1. _Poets._ The Neronian period an epoch--Peculiar characteristics of its writers --Literary pretensions of Caligula--of Claudius--of Nero--Poem on Calpurnius Piso--Relation of philosophy to life--Cornutus--Persius--Lucan --Criticism of the _Pharsalia_--Eclogues of Calpurnius--The poem on Etna-- Tragedies of Seneca--The _apokolokuntosis_. CHAPTER III. _The Reigns of Caligula, Claudius, and Nero._ 2. _Prose Writers--Seneca._ His importance--Life and writings--Influence of his exile--Relations with Nero--His death--Is he a Stoic?--Gradual convergence of the different schools of thought--Seneca a _teacher_ more than anything else--His conception of philosophy--Supposed connection with Christianity--Estimate of his character and style. CHAPTER IV. _The Reigns of Caligula, Claudius, and Nero._ 3. _Other Prose Writers_. Domitius Corbulo--Quintus Curtius--Columella--Pomponius Mela-- Valerius Protius--Petronius Arbiter--Account of his extant fragments. APPENDIX.--Note I. The _Testamentum Porcelli_, " II. On the MS. of Petronius. CHAPTER V. _The Reigns of the Flavian Emperors_ (69-96 A.D.). 1. _Prose Writers_. A new literary epoch--Marked by common characteristics--Decay of national genius--Pliny the elder--Account of his death translated from the younger Pliny--His studious habits--The _Natural History_--Its character and value--Quintilian--Account of his book _de Institutione Oratoria_-- Frontinus--A valuable and accurate writer--Grammatical studies. APPENDIX.--Quintilian's Criticism on the Roman Authors. CHAPTER VI. _The Reigns of Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian_ (69-96 A.D.). 2. _Poets_. Reduced scope of poetry--Poetry the most dependent on external conditions of any form of written literature--Valerius Flaccus--Silius--His death as described by Pliny--His poem--The elder Statius--Statius--An extempore poet--His public recitations--The _Silvae_--The _Thebaid_ and _Achilleid_ --His similes--Arruntius Stella--Martial--His death as recounted by Pliny --The epigram--Other poets. APPENDIX.--On the Similes of Virgil, Lucan, and Statius. CHAPTER VII. _The Reigns of Nerva and Trajan_ (96-117 A.D.). Pliny the younger--His oratory--His correspondence--Letter to Trajan --Velius Longus--Hyginus--Balbus--Flaccus--Juvenal--His life--A finished declaimer--His character--His political views--Style--Tacitus--Dialogue on eloquence--_Agricola_--_Germania_--_Histories_--Annals_ --Intended work on Augustus's reign--Style. CHAPTER VIII. _The Reigns of Hadrian and the Antonines_ (117-180 A.D.). Era of African Latinity--Differs from the Silver Age--Hadrian's poetry --Suetonius--His life--List of writings--Lives of the Caesars--His account of Nero's death--Florus--Salvius Julianus and Sextus Pomponius--Fronto-- His relations with Aurelius--List of his works--Gellius--Gaius--Poems of the period--_Pervigilium Veneris_--Apuleius--_De Magia_--_Metamorphoses_ or Golden Ass--Cupid and Psyche--His philosophical works. CHAPTER IX.