Sueton. _Gramm._ 2, 'C. Octavius Lampadio Naevii Punicum bellum, uno volumine et continenti scriptura expositum, divisit in septem libros.' Books i. and ii. contained the mythical origin of Rome and Carthage, Aeneas' flight from Troy and his sojourn at the court of Dido in Carthage. In Book iii. the history of the First Punic War commenced. The work was imitated by Ennius and Virgil, sometimes closely by the latter. Cf. Servius on _Aen._ i. 198-207, 'O socii,' etc. 'Et totus hic locus de Naevio belli Punici libro translatus est.' _Ibid._ i. 273, 'Naevius et Ennius Aeneae ex filia nepotem Romulum conditorem urbis tradunt.' Macrob. _Saturn._ vi. 2, 31, 'In principio Aeneidos tempestas describitur et Venus apud Iovem queritur ... Hic locus totus sumptus a Naevio est ex primo libro belli Punici.' PLAUTUS (1) LIFE. Plautus' full name, T. Maccius Plautus, was discovered by Ritschl in the Ambrosian (Milan) palimpsest, which gives, _e.g._ after the two plays named: 'T. Macci Plauti Casina explicit': 'Macci Plauti Epidicus explicit.' In Plaut. _Merc._ l. 6, the MS. reading _Mactici_ was emended by Ritschl to _Macci Titi_; and in _Asin._ prol. l. 11, _Maccius_ is the right reading. The MSS. read _Maccus_, which Bücheler (_Rhein. Mus._ 41, 12) takes to mean 'buffoon,' or 'writer of comedies,' from which Plautus took his family name, Maccius, on becoming a Roman citizen. 'M. Accius,' formerly supposed to be the name, is found in no MS., but 'Accius' is found in _Epitome Festi_, p. 239, which gives us the poet's birthplace, Sarsina in Umbria, and suggests another derivation for his name: 'Ploti appellantur, qui sunt planis pedibus, unde et poeta Accius, quia Umber Sarsinas erat, a pedum planitie initio Plotus, postea Plautus est dictus.' In the corresponding passage of Festus, we have only '...us poeta, quia Umber,' etc. The name of the poet is lost, and the epitomizer has doubtless made a mistake. Sarsina is mentioned once by Plautus, _Mostell._ 770, 'Quid? Sarsinatis ecquast, si Umbram non habes?' The year of his birth can only be conjectured; he died B.C. 184. Cic. _Brut._ 60, 'Plautus P. Claudio L. Porcio coss. mortuus est.' Jerome erroneously assigns Plautus' death to yr. Abr. 1817 = B.C. 200, 'Plautus ex Umbria Sarsinas Romae moritur, qui propter annonae difficultatem ad molas manuarias pistori se locaverat; ibi quotiens ab opere vacaret, scribere fabulas et vendere sollicitius consueverat.' From this notice, and from the passage of Gellius below, we learn that Plautus lost in foreign trade the money he had made as an assistant to scenic artists, and had to work for his living in a flour mill at Rome, during which time he wrote plays, and continued to do so afterwards.