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. Saturn. vi. 1, 31-4, quotes passages imitated by Virgil. So, ‘Furius in primo annali “Interea Oceani linquens Aurora cubile.”’ (Cf. Virg. Aen. iv. 585.)
Bibaculus also wrote a prose work Lucubrationes. (Pliny N.H. xxiv. praef.)