LUCILIUS.
(1) LIFE.
C. Lucilius’ dates are given by Jerome as B.C. 148-103.
yr. Abr. 1869 = B.C. 148, ‘Lucilius poeta nascitur.’
yr. Abr. 1914 = 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 componere carmina morem,
detrahere et pellem, nitidus qua quisque per ora
cederet, introrsum turpis, num Laelius et qui
duxit ab oppressa meritum Carthagine nomen
ingenio offensi aut laeso doluere Metello
famosisque Lupo cooperto versibus? atqui
primores populi arripuit populumque tributim,
scilicet uni aequus virtuti atque eius amicis.’
Lucil. lib. incert., ll. 63-4, quoted by Cic. N.D. i. 64,
‘“Tubulus si Lucius umquam,
si Lupus aut Carbo, Neptuni filius,”
ut ait Lucilius, putasset esse deos, tam periurus aut tam impurus fuisset?’
Pers. 1, 114,
‘Secuit Lucilius urbem,
te Lupe, te Muci, et genuinum fregit in illis.’
Juv. 1, 165,
‘Ense velut stricto quotiens Lucilius ardens
infremuit, rubet auditor cui frigida mens est
criminibus, tacita sudant praecordia culpa.’
The Saturae.—There were thirty Books altogether, by whom arranged is unknown. Fragments are extant from all the Books, except xxi. and xxiv. (and possibly xxiii. and xxv.). Books i.-xx. and xxx. were in hexameters; xxii. in elegiacs; xxvi.-xxvii. in trochaic septenarii; and the next two in trochaic septenarii, iambic senarii, and hexameters. Books xxvi.-xxix. were published first, then Book xxx. In Book xxvi. Lucilius states his views of life, his poetic principles, what led him to write satire, etc. Cf. l. 3,
‘Nunc itidem populum aucupamur istis cum scriptoribus.’
Lines 7-20 contain a conversation between Lucilius and a friend who wishes him to engage in public life. Cf. ll. 16-7,
‘Publicanu’ vero ut Asiae fiam scripturarius
pro Lucilio, id ego nolo, et uno hoc non muto omnia.’
Two divisions of the work may be recognized—(i) Books i.-xxi. (to which xxii.-xxv. may be an addition) in hexameters; these Books are referred to as one collection by Varro, L.L. v. 17. (2) Books xxvi.-xxx. in various metres.
Dates of Composition.—Hor. Sat. ii. 1, 62-70 (quoted above), shows that Lucilius attacked Lupus and Metellus while Scipio and Laelius were still alive, i.e. not after B.C. 129; xxvi., ll. 88-9, in which Lucilius sneers at marriage,
‘Homines ipsi hanc sibi molestiam ultro atque aerumnam offerunt.
Ducunt uxores, producunt, quibus haec faveant, liberos,’
may have special reference to the attempts of Metellus in his censorship (B.C. 131) to encourage it. If this is so, Books xxvi.-xxx. were composed about B.C. 131-129. Book i. was composed after the death of Carneades in B.C. 129 (cf. l. 12, ‘nec si Carneaden ipsum Orcu’ remittat’), and probably soon after the death of Lupus, on whom the gods are represented as sitting in judgment.
Serv. ad Aen. x. 104, ‘Totus hic locus de primo Lucili translatus est libro; ubi inducuntur di habere concilium et agere primo de interitu Lupi cuiusdam ducis in re publica, postea sententias dicere.’
In B.C. 126 Lucilius was probably, along with other peregrini, banished under the law of M. Iunius Pennus, trib. pl. in that year. He probably returned in B.C. 124, when the law was repealed by C. Graccus. Bk. xi. was composed after the condemnation of L. Opimius in B.C. 110. Cf. ll. 19-21,
‘Quintus Opimius ille, Iugurtini pater huius,
et formosus homo fuit et famosus, utrumque
primo adulescens, posterius dat rectiu’ sese.’
Subjects of the Satires.—These were very varied. Besides personal satire, we have (1) ethical criticism, as ridicule of philosophers and attacks on luxury.
Lib. incert. ll. 134-5 (imitated by Hor. Sat. i. 3, 132 sqq.; Ep. i. 1, 106-8),
‘Nondum etiam, qui haec omnia habebit,
formonsus, dives, liber, rex solu’ feretur?’
iv. 4-6 (cf. Hor. Sat. ii. 2, 46-8),
‘O Publi, o gurges, Galloni: es homo miser, inquit,
cenasti in vita numquam bene, cum omnia in ista
consumis squilla atque acupensere cum in decimano.’
(2) Travels, as the account of the journey to the Sicilian Strait, imitated by Hor. Sat. i. 5.
(3) Literary criticism. Lucilius jeers at Ennius’ line,
‘Sparsis hastis longis campus splendet et horret,’
according to Servius ad Aen. xi. 601, ‘Est versus Ennianus vituperatus a Lucilio dicente per irrisionem eum debuisse dicere “horret et alget.”’ Euripides is criticised in xxix., frag. 9. Points of orthography and the like are also treated of, cf. ix. 11,
‘Iam puerei venere. E postremum facito atque i,
ut pueri plures fiant. I si faci’ solum,
pupilli, pueri, Lucili hoc uniu’ fiet.’[23]
Some other points may be noted:
(1) He addresses a large circle of readers, xxix. 99,
‘Persium non curo legere: Laelium Decumum volo.’
Cf. Cic. de Or. ii. 25, ‘Hic [Persius] fuit enim, ut noramus,
omnium fere nostrorum hominum doctissimus: “Laelium
Decimum volo,” quem cognovimus virum bonum et non
inlitteratum sed nihil ad Persium.’
(2) For his self-esteem of. xxvi. 16, (quoted above). So xxx. 1,
‘Quoi sua conmittunt mortali claustra Camenae.’
(3) He often mixes Greek words with Latin. Cf. v. 12,
‘Hoc nolueris et debueris te
si minu’ delectat, quod τεχνίον Eisocratiumst
ληρῶδεςque totum ac συμμειρακιῶδες,
non operam perdo.’
(4) For his carelessness as to style of. Hor. Sat. i. 4, 9,
‘In hora saepe ducentos,
ut magnum, versus dictabat, stans pede in uno:
cum flueret lutulentus, erat quod tollere velles;
garrulus atque piger scribendi ferre laborem,
scribendi recte; nam ut multum, nil moror.’
For Lucilius’ influence on other poets, see above; also under ‘Persius,’ [p. 262]. For Horace’s views on Lucilius, see above; also Sat. i. 4; i. 10; ii. 1.
Cf. Quint. x. 1, 93, ‘Satira quidem tota nostra est, in qua primus insignem laudem adeptus Lucilius quosdam ita deditos sibi adhuc habet amatores, ut eum non eiusdem modo operis auctoribus sed omnibus poetis praeferre non dubitent. Ego quantum ab illis tantum ab Horatio dissentio, qui Lucilium “fluere lutulentum” et “esse aliquid, quod tollere possis” putat. Nam eruditio in eo mira et libertas atque inde acerbitas et abundantia salis.’