He was a member of the literary circle of Laelius. Cf. Laelius’ words in Cic. Lael. 24, ‘In hospitis et amici mei M. Pacuvi nova fabula.’ In his last years he was intimate with Accius: cf. Gell. xiii. 2, ‘Cum Pacuvius, inquiunt, grandi iam aetate et morbo corporis diutino adfectus, Tarentum ex urbe Roma concessisset, Accius tunc, haut parvo iunior, proficiscens in Asiam, cum in oppidum venisset, devertit ad Pacuvium comiterque invitatus plusculisque ab eo diebus retentus, tragoediam suam, cui Atreus nomen est, desideranti legit.’
Gell. i. 24, 4, gives Pacuvius’ epitaph, as written by himself, ‘Epigramma Pacuvii verecundissimum et purissimum, dignumque eius elegantissima gravitate:
“Adulescens, tam etsi properas, te hoc saxum rogat,
ut sese aspicias, deinde quod scriptum est legas.
Hic sunt poetae Pacuvi Marci sita
ossa. Hoc volebam nescius ne esses. Vale.”’
(2) WORKS.
1. Tragedies.—Titles of twelve are known, and over four hundred lines of fragments are extant. The Antiopa, which is the best known, was from Euripides.
Cic. de Fin. i. 4, ‘Quis enim tam inimicus paene nomini Romano est, qui Enni Medeam aut Antiopam Pacuvi spernat aut reiciat quod se eisdem Euripidis fabulis delectari dicat?’
The Niptra is from Sophocles. Cic. T.D. ii. 49, speaking of ll. 256-8 (Ribbeck), says, ‘Pacuvius melius quam Sophocles.’
Pacuvius also wrote one praetexta, Paulus, doubtless on L. Aemilius Paulus, the victor of Pydna.
2. Saturae (lost).
Sueton. p. 20 R., ‘Carmen quod ex variis poematibus constabat satura vocabatur, quale scripserunt Pacuvius et Ennius.’