‘Publicanu’ vero ut Asiae fiam scripturarius
pro Lucilio, id ego nolo, et uno hoc non muto omnia.’
Two divisions of the work may be recognized—(i) Books i.-xxi. (to which xxii.-xxv. may be an addition) in hexameters; these Books are referred to as one collection by Varro, L.L. v. 17. (2) Books xxvi.-xxx. in various metres.
Dates of Composition.—Hor. Sat. ii. 1, 62-70 (quoted above), shows that Lucilius attacked Lupus and Metellus while Scipio and Laelius were still alive, i.e. not after B.C. 129; xxvi., ll. 88-9, in which Lucilius sneers at marriage,
‘Homines ipsi hanc sibi molestiam ultro atque aerumnam offerunt.
Ducunt uxores, producunt, quibus haec faveant, liberos,’
may have special reference to the attempts of Metellus in his censorship (B.C. 131) to encourage it. If this is so, Books xxvi.-xxx. were composed about B.C. 131-129. Book i. was composed after the death of Carneades in B.C. 129 (cf. l. 12, ‘nec si Carneaden ipsum Orcu’ remittat’), and probably soon after the death of Lupus, on whom the gods are represented as sitting in judgment.
Serv. ad Aen. x. 104, ‘Totus hic locus de primo Lucili translatus est libro; ubi inducuntur di habere concilium et agere primo de interitu Lupi cuiusdam ducis in re publica, postea sententias dicere.’
In B.C. 126 Lucilius was probably, along with other peregrini, banished under the law of M. Iunius Pennus, trib. pl. in that year. He probably returned in B.C. 124, when the law was repealed by C. Graccus. Bk. xi. was composed after the condemnation of L. Opimius in B.C. 110. Cf. ll. 19-21,
‘Quintus Opimius ille, Iugurtini pater huius,
et formosus homo fuit et famosus, utrumque
primo adulescens, posterius dat rectiu’ sese.’
Subjects of the Satires.—These were very varied. Besides personal satire, we have (1) ethical criticism, as ridicule of philosophers and attacks on luxury.
Lib. incert. ll. 134-5 (imitated by Hor. Sat. i. 3, 132 sqq.; Ep. i. 1, 106-8),