After publishing two books of fables, Phaedrus was persecuted by Seianus, in some way unknown; iii. prol. 38,
‘Ego porro illius [Aesopi] semita feci viam,
et cogitavi plura quam reliquerat,
in calamitatem deligens quaedam meam.
Quod si accusator alius Seiano foret,
si testis alius, index alius denique,
dignum faterer esse me tantis malis.’
This persecution may have arisen from references in his fables, such as i. 1 (Lupus et agnus), l. 14,
‘Haec propter illos scripta est homines fabula,
qui fictis causis innocentes opprimunt’;
i. 6 (Ranae ad solem), which Nisard[73] thinks refers to the ambitious marriage which Seianus projected with Livia, daughter of Germanicus, ‘The sun dries up the ponds; what will happen if the sun marries and has children?’ l. 9,
‘Quidnam futurum est, si crearit liberos?’
Phaedrus survived the attacks made on him, and Book v. was written in his old age (see below).
Several personal points are clear from his writings:
(1) He had to meet the attacks of critics; ii. epil. 10,
‘Si livor obtrectare curam voluerit,
non tamen eripiet laudis conscientiam.’