Through the Year With Famous Authors Part 62

If you wish me to weep, you yourself must feel grief.

"Ars Poetica," 102,--_Horace_.

HORACE (QUINTUS HORATIUS FLACCUS), the great Latin lyric poet, was born at Venusia, Italy, December 8, 65 B.C., and died at Rome November 27, 8 B.C. He wrote: "Satires," "Epodes," "Odes," and his famous "Epistles."

Wit is the flower of the imagination.

--_Livy_.

LIVY, the great Roman historian, was born at Patavium (Padua), 59 B.C., and died there A.D. 17. He wrote the "History of Rome from the Founding of the City," in 142 "books," many of which have been lost.

Perjuria ridet amantum Jupiter.[1]

--_Tibullus_.

ALBIUS TIBULLUS, a renowned Roman poet, was born about 54 B.C., and died probably in 19 B.C. Three books of his elegies have come down to us.

Qua pote quisque in ca conterat diem.[2]

--_Propertius_.

s.e.xTUS PROPERTIUS, the great Roman elegiac poet, was born at Aa.s.sisium, about 50 B.C., and died about 15 B.C. His poems consist of four books.

In my opinion, he only may be truly said to live, and enjoy his being, who is engaged in some laudable pursuit and acquire a name by some ill.u.s.trious action or useful art.

--_Sall.u.s.t_.

SALl.u.s.t, a famous Roman historian, was born about 86 B.C., and died at Rome, about 34 B.C. He wrote: "The Conspiracy of Catiline," and "The History of the War Against Jugurtha."

A good man possesses a kingdom.

"Thyestes," 380,--_Seneca_.

LUCIUS ANNAEUS SENECA, an ill.u.s.trious Roman philosopher, was born at Corduba, in Spain, about the year 4 B.C., and died A.D. 65. Many of his writings have come down to our time, among them 124 "Epistles to Lucilius," containing exhortations to the practice of virtue: "On Providence," "Anger," "Of Benefits," and "Natural History Questions,"

also, several tragedies, among them, "Phaedra," "Thyestes," and "Medea."

Habit is stronger than nature.

--_Quintus Curtius Rufus_.

QUINTUS CURTIUS RUFUS a notable Eoman historian, was born about the first century A.D. He is the author of "De Rebus Gestis Alexandri Magni"

(Deeds of Alexander the Great), in ten books, the first two of which are lost.

The best plan is, as the common proverb has it, to profit by the folly of others.

Natural History, Book xviii, Sect. 31,--_Pliny the Elder_.

PLINY THE ELDER, a celebrated Roman compiler of encyclopaedic knowledge, was born at Novum Comum, (Como), A.D. 23; and died A.D. 79. He wrote: "A Natural History" in 37 books, compiled from more than 2,000 volumes.

Hunger is the teacher of the arts and the bestower of invention.

--_Persius_.

AULUS PERSIUS FLACCUS, a famous Latin satiric poet, was born at Volaterrae in Etruria, 34 A.D., and died A.D. 62. He wrote six satires, and they are all extant.

A liar should have a good memory.

"Inst.i.tutionis Oratoriae," iv, 2, 91,--_Quintilian_.

QUINTILIAN, the famous Roman rhetorician, was born about A.D. 35, at Calagurris (Calahorra), Spain, and died about A.D. 95 or 96. His great work, "Inst.i.tutionis Oratoriae," is one of the most renowned cla.s.sical works on rhetoric.

Alta sedent civilis vulnera dextrae.[3]

"Pharsalia," I, 32,--_Lucan_.

MARCUS ANNAEUS LUCa.n.u.s (LUCAN), a celebrated Latin poet, was born at Cordova, Spain, A.D. 39, and died at Rome, A.D. 65. He is best known by his epic poem, "Pharsalia."

Quid crastina volveret aetas, Scire nefos homini.[4]

"Thebaid," III. 562,--_Statius_.

PUBLIUS PAPINIUS STATIUS, a famous Roman poet, was born at Naples, about A.D. 45, and died there, about A.D. 96. His chief work is, "The Thebaid," an epic poem in twelve books.

Difficulties are things that show what men are.

"Discourses," Chap. xxiv,--_Epictetus_.

EPICTETUS, a celebrated Greek Stoic philosopher, was born at Hierapolis in Phrygia, about A.D. 50. No works of his have come down to our time, but his maxims were collected and published in the "Encheiridion," or Handbook, and the "Commentaries" in eight books.

The G.o.ds looked with favour on superior courage.

--_Tacitus_.

PUBLIUS CORNELIUS TACITUS, a great Latin historian, was born about A.D.

54. He wrote the dialogue "De Oratoribus," the "Annals," the "Agricola,"