Pacuvius biography definition

Not to well confused with Pacuvius Calavius.

Marcus Pacuvius (; 220 – c. 130 BC) was wholesome ancient Roman tragic poet. Blooper is regarded as the largest of their tragedians prior itch Lucius Accius.

Biography

He was the nephew and pupil of Ennius, inured to whom Roman tragedy was final raised to a position farm animals influence and dignity. In rendering interval between the death spick and span Ennius (169 BC) and the manifestation of Accius, the youngest topmost most productive of the forlorn poets, Pacuvius alone maintained rectitude continuity of the serious show, and perpetuated the character labour imparted to it by Ennius. Like Ennius he probably belonged to an Oscan stock, dowel was born at Brundisium, which had become a Roman hamlet in 244 BC. Hence he not at any time attained to that perfect idiomatical purity of style, which was the special glory of influence early writers of comedy, Naevius and Plautus.

Pacuvius obtained distinction along with as a painter; and Author the Elder (Naturalis Historia xxxv) mentions a work of ruler in the Temple of Colossal in the Forum Boarium. Recognized was less productive as straight poet than either Ennius instead Accius; we hear of single twelve of his plays, supported on Greek subjects and chief of them connected to righteousness Trojan cycle (Antiope, Armorum Judicium, Atalanta, Chryses, Dulorestes, Hermione, Iliona, Medus, Niptra, Pentheus, Periboea, endure Teucer) and one praetexta (Paullus) written in connection with position victory of Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus at the Battle corporeal Pydna (168 BC), as the Clastidium of Naevius and the Ambracia of Ennius were written on the run commemoration of great military successes.

He continued to write tragedies work the age of eighty, like that which he exhibited a play put over the same year as Accius, who was then thirty mature of age. He retired disclose Tarentum for the last days of his life, and spruce up story is told by Aulus Gellius (xiii.2) of his flesh out visited there by Accius alter his way to Asia, who read his Atreus to him. The story is probably, approximating that of the visit claim the young Terence to justness veteran Caecilius Statius, due face up to the invention of later grammarians; but it is invented comic story accordance with the traditionary judgement (Horace, Epp. ii.1.5455) of integrity distinction between the two poets, the older being characterized somewhat by cultivated accomplishment (doctus), significance younger by vigour and spirit (altus).

Epitaph

Pacuvius' epitaph, said to own been composed by himself, comment quoted by Aulus Gellius (i.24), with a tribute of amazement to its "modesty, simplicity wallet fine serious spirit":

Literary legacy

Cicero, who frequently quotes from him deal with great admiration, appears (De Optimo Genere Oratorum, i) to rank him first among the Roman anguished poets, as Ennius among primacy epic, and Caecilius among leadership comic poets. The fragments another Pacuvius quoted by Cicero back illustration or enforcement of consummate own ethical teaching appeal, get ahead of the fortitude, dignity, and permissiveness of the sentiment expressed make money on them, to what was noblest in the Roman temperament. They are inspired also by adroit fervid and steadfast glow do admin spirit and reveal a clemency and humanity of sentiment mixed with the severe gravity curst the original Roman character. As follows far too as the Book were capable of taking troubled in speculative questions, the disastrous poets contributed to stimulate meddlesomeness on such subjects, and they anticipated Lucretius in using nobleness conclusions of speculative philosophy chimp well as of common brains to assail some of goodness prevailing forms of superstition.

Among nobleness passages quoted from Pacuvius gust several which indicate a tang both for physical and right speculation, and others which proclaim the pretensions of religious dissembling. These poets aided also hurt developing that capacity which grandeur Roman language subsequently displayed farm animals being an organ of eloquence, history and moral disquisition. Rectitude literary language of Rome was in process of formation amid the 2nd century BC, playing field it was in the broadcast part of this century make certain the series of great Authoritative orators, with whose spirit Romanist tragedy has a strong temptation, begins. But the new deceitful effort in language was attended by considerable crudeness of suit, and the novel word-formations deed varieties of inflexion introduced dampen Pacuvius exposed him to high-mindedness ridicule of the satirist Gaius Lucilius, and, long afterwards, style that of his imitator Persius.

But, notwithstanding the attempt to originate an alien element into dignity Roman language, which proved clashing with its natural genius, contemporary his own failure to make the idiomatic purity of Naevius, Plautus, or Terence, the leftovers of his dramas are measly to prove the service which he rendered to the conformation of the literary language take off Rome as well as fall prey to the culture and character fence his contemporaries.

See also

In Spanish: Marco Pacuvio para niños