Quintilian tells us, “Cæcilium veteres laudibus serunt.” The ancients resounded the praises of Cæcilius.—Also Varro, “Pathè vero, Cæcilius facile moverat.” That Cæcilius knew how to interest the passions.
Cæcilius wrote more than 30 comedies, now lost.
[NOTE 44.]
Licinius.
Publius Licinius Tegula, a comic poet, flourished during the second Punic war. Aulus Gellius mentions him by the name of Caius Licinius Imbrex, author of a comedy called Neæra, but there can be little doubt but that Imbrex, and the Tegula above-mentioned were the same person.
[NOTE 45.]
Cicero in his ΛΕΙΜΩΝ.
“Cicero wrote a poem, to which he affixed the title of λειμων, a Greek word signifying a meadow; he gave it this name, probably, because, as meadows are filled with various kinds of flowers, his work was a numerous collection of flowers (of literature) affording an agreeable variety. This poem, it seems, consisted entirely of panegyrics on illustrious persons. Nothing can be more erroneous than a supposition that these verses were the forgery of some grammarian: the Latin is too elegant, and they are too finely written, to allow us to suppose them a spurious production; and if Cicero had never written any lines inferior to these; his fame as a poet, might have equalled his fame as an orator. Ausonius had these verses in his mind, when he wrote
Tu quoque qui Latium lecto sermone Terenti,
Comis, et astricto percurris pulpita socco.
What is still more remarkable, Cæsar commences his lines on Terence, in Cicero’s words, Tu quoque, &c., for there is not the least doubt but that Cæsar undertook this work, merely with a view to irritate, and to contradict Cicero.”
Madame Dacier.