The difference of authorship of _Ecl._ 1-7 and of _Ecl._ 8-11 is shown
by the following: (1) Final _ŏ_ shows classical usage in 1-7, but in
8-11 we have _expectŏ_ (9, 26), _coniungŏ_ (10, 14), _ambŏ_ (9, 17),
and the like; (2) 1-7 show only eight elisions, 7-11 show thirty-nine;
(3) no ending like _montivagus Pan_ (10, 17) is found in 1-7; (4)
_fateor_ and _memini_ used parenthetically are common in 1-7, and not
found in 8-11; (5) there are no allusions to the emperor in 8-11; (6)
_Ecl._ 9 shows imitations of _Ecl._ 2 and 3; (7) 8-11 agree in many
points with Nemesianus' _Cynegetica_.
The _Eclogues_ are modelled chiefly on Virgil and Theocritus, _e.g._
_Ecl._ 3 on Verg. _Ecl._ 7 and Theocr. 3, 14, and 23.
The poem _de laude Pisonis_ is now generally attributed to Calpurnius
Siculus. One point of similarity with Calpurnius' other poems is the
rareness of elision, there being only two instances (ll. 24, 259). The
description of Piso's liberality and eloquence (ll. 32, 88, 97 _sqq._)
and of his skill in draughts (ll. 178-96) corresponds with the
information given by Tac. _Ann._ xv. 48 and the Schol. on Iuv. 5, 109,
about Calpurnius Piso, who flourished under Claudius.
AETNA.
This poem, in 645 hexameter lines, is attributed to Virgil in the
MSS., but is probably by Lucilius Iunior, to whom Seneca addresses his
_Epistulae Morales_, _De Providentia_, and _Quaestiones Naturales_.
Lucilius was younger than Seneca (Sen. _Ep._ 26, 7, 'iuvenior es'),
and was born at Naples or Pompeii.
Sen. _Ep._ 49, 1, 'Ecce Campania et maxime Neapolis ad Pompeiorum
tuorum conspectum incredibile est quam recens desiderium tui
fecerint.'
Lucilius had held procuratorial offices in Alpes Graiae et Poeninae,
Epirus, Creta et Cyrene, and Sicily.
_Ibid._ 44, 2, 'Eques Romanus es et ad hunc ordinem tua te perduxit
industria.' _Ibid._ 31, 9, 'Quo modo, inquis, isto pervenitur? Non per
Poeninum Graiumve montem, nec per deserta Candaviae, nec Syrtes tibi
nec Scylla aut Charybdis adeundae sunt, quae tamen omnia transisti
procuratiunculae pretio.'[80]
Sen. _N.Q._ iv. praef. 1, 'Delectat te, Lucili, Sicilia et officium
procurationis otiosae.'
For his life cf. also the words put into his mouth by Sen. _N.Q._ iv.
praef. 15-17, which show his loyalty to his friends, 'Non mihi in
amicitia Gaetulici (died A.D. 39) vel Gaius fidem eripuit, non in
aliorum persona infeliciter amatorum Messalla et Narcissus ...
propositum meum avertere potuerunt ... videbam apud Gaium tormenta,
videbam ignes.'[81]
Seneca speaks of him as a pupil in philosophy in _Ep._ 34, 2, 'Adsero
te mihi: meum opus es.'
A literary work of his is spoken of by Seneca, also a poem in which he
mentions Alpheus and Arethusa:
_Ep._ 46, 1, 'Librum tuum, quem mihi promiseras, accepi. Levis mihi
visus est, cum esset nec mei nec tui corporis, sed qui primo adspectu
aut T. Livi aut Epicuri posset videri ... Non tantum delectatus, sed
gavisus sum.'