poetry to the Close of the Republic: Rise of Alexandrinism, Lucretius, & Catullus."
1. The Drama
a. J. Caesar Strabo
b. The "Mimae"
c. D. Laberius
d. Publilius Syrus
e. Matius
f. Pantomimi
g. Actors
2. The poetry of Cicero and Caesar
3. Alexandria and its writers
a. Aratus
b. Callimachus
c. Apollonius Rhodius
d. Euphorion
e. Lucretius
i. His philosophical opinions and style
f. Bibaculus
g. Varro Atacinus
h. Calvus
i. Catullus
j. Lesbia.
b. THE AUGUSTAN EPOCH (42 B.C.-l4 A.D.)
i. "General Characteristics."
1. Common features of the Augustan authors
2. Augustus's relation to them
3. Maecenas
4. The Apotheosis of the emperor
5. Rhetoricians not orators
6. Historians
7. Jurists
8. Poets
a. Messala
b. Varius
c. Anser
d. Macer.
ii. "Virgil" (70-19 B.C.)
1. His earliest verses
2. His life and character
3. The minor poems
4. The "Eclogues"
5. The "Georgics"
6. Virgil's love of Nature
7. His aptitude for epic poetry
8. The scope of the "Aeneid"
9. The "Aeneid" as a religious poem
10. Its relation to preceding poetry
iii. "Horace" (65-8 B.C.).
1. His life
2. The dates of his works
3. Two aspects: a lyric poet and a man of the world
4. His "Odes" and "Epodes"
5. His patriotic odes
6. Excellences of the odes
7. The "Satires" and "Epistles"
8. Horace as a moralist
9. The "Ars Poetica"
10. Horace's literary criticism
11. Lesser poets.
iv. "The Elegiac Poets"
1. Roman elegy
a. Cornelius Callus
b. Domitius Marsus
c. Tibullus
d. Propertius
e. Ovid
i. His life
ii. "The Art of Love"
iii. His exile
iv. Doubtful and spurious poems
f. Lesser erotic and epic poets
i. Gratius
ii. Manilius.
v. "Prose Writers of the Augustan Age."
1. Oratory Neglected
2. Declamation takes its place
a. Porcius Latro
b. Annaeus Seneca
3. History
a. Livy
i. Opportune appearance of his work
ii. Criticism of his method
b. Pompeius Trogus
c. Vitruvius
4. Grammarians
a. Fenestella
b. Verrius Flaccus
c. Hyginus
5. Law and philosophy
3. THE DECLINE: FROM THE ACCESSION OF TIBERIUS TO THE DEATH OF M. AURELIUS, A.D. 14-180.
a. The Age of Tiberius (14-37 A.D.)
i. Sudden collapse of letters
1. Cause of this
2. Tiberius
ii. Changed position of literature
1. Vellius Paterculus
2. Valerius Maximus
3. Celsus
4. Remmius Palaemon
5. Germanicus
6. Phaedrus
7. Pomponius Secundus the tragedian.
b. The Reigns of Caligula, Claudius, and Nero (37-68 A.D.)
i. Poetry
1. The Neronian period an epoch
2. Peculiar characteristics of its writers
3. Literary pretensions of Caligula
4. of Claudius
5. of Nero
6. Poem on Calpurnius Piso
7. Relation of philosophy to life
8. Cornutus
9. Persius
10. Lucan
11. Criticism of the "Pharsalia"
12. Eclogues of Calpurnius
13. The poem on Etna
14. Tragedies of Seneca
15. The "apokolokuntosis".
ii. Prose
1. Seneca
a. His importance
b. Life and writings
c. Influence of his exile
d. Relations with Nero
e. His death
f. Is he a Stoic?
g. Gradual convergence of the different schools of thought
h. Seneca a "teacher" more than anything else
i. His conception of philosophy
j. Supposed connection with Christianity
k. Estimate of his character and style.
