250. Suetonius and Vacca. The latter curiously treats this victory as one of the causes of Nero's jealousy. Considering that the poem was a panegyric of the emperor, and that it was Lucan's first step in the imperial favour, the suggestion deserves small credit. 251. Sueton. There is an unfortunate hiatus in the Life by Suetonius, occurring just before the mention of the visit to Athens. As the text stands it suggests that the visit to Athens occurred after the victory at the Neronia. Otherwise it would seem more probable that Lucan went to Athens somewhat earlier (e.g. 57 A.D.) to complete his education. 252. Sueton., Vacca. 253. Vacca; Tac. _Ann._ xv. 49; Dion. lxii. 29. 254. Vacca. 255. Suetonius. 256. Suetonius. 257. Sueton.; Tac. _Ann._ xv. 56. 258. Vacca; Sueton.; Tac. _Ann._ xv. 70. Various passages in the _Pharsalia_ have been suggested as suitable for Lucan's recitation at his last gasp, iii. 638-41, vii. 608-15, ix. 811. 259. Statius, in his _Genethliacon Lucani_ (_Silv._ ii. 7. 54), seems to indicate the order of the poems: ac primum teneris adhuc in annis ludes Hectora Thessalosque currus et supplex Priami potentis aurum, et sedes reserabis inferorum; ingratus Nero duleibus theatris et noster tibi proferetur Orpheus, dices culminibus Remi vagantis infandos domini nocentis ignes, hinc castae titulum decusque Pollae iucunda dabis adlocutione. mox coepta generosior iuventa albos ossibus Italis Philippos et Pharsalica bella detonabis. Cp. also Vacca, 'extant eius complures et alii, ut Iliacon, Saturnalia, Catachthonion, Silvarum x, tragoedia Medea imperfecta, salticae fabulae xiv, et epigrammata (MSS. _appamata_ sive _ippamata_), prosae orationes in Octavium Sagittam et pro eo, de incendio Urbis, epistularum ex Campania, non fastidiendi quidem omnes, tales tamen ut belli civili videantur accessio.' 260. Vacca. 261. See chapter on Statius. 262. See chapter on Drama. 263. Cp. Mart., bks. xiii and xiv. 264. There are two fragments from the _Iliacon_, two from the _Orpheus_, one from the _Catachthonion_, two from the _Epigrammata_, together with a few scanty references in ancient commentators and grammarians: see Postgate, _Corp. Poet. Lat._ 265. Vacca, 'ediderat ... tres libros, quales videmus.' 266. Sueton. 'civile bellum ... recitavit ut praefatione quadem aetatem et initia sua comparans ausus sit dicere, "quantum mihi restat ad Culicem".' Cp. also Stat, _Silv._ ii. 7. 73:-- haec (Pharsalia) primo iuvenis canes sub aevo ante annos Culicis Maroniani. Vergil was twenty-six when he composed the _Culex_. Cp. Ribbeck, _App. Verg._ p. 19. 267. Vacca, 'reliqui septem belli civilis libri locum calumniantibus tanquam mendosi non darent; qui tametsi sub vero crimine non egent patrocinio: in iisdem dici, quod in Ovidii libris praescribitur, potest: emendaturus, si licuisset, erat.' 268. See p. 4.