Cf. also Quint. x. 1, 87; Ovid, Am. i. 15, 21; Stat. Silv. ii. 7, 77.
4. Chorographia, a geographical work, as the fragments show.
5. Ephemeris.—Serv. ad Verg. Georg. i. 375, ‘Hic locus omnis de Varrone est; nam et Varro et Vergilius Aratum secuti sunt.’
6. Elegies.—One line is given by Bährens. Cf. Propert. iii. 34, 85,
‘Haec quoque perfecto ludebat Iasone Varro,
Varro Leucadiae maxima flamma suae.’
(e) Publilius Syrus was a manumitted slave, a native of Syria, probably of Antioch.
Jerome yr. Abr. 1974 = B.C. 43, ‘Publilius mimographus natione Syrus Romae scaenam tenet.’
Pliny, N.H. xxxv. 199, ‘Est et vilissima [creta] qua circum praeducere ad victoriae notam pedesque venalium trans maria advectorum denotare instituerunt maiores talemque Publilium Antiochium (MSS. lochium) mimicae scaenae conditorem et astrologiae consobrinum eius Manilium Antiochum, item grammaticae Staberium Erotem eadem nave advectos videre proavi.’
An account of Publilius’ manumission, and his contest with Laberius in B.C. 45, is given by Macrob. Saturn. ii. 7, 4-8, and is quoted under ‘Laberius,’ [p. 97].
Publilius’ works were: