CHRONOLOGY OF JUVENAL, PERSIUS, AND SULPICIA.

A.D. 14-138.
OL. A.D.A.U.C.
L. E.
14767 Death of Augustus, August 19th.
Accession of Tiberius, anno ætat. 55.
16769 Rise of Sejanus. Cf. A.D. 31. Tac. Ann. vi. 8.
18771 Death of Ovid and Livy. Strabo still writing.
19772 Death of Germanicus. Jews banished from Italy (alluded to, Sat. iii. 14; vi. 543).
20021774 Tiberius, on the plea of ill health, goes in the spring into Campania.
23776 Influence of Sejanus. Cf. Tac. Ann. iv. 6.
(Vid. Niebuhr's Lectures, vol. iii. p. 181.)
24777 Cassius Severus, an exile in Seriphos. Tac. Ann. iv. 21.
[Cf. Sat. i. 73; vi. 563, 564; x. 170; xiii. 246.]
C. Plinius Secundus, of Verona, born.
26779 Consulship of Cn. Lentulus Gætulicus. (Cf. ad viii. 26.)
27780 Tiberius retires to Capreæ. Tac. Ann. iv. 67. Sat. x. 90-95, and 72.
28781 Agrippina, daughter of Germanicus, married to Domitius. [Nero is the issue of this marriage, born A.D. 37.] Sat. viii. 228; vi. 615.
20229782 Death of Livia, mother of Tiberius.
(Cf. Niebuhr's Lectures, vol. iii. p. 180.)
31784 Tiberius consul with Sejanus. Suet. Tib. 26, 65.
Fall of Sejanus, Oct. 18. He had been in favor now 16 years. The day of his death was consecrated to Jove. Sat. x. 56-107. Cf. Tac. Ann. vi. 25.
32785 Birth of Otho.
34787 A. Persius Flaccus, born at Volaterræ in Etruria.
36789 Death of Thrasyllus. Sat. vi. 576.
[Cf. Fast. Hellen. iii. p. 277.]
20437790 Death of Tiberius, in March.
Caligula succeeds, a. æt. 25.
Birth of Nero in December. He and Caligula were both born at Antium.
38791 Potion of Cæsonia? Sat. vi. 616, seq.
[Birth of Josephus, the historian.]
39792 Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee, deposed and banished by Caligula, and his dominions given to Agrippa the father of Agrippa, Berenice, and Drusilla. Sat. vi. 156.
40793 Caligula at Lyons, on his way to the ocean, institutes the "Certamen Græcæ Latinæque facundiæ." Suet. Calig. 20. Sat. i. 44, "Aut Lugdunensem Rhetor dicturus ad aram." Cf. xv. 111. Pers. Sat. vi. 43.
[M. Annæus Lucanus brought to Rome in his eighth month.]
20541794 Caligula slain, Jan. 24. Claudius succeeds, a. æt. 50.
Birth of Titus, Dec. 30. [Exile of Seneca.]
Agrippa receives from Claudius Judæa and Samaria.
42795 Deaths of Pætus and Arria.
43796 First campaign of A. Plautius in Britain.
Influence of Narcissus (Suet. Claud. 28; Dio, lx. p. 688. Sat. xiv. 329, "Divitiæ Narcissi Indulsit Cæsar cui Claudius omnia"), and of Posides. Suet. u. s. Sat. xiv. 91. [Birth of Martial.]
44797 [Death of Agrippa, Cf. Acts xii. 21-23.]
20645798 [His son Agrippa at Rome intercedes for the Jews.]
46799 Excesses of Messalina. Sat. vi. 114-132.
48801 Death of Messalina (and C. Silius, whom she had openly married), Tac. Ann. xi. 26; Suet. Claud. 26, 36, 39, through the influence of Narcissus. Sat. xiv. 331; x. 329-345.
Pallas the Arcadian, Claudius' freedman and secretary. Sat. i. 109. Cf. an. 62.
The younger Agrippa succeeds his uncle Herod.
Remmius Palæmon, the grammarian, Quintilian's master, flourishes. Suet. clar. Gram. 23. Sat. vi. 451, "Volvitque Palæmonis artem;" vii. 215, "docti Palæmonis;" and l. 219.
20749802 Marriage of Claudius and Agrippina (widow of Domitius, cf. an. 28). Seneca, through Agrippina's influence, recalled from exile. (Cf. A.D. 41. Schol. ad Sat. v. 109.) Tac. Ann. xii. 8.
Nero (a. æt. 11) placed under Seneca's care. Suet. Ner. 7.
50803 Eighth campaign in Britain under Ostorius. Caractacus captured. [Persius places himself under Cornutus' care. Pers. v. 36.]
