He wrote four Books of love-poems to Cytheris, the liberta who afterwards deserted him for Antony: Serv. ad Ecl. x. 1, ‘amorum suorum de Cytheride scripsit libros iv.’ According to Servius he also translated the poems of Euphorion of Chalcis. Cf. Verg. Ecl. x. 50,
‘Ibo et Chalcidico quae sunt mihi condita versu
carmina pastoris Siculi modulabor avena.’
Compared with Tibullus and Propertius, he was ‘durior’ (Quint. x. 1, 93).
(d) Codrus, mentioned by Virgil, Ecl. 7, 22 and 26; 5, 11, was a contemporary poet (Serv. ad Ecl. 7), and was praised by Valgius (Schol. Veron. ad loc.), but nothing is known of his writings. The name is not Roman, and is probably a disguised form of Cordus. He is sometimes identified with the Iarbitas of Hor. Ep. i. 19, 15.
(e) Bavius and Mevius were enemies of Virgil and Horace. Verg. Ecl. 3, 90,
‘Qui Bavium non odit, amet tua carmina, Mevi.’
Horace, Epod. 10, prays for the shipwreck of Mevius. He wrote about the prodigal son of the actor Aesopus (Porphyr. ad Hor. Sat. ii. 3, 239). Bavius died B.C. 35, according to Jerome.
(f) Anser wrote a poem in praise of Antony, and was rewarded with a grant of land (Serv. ad Ecl. 9, 36; Cic. Phil. xiii. 11). He is mentioned by Ovid, Tr. ii. 435,
‘Cinna quoque his comes est, Cinnaque procacior Anser.’
Servius sees an allusion to him in Ecl. 9, 36,