PHAEDRUS.
The Latin Fabulist, of whom we know nothing except what may be gathered or inferred from his fables. He was originally a slave, and was born in Thrace, possibly in the district of Pieria. He was brought to Rome at an early age, and there became acquainted with Roman literature. His patron appears to have been Augustus, who gave him his freedom. After publishing two books of fables he incurred the resentment of Augustus and was imprisoned. This was due probably to the bold outspokenness of many of his fables. He survived the attacks made on him, and Book V was written in his old age.
2. Works.
Fables, in five Books, written in iambic senarii, like those of Terence and Publius Syrus. The full title of his work is Phaedri Augusti liberti fabularum Aesopiarum libri. ‘Phaedrus constantly plumes himself on his superiority to his model Aesop, but his animals have not the lifelike reality of those of the latter. With Phaedrus the animals are mere lay-figures: the moral comes first, and then he attaches an animal to it.’—Tyrrell.
‘The chief interest of the Fables lies in the fact that they form the last survival of the urbanus sermo (the speech of Terence) in Latin poetry.’—Mackail.
‘Phaedrus is the only important writer during the half-century of literary darkness between the Golden and the Silver Age.’—Tyrrell.
T. MACCIUS PLAUTUS, circ. 254-184 B.C.
1. Life.
PLAUTUS.
Plautus was born in the little Umbrian town of Sarsina, of free but poor parents. He came to Rome and made a small fortune as a stage-carpenter, but lost it by rash investment. He was then reduced to working for some years in a corn-mill, during which time he wrote plays, and continued to do so until his death.