51804 Birth of Domitian, while his father is consul suffectus.
Nero receives the Toga Virilis.
52805 Felix, brother of Pallas, made procurator of Judæa.
20853806 Nero marries Octavia.
Agrippa the younger appointed to Philip's tetrarchy, and Trachonitis, and Abilene.
54807 Claudius poisoned by Agrippina's mushroom. Sat. v. 147, "Boletum domino: sed qualem Claudius edit, Ante illum uxoris post quem nil amplius edit." (Cf. Mart. Ep. xiii. 48; I. xxi. 4.) Sat. vi. 620, "Minus ergo nocens erit Agrippinæ Boletus." The poison was procured from Locusta. Sat. i. 71, 72.
Nero succeeds, Oct. 13, a. æt. 17.
Domitius Corbulo appointed to Armenia. Sat. iii. 251, "Corbulo vix ferret tot vasa ingentia." Cf. Tac. Ann. xiii. 8.
55808 Death of Britannicus, who is poisoned by Nero, through the agency of Locusta.
58811 Successful campaign of Corbulo in Armenia. Cf. Sat. viii. Sabina Poppæa. Sat. vi. 462. Her husband Otho sent into Lusitania, where he remains ten years. Cf. Tac. Ann. xiii. 45.
The Parthian war is perhaps alluded to in Persius, Sat. v. 4. Vid. D'Achaintre in loc.
59812 Death of Agrippina (Tac. Ann. xiv. 4; Suet. Ner. 34), during the Quinquatrus (xiv.-x. Kal. April). Sat. viii. 215.
Consulship of L. Fonteius Capito. (Cf. an. 118.) Sat. xiii. 17, "Fonteio Consule natus."
60813 Institution of the Neronia. "Certamen triplex Quinquennale: Musicum, Gymnicum, Equestre."
Corbulo's successful campaign in Syria.
21061814 Boadicea's victory. Victory of Suetonius Paulinus.
Galba in Spain. [Birth of Pliny the younger, a few years after Tacitus.]
62815 Death of Burrus.
Sofonius Tigellinus succeeds as "Præfectus Cohortibus Prætoriis." Cf. Tac. Ann. xiv. 57; xv. 37, 72. Sat. i. 155, "Pone Tigellinum," etc.
Nero marries Poppæa. Death of Octavia. Tac. Ann. xiv. 60, 64.
Pallas put to death for his money. Tac. Ann. xiv. 65. Cf. A.D. 48.
Death of Persius, in his 28th year.
64817 Nero in the theatre. Fires at Rome. Only four regions remaining entire. Tac. Ann. xv. 40. Persecution of Christians (c. 44), on whom the blame of the fire was laid, and who were punished with the "Tunica Molesta." Sat. i. 156; viii. 235. Suet. Ner. 16.
21165818 Piso's conspiracy. Death of Seneca. Tac. Ann. xv. 60. Sat. viii. 211, "Libera si dentur populo suffragia, quis tam Perditus ut dubitet Senecam præferre Neroni." Sat. x. 15, "Temporibus diris igitur jussuque Neronis Longinum, et magnos Senecæ prædivitis hortos clausit," et seq.
Death of Lucan, in his 26th year. Sat. vii. 79. Tac. Ann. xv. 70. Suet. Ner. 35.
Death of Poppæa. Tac. Ann. xvi. 6. Sat. viii. 218, "Sed nec Electræ jugulo se polluit, aut Spartani Sanguine conjugii."
66819 Death of Thrasea Pætus. Tac. Ann. xvi. 21-35.
Martial comes to Rome, æt. 23.
Nero sets out for Greece: meets Vatinius ("Sutrinæ tabernæ alumnus," Tac. Ann. xv. 34) at Beneventum. Sat. v. 47, "Tu Beneventani Sutoris nomen habentem Siccabis calicem nasorum quatuor."
Lubinus places the banishment of Annæus Cornutus in this year. Cf. ad Pers. v. 5.
67820 Death of Corbulo.
Nero in Greece, celebrates the 211th Olympiad (the Olympiad having been deferred for him, Suet. Ner. 19-22), and adds a musical contest. Sat. viii. 225, "Gaudentis fœdo peregrina ad pulpita cantu Prostitui, Graiæque apium meruisse coronæ."
[Jewish war committed by Nero to Vespasian.]
68821 Nero returns to Rome. Sat. viii. 230, "Et de marmoreo citharam suspende Colosso."
Vindex revolts and proclaims Galba. Ib. 221, "Quid enim Verginius armis Debeat ulcisci magis aut cum Vindice Galba."
