The Bibliography will, I hope, be found useful. It is by no means exhaustive, but may serve as a guide to those who have not access to libraries. The purpose of the Chronological Table is not so much to serve as a finding-list of dates as to show at a glance what authors were living and working at any given time. In the Index the names of all Latin writers mentioned in the book are to be found, together with references to numerous topics and to some of the more important historical persons.

Besides the works of the Roman authors, I have consulted the general works mentioned in the Bibliography and numerous other books and special articles. I have made most use of Teuffel’s History of Roman Literature, Schanz’s Römische Litteraturgeschichte, and Mackail’s admirable Latin Literature.

My thanks are due to my colleague, Prof. Samuel Ball Platner, who read the book in manuscript and made many valuable suggestions, and to Professor Perrin, who read not only the manuscript, but also the proof, and suggested not a few desirable changes.

Harold N. Fowler.

Cleveland, Ohio.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE
I.—Introduction—Early Roman literature—Tragedy[1]
II.—Comedy[17]
III.—Early prose—The Scipionic Circle—Lucilius[32]
IV.—Lucretius[47]
V.—Catullus—Minor poets[56]
VI.—Cicero[65]
VII.—Cæsar—Sallust—Other prose writers[83]
VIII.—The patrons of literature—Virgil[97]
IX.—Horace[114]
X.—Tibullus—Propertius—The lesser poets[128]
XI.—Ovid[143]
XII.—Livy—Other Augustan prose writers[156]
XIII.—Tiberius to Vespasian[169]
XIV.—The Flavian emperors—The silver age[194]
XV.—Nerva and Trajan[211]
XVI.—The emperors after Trajan—Suetonius—Other writers[226]
XVII.—Literary innovations[235]
XVIII.—Early Christian writers[244]
XIX.—Pagan literature of the third century[253]
XX.—The fourth and fifth centuries[259]
XXI.—Conclusion[278]
Appendix I.—Bibliography[285]
Appendix II.—Chronological table[297]
Index[303]

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FACING
PAGE
Augustus, bust in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston,[Frontispiece]
Cicero, bust in the Vatican Museum, Rome[65]
Cæsar, bust in the Museum at Naples[83]
Virgil and two Muses, mosaic in the Bardo Museum, Tunis[113]