The Eclogues are modelled chiefly on Virgil and Theocritus, e.g. Ecl. 3 on Verg. Ecl. 7 and Theocr. 3, 14, and 23.
The poem de laude Pisonis is now generally attributed to Calpurnius Siculus. One point of similarity with Calpurnius’ other poems is the rareness of elision, there being only two instances (ll. 24, 259). The description of Piso’s liberality and eloquence (ll. 32, 88, 97 sqq.) and of his skill in draughts (ll. 178-96) corresponds with the information given by Tac. Ann. xv. 48 and the Schol. on Iuv. 5, 109, about Calpurnius Piso, who flourished under Claudius.
AETNA.
This poem, in 645 hexameter lines, is attributed to Virgil in the MSS., but is probably by Lucilius Iunior, to whom Seneca addresses his Epistulae Morales, De Providentia, and Quaestiones Naturales. Lucilius was younger than Seneca (Sen. Ep. 26, 7, ‘iuvenior es’), and was born at Naples or Pompeii.
Sen. Ep. 49, 1, ‘Ecce Campania et maxime Neapolis ad Pompeiorum tuorum conspectum incredibile est quam recens desiderium tui fecerint.’
Lucilius had held procuratorial offices in Alpes Graiae et Poeninae, Epirus, Creta et Cyrene, and Sicily.
Ibid. 44, 2, ‘Eques Romanus es et ad hunc ordinem tua te perduxit industria.’ Ibid. 31, 9, ‘Quo modo, inquis, isto pervenitur? Non per Poeninum Graiumve montem, nec per deserta Candaviae, nec Syrtes tibi nec Scylla aut Charybdis adeundae sunt, quae tamen omnia transisti procuratiunculae pretio.’[80]
Sen. N.Q. iv. praef. 1, ‘Delectat te, Lucili, Sicilia et officium procurationis otiosae.’
For his life cf. also the words put into his mouth by Sen. N.Q. iv. praef. 15-17, which show his loyalty to his friends, ‘Non mihi in amicitia Gaetulici (died A.D. 39) vel Gaius fidem eripuit, non in aliorum persona infeliciter amatorum Messalla et Narcissus ... propositum meum avertere potuerunt.... videbam apud Gaium tormenta, videbam ignes.’[81]
Seneca speaks of him as a pupil in philosophy in Ep. 34, 2, ‘Adsero te mihi: meum opus es.’