The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, Volume 13: Grammarians and Rhetoricians

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of Lives Of Eminent Grammarians And Rhetoricians, by C. Suetonius TranquillusThis eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it,give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online atwww.gutenberg.netTitle: Lives Of Eminent Grammarians And Rhetoricians The Lives Of The Twelve Caesars, Volume 13.Author: C. Suetonius TranquillusRelease Date: December 14, 2004 [EBook #6398]Language: English*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LIVES OF EMINENT GRAMMARIANS ***Produced by Tapio Riikonen and David WidgerTHE LIVES OF THE TWELVE CAESARS By C. Suetonius Tranquillus;To which are added,HIS LIVES OF THE GRAMMARIANS, RHETORICIANS, AND POETS. The Translation of Alexander Thomson, M.D. revised and corrected by T.Forester, Esq., A.M.LIVES OF EMINENT GRAMMARIANS(506)I. The science of grammar [842] was in ancient times far from being in vogue at Rome; indeed, it was of little use in arude state of society, when the people were engaged in constant wars, and had not much time to bestow on thecultivation of the liberal arts [843]. At the outset, its pretensions were very slender, for the earliest men of learning, whowere both poets and orators, may be considered as ...
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The Project Gutenberg EBook of Lives Of EminentGrammarians And Rhetoricians, by C. SuetoniusTranquillusThis eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere atno cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever.You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under theterms of the Project Gutenberg License includedwith this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.netTitle: Lives Of Eminent Grammarians AndRhetoricians The Lives Of The Twelve Caesars,Volume 13.Author: C. Suetonius TranquillusRelease Date: December 14, 2004 [EBook #6398]Language: English*E**B OSTOAK RLTI VOEFS  TOHFI SE PMRINOEJNETC TG GRAUTMEMNABREIRANGS ***Produced by Tapio Riikonen and David Widger
TTHWEE LLIVVEE CS AOEFS TAHRES                                   By                       C. Suetonius Tranquillus;To which are added,RHIHSE LTIOVREISC IOAFN TS,H AE NGDR PAOMEMTAS.RIANS,                          The Translation of                        Alexander Thomson, M.D.                        revised and corrected by                         T.Forester, Esq., A.M.
LGIRVEASM MOFA REIMAINNSENT)605(I. The science of grammar [842] was in ancienttimes far from being in vogue at Rome; indeed, itwas of little use in a rude state of society, when thepeople were engaged in constant wars, and hadnot much time to bestow on the cultivation of theliberal arts [843]. At the outset, its pretensionswere very slender, for the earliest men of learning,who were both poets and orators, may beconsidered as half-Greek: I speak of Livius [844]and Ennius [845], who are acknowledged to havetaught both languages as well at Rome as inforeign parts [846]. But they (507) only translatedfrom the Greek, and if they composed anything oftheir own in Latin, it was only from what they hadbefore read. For although there are those who saythat this Ennius published two books, one on"Letters and Syllables," and the other on "Metres,"Lucius Cotta has satisfactorily proved that they arenot the works of the poet Ennius, but of anotherwriter of the same name, to whom also the treatiseon the "Rules of Augury" is attributed.II. Crates of Mallos [847], then, was, in our opinion,the first who introduced the study of grammar atRome. He was cotemporary with Aristarchus [848],and having been sent by king Attalus as envoy tothe senate in the interval between the second and
third Punic wars [849], soon after the death ofEnnius [850], he had the misfortune to fall into anopen sewer in the Palatine quarter of the city, andbroke his leg. After which, during the whole periodof his embassy and convalescence, he gavefrequent lectures, taking much pains to instruct hishearers, and he has left us an example well worthyof imitation. It was so far followed, that poemshitherto little known, the works either of deceasedfriends or other approved writers, were brought tolight, and being read and commented on, wereexplained to others. Thus, Caius OctaviusLampadio edited the Punic War of Naevius [851],which having been written in one volume withoutany break in the manuscript, he divided into sevenbooks. After that, Quintus Vargonteius undertookthe Annals of Ennius, which he read on certainfixed days to crowded audiences. So LaeliusArchelaus, and Vectius Philocomus, read andcommented on the Satires of their friend Lucilius[852], which Lenaeus Pompeius, a freedman, tellsus he studied under Archelaus; and Valerius Cato,under Philocomus. Two others also taught andpromoted (508) grammar in various branches,namely, Lucius Aelius Lanuvinus, the son-in-law ofQuintus Aelius, and Servius Claudius, both ofwhom were Roman knights, and men whorendered great services both to learning and therepublic.III. Lucius Aelius had a double cognomen, for hewas called Praeconius, because his father was aherald; Stilo, because he was in the habit ofcomposing orations for most of the speakers of