2. Other Writers
a. Domitius Corbulo
b. Quintus Curtius
c. Columella
d. Pomponius Mela
e. Valerius Protius
f. Petronius Arbiter
i. Account of his extant fragments.
c. The Reigns of the Flavian Emperors (69-96 A.D.)
i. Prose
1. A new literary epoch marked by common characteristics
2. Decay of national genius
3. Pliny the elder
4. Account of his death translated from the younger Pliny
5. His studious habits
6. The "Natural History"
7. Its character and value
8. Quintilian
9. Account of his book "de Institutione Oratoria"
10. Frontinus
11. A valuable and accurate writer
12. Grammatical studies.
ii. Poetry
1. Reduced scope of poetry
2. Poetry the most dependent on external conditions of any form of written literature
a. Valerius Flaccus
b. Silius
i. His death as described by Pliny
ii. His poem
c. The elder Statius
d. Statius
i. An extempore poet
ii. His public recitations
iii. The "Silvae"
iv. The "Thebaid" and "Achilleid"
v. His similes
vi. Arruntius Stella
vii. Martial
viii. His death as recounted by Pliny
ix. The epigram
e. Other poets.
d. The Reigns of Nerva and Trajan (96-117 A.D.)
i. Pliny the younger
1. His oratory
2. His correspondence
3. Letter to Trajan
ii. Velius Longus
iii. Hyginus
iv. Balbus
v. Flaccus
vi. Juvenal
1. His life
2. A finished declaimer
3. His character
4. His political views
5. Style
vii. Tacitus
1. Dialogue on eloquence
2. "Agricola"
3. "Germania"
4. "Histories"
5. “Annals"
6. Intended work on Augustus's reign
7. Style.
e. The Reigns of Hadrian and the Antonines (117-180 A.D.)
i. Era of African Latinity
1. Differs from the Silver Age
ii. Hadrian's poetry
iii. Suetonius
1. His life
2. List of writings
3. Lives of the Caesars
4. His account of Nero's death
iv. Florus
v. Salvius Julianus and Sextus Pomponius
vi. Fronto
1. His relations with Aurelius
2. List of his works
vii. Gellius
viii. Gaius
1. Poems of the period
2. "Pervigilium Veneris"
ix. Apuleius
1. "De Magia"
2. "Metamorphoses" or Golden Ass
3. Cupid and Psyche
4. His philosophical works.
f. State of Philosophical and Religious Thought during the Period of the Antonines Conclusion
i. Greek eloquence revives in the Sophists
ii. Itinerant rhetors
iii. Cynic preachers of virtue
iv. The better class of popular philosophers
v. Dio Chrysostom
vi. Union of philosophy and rhetoric
vii. Greek now the language of general literature
viii. Reconciliation of philosophy with religion
ix. The Platonist school
x. Apuleius
xi. Doctrine of daemons
xii. Decline of thought
xiii. General review of the main features of Roman literature-Conclusion.



CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF ROMAN LITERATURE: FROM LIVIUS TO THE DEATH OF M. AURELIUS
B.C.
240 Livius begins to exhibit.
239 Ennius born.
235 Naevius begins to exhibit.
234 Cato born.
225 Fabius Pictor served in the Gallic War.
219 Pacuvius born.
218 Cincius Alimentus described the passage of Hannibal into Italy.
217 Cato begins to be known.
216 Fabius Pictor sent as ambassador to Delphi.
207 The poem on the victory of Sena entrusted to Livius.
204 Cato quaestor; brings Ennius to Rome.
201 Naevius dies (?).
191 Cato military tribune.
190 Cincius still writes.
189 Ennius goes with Fulvius into Aetolia.
185 Terence born. [2]
184 Cato censor. Plautus dies.
179 Caecilius flourished.
173 Ennius wrote the twelfth book of the "Annals".
170 Accius born.
169 Ennius dies. Cato's speech "pro lege Voconia".
168 Caecilius dies.
166 Terence's "Andria".
165 Terence's "Hecyra".
163 Terence's "Hautontimorumenos".
161 Terence's "Eunuchus" and "Phormio".
160 Terence's "Adelphoe".
159 Terence dies.
154 Pacuvius flourished.
151 Albinus, the consul, writes history (Gell. xi. 8).
150 Cato finishes the "Origines".
149 Cato, aged 85, accuses Galba. Dies in the same year. C. Calpurnius Piso Frugi, the historian.
148 Lucilius born.
146 Cassius Hemina flourished. C. Fannius, the historian, serves at Carthage.
142 Antonius, the orator, born.
140 Crassus, the orator, born. Accius, aged 30, Pacuvius, aged 80, exhibit together.
134 Sempronius Asellio served at Numantia. Lucilius begins to write.
123 Caelius Antipater flourished.
119 Crassus accuses Carbo.
116 Varro born.
115 Hortensius born.
111 Crassus and Scaevola quaestors.
109 Atticus born.
107 Crassus tribune.
106 Cicero born.
103 The Tereus of Accius. Death of Turpilius.
102 Furius Bibaculus born at Cremona.
100 Aelius Stilo.
98 Antonius defends Aquillius.
95 First public appearance of Hortensius. Lucretius born (?).
92 Crassus censor. Opilius teaches rhetoric.
91 Crassus dies. Pomponius flourished.
90 Scaurus flourished.
89 Cicero serves under the consul Pompeius.
88 Cicero hears Philo and Molo at Rome. Rutilius resident at Mitylene.
Plotius Gallus first Latin teacher of Rhetoric.
