The History of Roman Literature: From the Earliest Period to the Death of Marcus Aurelius — Marcus Aurelius — John Shaqi
The History of Roman Literature: From the Earliest Period to the Death of Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius · en
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.