highest rank; indeed, he was so strong a partisanof the nobles, that he accompanied QuintusMetellus Numidicus [853] in his exile. Servius [854]having clandestinely obtained his father-in-law'sbook before it was published, was disowned for thefraud, which he took so much to heart, that,overwhelmed with shame and distress, he retiredfrom Rome; and being seized with a fit of the gout,in his impatience, he applied a poisonous ointmentto his feet, which half-killed him, so that his lowerlimbs mortified while he was still alive. After this,more attention was paid to the science of letters,and it grew in public estimation, insomuch, thatmen of the highest rank did not hesitate inundertaking to write something on the subject; andit is related that sometimes there were no less thantwenty celebrated scholars in Rome. So high wasthe value, and so great were the rewards, ofgrammarians, that Lutatius Daphnides, jocularlycalled "Pan's herd" [855] by Lenaeus Melissus, waspurchased by Quintus Catullus for two hundredthousand sesterces, and shortly afterwards madea freedman; and that Lucius Apuleius, who wastaken into the pay of Epicius Calvinus, a wealthyRoman knight, at the annual salary of ten thousandcrowns, had many scholars. Grammar alsopenetrated into the provinces, and some of themost eminent amongst the learned taught it inforeign parts, particularly in Gallia Togata. In thenumber of these, we may reckon Octavius (509)Teucer, Siscennius Jacchus, and Oppius Cares[856], who persisted in teaching to a mostadvanced period of his life, at a time when he wasnot only unable to walk, but his sight failed.
IV. The appellation of grammarian was borrowedfrom the Greeks; but at first, the Latins called suchpersons literati. Cornelius Nepos, also, in his book,where he draws a distinction between a literate anda philologist, says that in common phrase, thoseare properly called literati who are skilled inspeaking or writing with care or accuracy, andthose more especially deserve the name whotranslated the poets, and were called grammariansby the Greeks. It appears that they were namedliterators by Messala Corvinus, in one of his letters,when he says, "that it does not refer to FuriusBibaculus, nor even to Sigida, nor to Cato, theliterator," [857] meaning, doubtless, that ValeriusCato was both a poet and an eminent grammarian.Some there are who draw a distinction between aliterati and a literator, as the Greeks do between agrammarian and a grammatist, applying the formerterm to men of real erudition, the latter to thosewhose pretensions to learning are moderate; andthis opinion Orbilius supports by examples. For hesays that in old times, when a company of slaveswas offered for sale by any person, it was notcustomary, without good reason, to describe eitherof them in the catalogue as a literati, but only as aliterator, meaning that he was not a proficient inletters, but had a smattering of knowledge.The early grammarians taught rhetoric also, andwe have many of their treatises which include bothsciences; whence it arose, I think, that in latertimes, although the two professions had thenbecome distinct, the old custom was retained, or
the grammarians introduced into their teachingsome of the elements required for public speaking,such as the problem, the periphrasis, the choice ofwords, description of character, and the like; inorder that they might not transfer (510) their pupilsto the rhetoricians no better than ill-taught boys.But I perceive that these lessons are now given upin some cases, on account of the want ofapplication, or the tender years, of the scholar, forI do not believe that it arises from any dislike in themaster. I recollect that when I was a boy it was thecustom of one of these, whose name wasPrinceps, to take alternate days for declaiming anddisputing; and sometimes he would lecture in themorning, and declaim in the afternoon, when hehad his pulpit removed. I heard, also, that evenwithin the memories of our own fathers, some ofthe pupils of the grammarians passed directly fromthe schools to the courts, and at once took a highplace in the ranks of the most distinguishedadvocates. The professors at that time were,indeed, men of great eminence, of some of whom Imay be able to give an account in the followingchapters.V. SAEVIUS [858] NICANOR first acquired fameand reputation by his teaching: and, besides, hemade commentaries, the greater part of which,however, are said to have been borrowed. He alsowrote a satire, in which he informs us that he wasa freedman, and had a double cognomen, in thefollowing verses;    Saevius Nicanor Marci libertus negabit,