87 Antonius slain. Sisenna the historian. Catullus born (?).
86 Sallust born.
82 Varro of Atax born. Calvus born.
81 Cicero "pro Quinctio". Valerius Cato Grammaticus. Otacilius, first freedman who attempts history.
80 "Pro Roscio."
79 Cicero at Athens; hears Antiochus and Zeno.
78 Cicero hears Molo at Rhodes.
77 Cicero returns to Rome.
76 Asinius Pollio born (?).
75 Cicero quaestor in Sicily.
74 Cicero again in Rome.
70 "Divinatio" and "Actio I. in Verrem". Virgil born.
69 Cicero aedile.
67 Varro wins a naval crown under Pompey in the Piratic War (Plin. "N. H." xvi. 4).
66 Cicero praetor. "Pro lege Manilia. Pro Cluentio." M. Antonius Gnipho flourished.
65 "Pro Cornelia." Horace born.
64 "In toga candida."
63 Consular orations of Cicero. "Pro Murena."
62 "Pro P. Sulla."
61 Annaeus Seneca born.
59 Livy born(?). Aelius Tubero with Cicero in Asia. "Pro A. Thermo. Pro L. Flacco."
58 Cicero goes into exile.
57 Cicero recalled. Calidius a good speaker.
56 "Pro Sextio. In Vatinium. De Provinciis Consularibus."
55 "In Calpurnium Pisonem. De Oratore." Virgil assumes the "toga virilis".
54 "Pro Vatinio. Pro Scauro. De Republica."
52 "Pro Milone." Lucretius dies(?).
51 Cicero proconsul in Cilicia.
50 Death of Hortensius. Sallust expelled from the senate.
49 Cicero at Rome. Varro lieutenant of Pompey in Spain.
48 Lenaeus satirizes Sallust. Cicero in Italy.
47 Cicero at Brundisium. Hyginus brought to Rome by Caesar. Catullus still living (C. 52).
46 The "Brutus" written. Calvus dies. Sallust praetor. "Pro
Marcello. Pro Ligario."
45 Cicero's "Orator". "Pro Deiolaro."
44 The first four Philippics. Death of Caesar.
43 The later Philippics. Death of Cicero. Birth of Ovid.
42 Horace at Philippi.
40 Cornelius Nepos flourished. Perhaps Hor. Sat. i. 2. Epod. xiii.
39 Ateius Philologus born at Athens. Perhaps Virg. Ecl. vi. viii.
Hor. Od. ii. 7. Epod iv.
38 Perhaps Ecl. vii. Hor. Sat. i. 3.
37 Varro (aet. 80) writes "de Re Rustica." Perh. Ecl. x. Sat. i. 5 and 6. Epod. v.
36 Cornelius Severus(?) Hor. Sat. i. 8,
35 Bavius dies. Hor. Sat. i. 4, 9, 10.
34 Sallust dies. Sat. ii. 2. Epod. iii.
33 Sat. ii. 3. Epod. xi. xiv.
32 Atticus dies. Sat. ii. 4, 5. Epod. vii.
31 Messala consul. Sat. ii. 6. Epod. i. and ix.
30 Gallus made praefect of Egypt. Cassius Severus dies. Tibullus El. i.
3. The "Georgics" published. Hor. Sat. ii. 7, 8, and perhaps 1,
Epod ii.
29 Livy writing his first book. Propertius I. 6.
28 Varro dies.
27 Od. i. 35. Vitruvius writing his work.
26 Gallus dies (aet. 40). Second book of Propertius published 25 Livy's first book completed before here. Hor. Od. ii. 4.
24 Quintil. Varus dies (= the poet of Cremona, mentioned in the ninth Eclogue [?]).
23 The first three books of the Odes published.
22 Marcellus dies. Virgil reads the sixth Aeneid to Augustus and Livia. Third book of Propertius (?).
21 Hor. writes Ep. i. 20 (aet. 44).
20 First book of Epistles.
19 Virgil dies at Brundisium. His epitaph:
"Mantua me genuit: Calabri rapuere: tenet nunc
Parthenope: cecini pascua rura duces."
