Roman and Greek Literature have their periods of study--Influence of each --Exactness of Latin language--Greek origin of Latin literature--Its three great periods: (1) The Ante-Classical Period; (2) The Golden Age; (3) The Decline. BOOK I FROM LIVIUS ANDRONICUS TO SULLA (240-80 B.C.). CHAPTER I. _On the Earliest Remains of the Latin Language._ Early inhabitants of Italy--Italic dialects--Latin--Latin alphabet--Later innovations--Pronunciation--Spelling--Early Monuments--Song of Fratres Arvales--Salian Hymn--Law of Romulus--Laws of Twelve Tables--Treaty between Rome and Carthage--_Columna Rastrata_--Epitaphs of the Scipios-- _Senatus Consultum de Bacchanalibus_--Break-up of the language. APPENDIX.--Examples of late corrupted dialects CHAPTER II. _On the Beginnings of Roman Literature._ The Latin character--Romans a practical people--Their religion unromantic --Primitive culture of Latium--Germs of drama and epos--No early historians--Early speeches--Ballad literature--No early Roman epos--Poets despised--_Fescenninae_--_Saturae_--_Mime_ or _Planipes_--_Atellanae_- Saturnian metre--Early interest in politics and law as giving the germs of oratory and jurisprudence. CHAPTER III. _The Introduction of Greek Literature--Livius and Naevius_ (240-204 B.C.). Introduction of Greek literature to Rome--Its first translators--Livius Andronicus--His translation of the _Odyssey_, Tragedies, &c.--Cn. Naevius--Inventor of _Praetextae_--Style--A politician--Writer of the first national epic poem--His exile and death--Cicero's opinion of him-- His epitaph. CHAPTER IV. _Roman Comedy--Plautus to Turpilius_ (254-103 B.C.). The Roman theatre--Plan of construction--Comedy--Related to Athenian Middle and New Comedy--Plautus--His plays--Their plots and style-- _Palliatae_ and _Togatae_--His metres--Caecilius--Admires Terence-- Terence--His intimate friends--His style--Use of _contamination_--Lesser comedians. CHAPTER V. _Roman Tragedy: Ennius--Accius_ (233-94 B.C.). Contrast between Greek and Roman tragedy--Oratorical form of Latin tragedy--Ennius--The father of Roman poetry--His _humamitas_--Relations with Scipio--A follower of Pythagoras--His tragedies--Pacuvius--Painter and tragedian--Cicero's criticism of his _Niptra_--His epitaph--L. Accius --The last tragic writer--A reformer of spelling. APPENDIX.--On some fragments of Sueius or Suevius. CHAPTER VI. _Epic Poetry: Ennius--Furius_ (200-100 B.C.). Naevius and Ennius--Olympic deities and heroes of Roman story--Hexameter of Ennius--Its treatment--Matius--Hostius--Furius. CHAPTER VII. _The Early History of Satire: Ennius to Lucilius_ (200-103 B.C.). Roman satire a native growth--Origin of word "_Saturae_"--It is didactic--Not necessarily poetical in form--Ennius--Pacuvius--Lucilius-- The objects of his attack--His popularity--His humility--His style and language. CHAPTER VIII.