Galba accepts the empire in April.
Death of Nero in June, in his 31st year.
[Quintilian comes to Rome with Galba, and remains 20 years.]
21269822 Vitellius proclaimed, Jan. 2. Tac. Hist. i. 56, 57.
Galba killed, Jan. 15, in his 73d year. Sat. vi. 559, "Magnus civis obit et formidatus Othoni."
Otho acknowledged. Battle of Bedriacum. Death of Otho at Brixellum in April, in his 37th year. Sat. ii. 106, "Bedriaci in campo spolium affectare Palati."
Vitellius enters Rome in July, and is killed Dec. 21.
Vespasian proclaimed July 1st, æt. 60.
70823 Vespasian enters Rome. Titus takes Jerusalem.
71824 Triumph of Titus and Vespasian. They passed through the "Porta Idumæa." Sat. viii. 160.
Temple of Peace begun. Sat. ix. 22; i. 115.
Temple of Janus closed for the sixth time.
72825 Commagene reduced to a province. Sat. vi. 550, "Commagenus Aruspex."
74827 Expulsion of Philosophers by Vespasian.
75828 Temple of Peace concluded. Suet. Vesp. 9.
76829 Birth of Hadrian. Cf. A.D. 138.
78831 Agricola in Britain. Tac. Agric. xviii. Sat. ii. 160.
79832 Death of Vespasian, June 23, in his 70th year.
Titus succeeds. [Eruption of Vesuvius. Death of Pliny the elder. Cf. Plin. vi. Epist. 16, 20.]
80833 Fire at Rome. Temple of Isis, and Capitol, burnt.
21581834 Death of Titus, Sept. 13.
Domitian succeeds. Sat. iv. 37, "Flavius Ultimus, et calvo serviret Roma Neroni."
82835 Domitian rebuilds the Capitol (Suet. Dom. 5), and patronizes learning. Sat. vii. 1, "Et spes, et ratio studiorum in Cæsare tantum."
83836 Domitian's expedition against the Catti and Sarmatæ.
Three Vestal virgins punished. Sat. iv. 10, "Sanguine adhuc vivo terram subitura Sacerdos."
84837 Domitian takes the name of "Germanicus." Receives the censorship for life. Sat. iv. 12; ii. 121.
Defeat of Galgacus in Britain. Sat. ii. 160, 161, "Domitianus nobiles multos relegavit et optimates occidit." Chron. Euseb. Cf. Sat. iv. 151, seq.
86839 Domitian institutes the Capitoline Games. Suet. Dom. 4, "Certamen quinquennale triplex, Musicum, Equestre, Gymnicum." [Cf. A.D. 60.] Sat. vi. 387, "An Capitolinam deberet Pollio quercum Sperare et fidibus promittere." Cf. ad Sulpic. 41.
Dacian war. Sat. iv. 111, cum Schol.
[Birth of Antoninus Pius.]
21789842 Quintilian teaches at Rome ("Publicam Scholam et Salarium è fisco accepit," Hieron.), Domitian's nephews, among others. Some think Juvenal attended his lectures. Sat. vi. 75, 280; vii. 186, 189.
90843 Domitian expels the philosophers (cf. A.D. 74). Tac. Agr. 2. (Sat. iii. may perhaps refer to this, "omni bonâ arte in exsilium actâ," cf. l. 21.)
Senecio put to death for writing a book in praise of Helvidius Priscus. Cf. Sat. v. 36.
Sulpicia's Satire. [Pliny prætor in his 29th year.]
91844 Domitian's triumphs over Dacians and Germans. [Sat. vi. 205, "Dacicus et scripto radiat Germanicus auro:" but cf. A.D. 110.]
Cornelia, a Vestal virgin, buried alive. (Vid. Suet. Dom. 8. Plin. iv. Ep. 11. Cf. A.D. 83.) This happened after the death of Julia. Sat. ii. 32.
21898846 Sarmatian war. (Sat. ii. 1.) Death of Agricola.
Massa and Carus (i. 35, 36) referred by some to this date.
Influence of Paris. Sat. vi. 87, "Ludos Paridemque reliquit." Sat. vii. 87, "Paridi nisi vendat Agaven;" and 90, seq.
Palfurius Sura, Armillatus, Pegasus, Vibius Crispus Placentinus, Acilius Glabrio, Fabricius Veiento, Catullus Messalinus, Curtius Montanus, and Crispinus flourish. Sat. iv. 50-150; vi. 82; i. 26; xi. 34.
