The History of Roman Literature / From the Earliest Period to the Death of Marcus Aurelius

by Charles Thomas Cruttwell

APPENDIX.—Examples of late corrupted dialects

CHAPTER II.

On the Beginnings of Roman Literature.

The Latin character—Romans a practical people—Their religion unromantic —Primitive culture of Latium—Germs of drama and epos—No early historians—Early speeches—Ballad literature—No early Roman epos—Poets despised—Fescenninae—Saturae—Mime or Planipes—Atellanae- Saturnian metre—Early interest in politics and law as giving the germs of oratory and jurisprudence.

CHAPTER III.

The Introduction of Greek Literature—Livius and Naevius (240-204 B.C.).

Introduction of Greek literature to Rome—Its first translators—Livius
Andronicus—His translation of the Odyssey, Tragedies, &c.—Cn.
Naevius—Inventor of Praetextae—Style—A politician—Writer of the
first national epic poem—His exile and death—Cicero's opinion of him—
His epitaph.

CHAPTER IV.

Roman Comedy—Plautus to Turpilius (254-103 B.C.).

The Roman theatre—Plan of construction—Comedy—Related to Athenian Middle and New Comedy—Plautus—His plays—Their plots and style— Palliatae and Togatae—His metres—Caecilius—Admires Terence— Terence—His intimate friends—His style—Use of contamination—Lesser comedians.