Life
Marcus Pacuvius was born at Brundisium around 220 BCE. According to Pliny the Elder, he was the son of Ennius’ sister and a Romanized Oscan. He was part of the literary circle that surrounded Laelius, though some doubt such a circle even existed. Beyond his tragedies, he was also quite famous for his paintings; Pliny reports that a painting of Pacuvius’ in the temple of Hercules in the Forum Boarium survived into his own day.
Works
Pacuvius was primarily a tragedian. While none of his tragedies are extant, around 450 lines have been preserved in quotations by later authors. Further, one praetexta is known, Paullus, about L. Aemilius Paullus’ victory at Pydna in 168 BCE. He may also have written one satura and one comedy.
Legacy
While Pacuvius was better known for his painting, his tragedies were still appreciated. Cicero rated Pacuvius foremost among the Roman tragedians, despite pointing out oddities in his language. Those oddities earned him mockery from Lucilius, a near contemporary, who ridiculed Pacuvius’ habit of compounding different roots together, e.g. repandirostrum, incurvicervicum, and, as noted above, Dulorestes—a common feature of Greek, but awkward in Latin.
Pacuvius Online
Latin: PHI Latin Texts
Further Reading
- Gesine Manuwald 2011. Roman Republican Theatre. Cambridge.
