The name is absent



∏<> PEDO ALBINOVΛNUS—LIVY—LABERIUS—SYRUS.

Pedo Albiiiovanus must likewise have been distinguished
among the poets of that time ; but, whether he is the author
of the “ Consolatio ad Liviam ” on the death of her son Drusus
is not so certain as is generally believed, though it is very
possible.

Livy, of whom I have already spoken in the introductory
lectures, was born in the consulship of Caesar, 693, and lived
to see a considerable poιtion of the reign of Tiberius, attaining
the age of seventy-five or seventy-seven.10 History was then
the only thing that was written in prose, for oratory had dege-
nerated into miserable declamations, which contain nothing
but detestable and sophistical perversities, and into mere legal
pleadings. But of these productions I shall speak hereafter.
Livy began writing his history when he was at the age of
fifty, or even later; but he was still in full vigour and fresh-
ness. The unfavourable judgment of Asinius Pollio respecting
him arose unquestionably from political party-feeling, for Pollio
was annoyed at everything connected with the Pompeian party.
Livy is not mentioned in the poems of Horace, and his fame,
which was greater than that of any of his contemporaries,
belongs to a later period. He was a rhetorician, and was
perhaps at one time engaged in giving instructions in rhetoric ;
but it is just as probable that he lived in quiet independence.
It was only his historical work that brought him into notice.
One person even came from Gades for the sole purpose of
seeing him.

LECTURE CVIIL

I FORGOT to mention among the contemporaries of Cicero and
Caesar, the poet Decimus Laberius. He was the author of
mimes which were evidently extempore compositions and very
original. Laberius and P. Syrus are the most celebrated au-
thors of this species of poetry, and the former was, according
to the testimony of his contemporaries, a poet of great original
merit. His productions must have resembled the Sermones of
Horace, but they had little in common with dramatic poetry.

10 According to the opinion expressed in the Introductory Lectures, he lived
to the age of se∖enty-nιne.

GREEK LITERATURE.


147


P. Syrus too enjoyed a great reputation. Comedy had become
CompIetelyextinct. No comedy even of mediocrity is mentioned ;
and the Thycstes of Varius is the only instance of a tragedy at
that time. Valgius too belongs to the age of Virgil.

The literary nullity of the Greeks at this period, if we com-
pare the activity of the Romans, was still greater than the
political weakness and impotence of Greece in contrast with
Rome’s power and dominion. We hear of no writers except
rhetoricians and grammarians. They are not indeed to be
treated with disrespect, but poetry seems to have become quite
extinct, if we excepta few insignificant writers of epigrams;
but even in epigrammatic poetry there is scarcely any other
period in the history of ancient literature that is as barren as
this. Dionysius of Halicarnassus, distinguished both for talent
and judgment, stands alone, and therefore we cannot wonder
at the Romans of that time feeling themselves superior to the
Greeks in Iiteratuic; this feeling was, on the contrary, perhaps
not so strong as it ought to have been. The Greekrhetoricians,
who inundated Rome during the latter part of the reign of
Augustus and under Tiberius, brought down literature very
rapidly. There were indeed a few other writers, but we know
little more of them than their names; the rhetoricians who
gave the tone to literature, and brought about the so-called
argentea aetas, were Greeks, and nearly all natives of western
Asia, for ancient Greece itself was completely annihilated. For
many centuries after the time of Polybius, Plutarch is the only
native of Greece Proper that stands forth as a writer of import-
ance; but Posidonius of Rhodes and Theophanes of Mitylene
also are exceptions.

I shall now continue my account of Augustus, his family,
and his wars. The numerous statues and busts of Augustus,
which are still extant quite confirm the statement of Suetonius,
that he was an extremely handsome man.1 IIis head is indeed
so beautiful that I have often been tempted to get a cast made
of it, although I detest his character ; and he retained his
decora
facies
until old age, as we see from the busts which represent
him at the different periods of life. IIe was an active man
and of no mean powers. The ancients state that the great
defect in his character was his want of courage, a charge which
is easily macle, especially when there is some foundation for it,

1 Auyust. 79.

L 2



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