94847 Lateranus consul. viii. 146, seq., "Prætor majorum cineres atque ossa volucri Carpento rapitur pinguis Damasippus, et ipse, Ipse rotam stringit multo sufflamine consul;" where some read "Lateranus;" others say Lateranus is intended by Damasippus.
This is probably the date of the event recorded in Sat. iv., "Illa tempora sævitiæ claras quibus abstulit Urbi Illustresque animas impune et vindice nullo," l. 151. Cf. Tac. Agric. 44, who says that after the death of Agricola (A.D. 93) "Domitianus non jam per intervalla ac spiramenta temporum sed continuo et velut uno ictu Rempublicam exhausit," et seq.
95848 Death of Clemens, the consul.
[Persecution of Christians. St. John at Patmos.]
Flavia Domitilla exiled to Pontia. [Cf. xiii. 246, "Aut maris Ægæi rupem, scopulosque frequentes Exulibus magnis.">[
The fourth book of the Sylvæ of Statius written.
In the third book written A.D. 94, he mentions the close of the Thebais. Cf. Sat. vii. 82, "Curritur ad vocem jucundam et carmen amicæ Thebaidos, lætam fecit quum Statius Urbem Promisitque diem."
The Thebaid had employed twelve years.
96849 Domitian killed in September, in his 45th year. Sat. iv. 153, "Sed periit postquam cerdonibus esse timendus Cœperat, hoc nocuit Lamiarum cæde madenti."
Nerva succeeds.
21997850 Nerva adopts Trajan. [Tacitus "Consul Suffectus.">[
98851 Death of Nerva, Jan. 25th, in his 63d year.
Trajan (then at Cologne) succeeds.
[Plutarch flourishes. Pliny, Præf. Ærarii Saturni.]
99852 Trajan enters Rome.
[Martial, 10th book, 2d edition. Silius Italicus still living.]
100853 Consulship of M. Cornelius Fronto with Trajan. Sat. i. 12, "Frontonis platani, convulsaque marmora clamant Semper et assiduo ruptæ lectore columnæ."
Pliny and Tacitus impeach Marius Priscus, proconsul of Africa. Fronto Catius defends him. Cf. Plin. ii. Epist. xi. The case was tried before Trajan in person. Cf. Sat. i. 47, "Et hic damnatus inani Judicio; quid enim salvis infamia nummis? Exul ab octavâ Marius bibit, et fruitur Diis iratis." And viii. 120, "Quum tenues nuper Marius discinxerit Afros."
Pliny's Panegyric, in his consulship.
Death of S. John.
[Martial returns to Bilbilis. Twelfth book of Epigrams.]
220101854 First Dacian war. "Trajanus primus aut solus etiam vires Romanas trans Istrum propagavit," Victor, p. 319; perhaps alluded to, Sat. viii. 169, "Syriæque tuendis Amnibus et Rheno atque Istro."
Isæus flourishes. "Magna Isæum fama præcesserat: major inventus est. Summa est facultas, copia, ubertas." Plin. ii. Epist. 3. Cf. Sat. iii. 73 (with the Scholiasts), "Sermo promptus et Isæo torrentior."
103856 Victories in Dacia. Peace granted to Decebalus.
Trajan triumphs, and takes the name of "Dacicus." (Cf. 110.) [Pliny arrives at Bithynia.]
104857 Second Dacian war. Trajan takes the command.
Hadrian serves. "Primæ legioni Minerviæ præpositus." Spartian. Hadr. 3.
[Martial sends his 12th book to Rome. Vid. Ep. 18. Pliny's letter about the Christians.]
221105858 Stone bridge over the Danube, by which Trajan conquers the Dacians.
106859 Death of Decebalus. Dacia becomes a Roman province.
Conquest of Arabia Petræa. 2d triumph of Trajan.
107860 Trajan's public works. Vid. Dio, lxviii. 15, τά τε ἕλη τὰ Πόντινα ὡδοποίησε λίθῳ. κ. τ. λ. Cf. iii. 307, "Armato quoties tutæ custode tenentur Et Pomptina palus et Gallinaria pinus."
110863 This road is finished. [Plutarch's Lives.]
The coins of Trajan of this year bear the words, "Germanicus, Dacicus." vi. 205, "Dacicus, et scripto radiat Germanicus auro."
112865 Hadrian Archon at Athens.
223113866 The column of Trajan erected (cf. Dio, lxviii. 16), to which some think there is an allusion in the line, x. 136, "Summo tristis captivus in arcu."
114867 Trajan's expedition to the East, against the Armenians and Parthians. He proceeds in the autumn through Athens and Seleucia to Antioch.
115868 Earthquake at Antioch, in January or February, in which the consul, M. Vergilianus Pedo, perished. Dio, lxviii. 24, 25.