Tibullus dies. Domitius Marsus writes.
18 Livy working at his fifty-ninth book.
17 Porcius Latro. The "Carmen Saeculare". Varius and Tucca edit the Aeneid.
16 Aemilius Macer of Verona dies. Od. iv. 9, to Lollius.
15 Death of Propertius. Victories of Drusus. Od. iv. 4.
14 The fourth book of the Odes(?).
13 Cestius of Smyrna teaches rhetoric.
12 Death of Agrippa.
11 The Epistle to Augustus (Ep. ii. 1).
10 Passienus and Hyginus Polyhistor.
9 Ovid's "Amores".
8 Death of Horace.
7 Birth of Seneca (?).
6 Albucius Silo a professor of rhetoric.
5 Tiro, Cicero's freedman, dies (aet. 100).
4 Porcius Latro commits suicide. Ovid now in his fortieth year.
2 Ovid's "Art of Love".
A.D.
1 The "Remedium Amoris".
2 Velleius Paterculus serves under C. Caesar.
4 Pollio dies. Velleius serves with Tiberius in Germany.
7 Velleius quaestor.
8 Verrius Flaccus, the grammarian, flourished. Ovid banished to Tomi, in December (Tr. 1, 10, 3).
"Aut hanc me gelidi tremerem cum mense Decembris
Scribentem mediis Adria vidita quis."
9 The "Ibis" of Ovid.
11 Death of Messala. [6]
12 The "Tristia" finished.
13 The Epistles from Pontus were being written.
14 Death of Augustus. Velleius praetor.
18 Death of Ovid at 60; of Livy at 76. Valerius Maximus accompanied Sex.
Pompeius to Asia.
19 The elder Seneca writes his "recollections."
24 Cassius Severus in exile. Pliny the elder born (?).
25 Death of Cremutius Cordus. Votienus banished.
26 Haterius flourished.
30 Asinius Gallus imprisoned.
31 Valerius Maximus wrote ix. 11, 4 ("extern."), soon after the death of Sejanus.
33 Death of Cassius Severus the orator. His works proscribed. Death of Asinius Gallus.
34 Persius born.
40 Lucan brought to Rome.
41 Seneca's "de Ira". Exile of Seneca at the close of this year.
42 Asconius Pedianus flourished.
43 Martial born.
45 Domitius Afer flourished.
48 Remmius Palaemon in vogue as a grammarian.
49 Seneca recalled from exile, and made Nero's tutor.
56 Seneca's "de Clementia".
57 Probus Berytius a celebrated grammarian.
59 Death of Domitius Afer.
61 Pliny the younger born (?).
62 Death of Persius. Seneca in danger, Burrus being dead.
63 The "Naturales Quaestiones" of Seneca.
65 Death of Seneca ("Ann." xv. 60).
66 Martial comes to Rome.
68 Quintilian accompanies Galba to Rome. Silius Italicus consul.
69 Silius in Rome.
75 The dialogue "de Oratoribus", written (C. 17).
77 Pliny's "Natural History". Gabinianus, the rhetorician,
flourished.
79 Death of the elder Pliny.
80 Pliny the younger begins to plead.
88 Suetonius now a young man, Tacitus praetor.
89 Quintilian teaches at Rome. His professional career extends over 20 years.
90 Philosophers banished. Pliny praetor. "Sulpiciae Satira" (if
genuine).
95 Statii Silv. iv. 1. The "Thebaid" was nearly finished.
96 Pliny's accusation of Publicius Certus.
97 Frontinus curator aquarum. Tacitus consul suffectus.
98 Trajan.
99 The tenth book of Martial. Silius at Naples.
100 Pliny and Tacitus accuse Marius Priscus. Pliny's panegyric.
103 Pliny at his province of Bithynia.
104 His letter about the Christians. Martial goes to Bilbilis.
109 Pliny (aet. 48) at the zenith of his fame.
118 Juvenal wrote Satire xiii. this year.
132 Salvius Julianus's Perpetual Edict.
138 Death of Hadrian.
143 Fronto consul suffectus.
164 Height of Fronto's fame.
166 Fronto proposes to describe the Parthian war.
180 Death of Marcus Aurelius.