(_c_) His references to philosophy. Cf. l. 17, 'nec Pythagoream dogmam doctus'; l. 72, 'Democritus Abderites physicus philosophus,' etc. For views on Laberius cf. Hor. _Sat._ i, 10, 5, 'Nam sic et Laberi mimos ut pulchra poemata mirer.' Cic. _ad Fam._ xii. 18, 2 (written B.C. 46), 'Equidem sic iam obdurui ut ludis Caesaris nostri animo aequissimo viderem T. Plancum, audirem Laberi et Publili poemata.' Contemporaries of Laberius were the satirist Abuccius, and Egnatius, who wrote a didactic poem _de rerum natura_. M. FURIUS BIBACULUS. According to Jerome, Bibaculus was born B.C. 103, but, as he laughs at the old age of the grammarian Orbilius (114-c. 17 B.C.), authorities put the date twenty years later. Jerome yr. Abr. 1914, 'M. Furius poeta cognomento Bibaculus Cremonae nascitur.' Sueton. _Gramm._ 9, '[Orbilius] vixit prope ad centesimum aetatis annum, amissa iam pridem memoria, ut versus Bibaculi docet, "Orbilius ubinam est, litterarum oblivio?"' Bibaculus wrote poems against the monarchical party; these are referred to as _iambi_ by Quintilian, x. 1, 96. Tac. _Ann._ iv. 34, 'Carmina Bibaculi et Catulli referta contumeliis Caesarum leguntur: sed ipse divus Iulius, ipse divus Augustus et tulere ista et reliquere.' Two epics, _Aethiopis_ and _Bellum Gallicum_ (on Iulius Caesar's exploits), are probably referred to by Hor. _Sat._ i. 10, 36, 'Turgidus Alpinus iugulat dum Memnona, dumque diffingit Rheni luteum caput.' Acron _ad loc._, 'Bibaculum quemdam poetam Gallum tangit.' Cf. Hor. _Sat._ ii. 5, 40, 'Seu pingui tentus omaso Furius hibernas cana nive conspuet Alpes.' Acron _ad loc._, 'Furius Bibaculus in pragmatia belli Gallici: Iuppiter hibernas,' etc. It is probably from this epic that Macrob. _Saturn._ vi. 1, 31-4, quotes passages imitated by Virgil. So, 'Furius in primo annali "Interea Oceani linquens Aurora cubile."' (Cf. Virg. _Aen._ iv. 585.) Bibaculus also wrote a prose work _Lucubrationes_. (Pliny _N.H._ xxiv. praef.) CAESAR. (1) LIFE. The main facts of C. Iulius Caesar's life are found in a compendious form in the Life by Suetonius. The ancient authorities, who are unanimous in stating that at the time of his death (15th March, B.C. 44) Caesar was in his fifty-sixth year (Sueton. _Iul._ 88, Appian _B.C._ ii. 149, Plut. _Caes._ 69), must have placed his birth in B.C. 100. But if this date were correct Caesar must have held the various magistracies two years before the legal time--a fact nowhere mentioned, and in itself improbable; it is therefore natural to hold that he was born in B.C. 102 (Mommsen, _R.H._ iv., p. 15, note). His birthday was 12th July (Macrob. _Saturn._ i, 12, 34).