In the spring Trajan marches to Armenia. Sat. vi. 411, "Nutare urbes, subsidere terram."
[Martyrdom of S. Ignatius.]
116869 Trajan enters Ctesiphon, and takes the title of "Parthicus." Sat. vi. 407, "Instantem regi Armenio Parthoque."
224117870 Trajan reaches Selinus in Cilicia, and dies in August, in his 63d year.
Hadrian, at Antioch, succeeds, in consequence of a fictitious adoption managed by Plotina. Cf. Gibbon, vol. i. p. 130. To this there is supposed to be an allusion in Sat. i. 40, "Optima summi Nunc via processus vetulæ vesica beatæ."
118871 Hadrian comes to Rome.
This is sixty years after the consulship of Fonteius. Cf. A.D. 59. The thirteenth Satire was therefore probably written this year. l. 17, "Stupet hæc qui jam post terga reliquit Sexaginta annos, Fonteio consule natus." The common story is, that Calvinus, to whom this Satire is addressed, was three years Juvenal's senior.
Probably the lines in Satire iii., from 60-113, are an interpolation at a period subsequent to the first composition of the Satire, and refer to this period. Hadrian brought with him from Antioch to Rome many foreigners of all professions. Cf. iii. 62, "Jampridem Syrus in Tiberim defluxit Orontes." Among these he particularly favored Epictetus of Hierapolis in Phrygia, Favorinus of Arelate in Gaul, and Dionysius of Miletus. To one of these Juvenal may refer in Sat. iii. 75, "Quemvis hominem secum attulit ad nos Grammaticus, Rhetor, Geometres, Pictor, Aliptes, Augur, Schœnobates, Medicus, Magus, omnia novit, Ad summum non Maurus erat nec Sarmata nec Thrax," et seq. Cf. Spartian. Hadrian, c. 5, and especially c. 16, where he says, "In summâ familiaritate Epictetum et Heliodorum, philosophos, et grammaticos, Rhetores, musicos, Geometras, pictores, astrologos habuit: præ cæteris eminente Favorino," where the order is rather remarkable. Dionysius of Miletus, moreover, was a disciple of Isæus (cf. A.D. 101), l. 73, "Ingenium velox audacia perdita, sermo Promptus et Isæo torrentior."
Hadrian, after a four months' consulship, proceeded to Campania, and thence to Gaul, Germany, and Britain: Juvenal therefore might safely publish this in the emperor's absence.
119872 Hadrian consul with Junius Rusticus.
This is most probably the Junius mentioned Sat. xv. 27, "Nuper Consule Junio gesta." Cf. Salmas., Plin. Exercit. p. 320.
120873 Hadrian's progress through the provinces.
He builds the wall in Britain: "Compositis in Britanniâ rebus, transgressus in Galliam." Spartian. c. 10. This may be alluded to, Sat. ii. 160, 161. Cf. Sat. xv. 111.
[Plutarch, æt. 74.]
225121874 Birth of M. Aurelius.
122875 Hadrian at Athens.
Artemidorus Capito, the physician, in great repute with Hadrian. It is not impossible that he may be alluded to under the name of "Heliodorus." Cf. Sat. vi. 373.
124877 The eleventh Satire may perhaps be assigned to about this date. It was written when Juvenal was advanced in years. l. 203, "Nostra bibat vernum contracta cuticula solem."
The excitement about the games in the circus (cf. Gibbon, chap. xl.) was as great as in the days of Domitian; and the "green" appears at this time to have been a victorious color. Compare Sat. xi. 195, "Totam hodie Romam circus capit, et fragor aurem Percutit, eventum viridis quo colligo panni;" with the inscription in Gruter, quoted in Clinton (in ann.), "Primum agitavit in factione prasinâ." [Cf. Mart. xiv. Ep. cxxxi., written long after Domitian's time.]
126879 Birth of Pertinax.
[Dionysius of Halicarnassus flourishes.]
128881 Hadrian takes the title of "Pater Patriæ."
227129882 Julius Fronto mentioned, as commanding the "Classis Prætoria Misenensis." Cf. A.D. 100.
130883 In the autumn of this year Hadrian is in Egypt. [Compare the Greek inscription quoted by Clinton from Eckhel with Sat. xv. 5.]
While on the Nile he lost his favorite Antinous, and built a city to his memory, which he called after him. It is very probable that the lines, Sat. i. 60, seq., referring primarily to Nero and Sporus, may have a secondary allusion to Hadrian and Antinous.
[Appian flourished. Galen born.]
138891 Death of Hadrian in his 63d year.