    Saevius Posthumius idem, sed Marcus, docebit.    What Saevius Nicanor, the freedman of Marcus,will deny,    The same Saevius, called also PosthumiusMarcus, will assert.It is reported, that in consequence of some infamyattached to his character, he retired to Sardinia,and there ended his days.VI. AURELIUS OPILIUS [859], the freedman ofsome Epicurean, first taught philosophy, thenrhetoric, and last of all, grammar. (511) Havingclosed his school, he followed Rutilius Rufus, whenhe was banished to Asia, and there the two friendsgrew old together. He also wrote several volumeson a variety of learned topics, nine books of whichhe distinguished by the number and names of thenine Muses; as he says, not without reason, theybeing the patrons of authors and poets. I observethat its title is given in several indexes by a singleletter, but he uses two in the heading of a bookcalled Pinax.VII. MARCUS ANTONIUS GNIPHO [860], a free-born native of Gaul, was exposed in his infancy,and afterwards received his freedom from hisfoster-father; and, as some say, was educated atAlexandria, where Dionysius Scytobrachion [861]was his fellow pupil. This, however, I am not veryready to believe, as the times at which theyflourished scarcely agree. He is said to have beena man of great genius, of singular memory, well
read in Greek as well as Latin, and of a mostobliging and agreeable temper, who never haggledabout remuneration, but generally left it to theliberality of his scholars. He first taught in thehouse of Julius Caesar [862], when the latter wasyet but a boy, and, afterwards, in his own privatehouse. He gave instruction in rhetoric also,teaching the rules of eloquence every day, butdeclaiming only on festivals. It is said that somevery celebrated men frequented his school,—and,among others, Marcus Cicero, during the time heheld the praetorship [863]. He wrote a number ofworks, although he did not live beyond his fiftiethyear; but Atteius, the philologist [864], says, thathe left only two volumes, "De Latino Sermone;"and, that the other works ascribed to him, werecomposed by his disciples, and were not his,although his name is sometimes to be found in.mehtVIII. M. POMPILIUS ANDRONICUS, a native ofSyria, while he professed to be a grammarian, wasconsidered an idle follower of the Epicurean sect,and little qualified to be a master (512) of a school.Finding, therefore, that, at Rome, not only AntoniusGnipho, but even other teachers of less note werepreferred to him, he retired to Cumae, where helived at his ease; and, though he wrote severalbooks, he was so needy, and reduced to suchstraits, as to be compelled to sell that excellentlittle work of his, "The Index to the Annals," forsixteen thousand sesterces. Orbilius has informedus, that he redeemed this work from the oblivioninto which it had fallen, and took care to have it
published with the author's name.IX. ORBILIUS PUPILLUS, of Beneventum, beingleft an orphan, by the death of his parents, whoboth fell a sacrifice to the plots of their enemies onthe same day, acted, at first, as apparitor to themagistrates. He then joined the troops inMacedonia, when he was first decorated with theplumed helmet [865], and, afterwards, promoted toserve on horseback. Having completed his militaryservice, he resumed his studies, which he hadpursued with no small diligence from his youthupwards; and, having been a professor for a longperiod in his own country, at last, during theconsulship of Cicero, made his way to Rome,where he taught with more reputation than profit.For in one of his works he says, that "he was thenvery old, and lived in a garret." He also published abook with the title of Perialogos; containingcomplaints of the injurious treatment to whichprofessors submitted, without seeking redress atthe hands of parents. His sour temper betrayeditself, not only in his disputes with the sophistsopposed to him, whom he lashed on everyoccasion, but also towards his scholars, as Horacetells us, who calls him "a flogger;" [866] andDomitius Marsus [867], who says of him:        ISf i tqhuosoes  OOrrbbiilliiuuss  fweirtuhl ar osdc uotri cfearquulee  tchercaidsiht.ed.(513) And not even men of rank escaped hissarcasms; for, before he became noticed,happening to be examined as a witness in a
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