Pacuvius
- the name of a Roman gens. So esp. Pacuvius, a celebrated Roman poet, a native of Brundisium, nephew of Ennius, and contemporary of P. Scipio Africanus, Cic. Opt. Gen. Or. 1, 1; id. Brut. 64, 229; id. Fin. 1, 2, 4; id. Or. 11, 36; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 56; Quint. 10, 1, 97. He is also said to have distinguished himself as a painter, Plin. 35, 4, 7, § 19.—Sync. form: Pacui discipulus dicor, porro is fuit Enni, Enniu' musarum, Varr. ap. Non. 88, 4; Plin. 35, 4, 7, § 19 Jan.—Hence,
- II Pā-cŭvĭānus, a, um, adj., Pacuvian: physicus, Cic. Div. 1, 57, 131: testudo, described by Pacuvius, Tert. Pall. 3: ex quibus est Pacuvianum illud: nam si qui, etc., that Pacuvian verse, Gell. 14, 1, 34.
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…quis est qui id non maximis efferat laudibus qui clamores tota cavea nuper in hospitis et amici mei M. Pacuvi nova fabula, cum ignorante rege uter Orestes esset, Pylades Orestem se esse diceret, ut pro illo necaretur…
M. Tullius Cicero, De Amicitia
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…Scipionem aetatis illius ista fuit laus tamquam innocentiae sic Latine loquendi nec omnium tamen, nam illorum aequalis Caecilium et Pacuvium male locutos videmus sed omnes tum fere, qui nec extra urbem hanc vixerant neque eos aliqua barbaries domestica infuscaverat…
M. Tullius Cicero, Brutus
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…. Orata v. Sergius Orata Orcus Orestes et Pylades egregiumamicorum par sqq. sqq. cf. M. Pacuvius Oroetes, Darei praetor M. Pacuvius eius Antiopa verba ex eius Duloreste sqq. versus eius extragoedia incerta sqq…
M. Tullius Cicero, de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum
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…Orestes et Pylades egregiumamicorum par sqq. sqq. cf. M. Pacuvius Oroetes, Darei praetor M. Pacuvius eius Antiopa verba ex eius Duloreste sqq. versus eius extragoedia incerta sqq. Panaetius Rhodius, Stoicus scripsit ad…
M. Tullius Cicero, de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum
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…quod aliud aliis videtur optimum. Ennio delector, ait quispiam, quod non discedit a communi more verborum ; Pacuvio, inquit alius omnes apud hunc ornati elaboratique sunt versus, multo apud alterum neglegentius ; fac alium Accio ;…
M. Tullius Cicero, Orator
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…homine dicitur quod est. Itaque licet dicere et Ennium summum epicum poetam, si cui ita videtur, et Pacuvium tragicum et Caecilium fortasse comi cum. oratorem genere non divido ; perfectum enim quaero. Vnum est autem genus…
M. Tullius Cicero, De Optimo Genere Oratorum
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…, Neapolitani Necessitas Nemeaeus leo Neoptolemus. Neptunus, Neptunii equi Nestor Nicocreon v. Timocreon Nioba Niptra v. Pacuvius Nobilior v. Fulvius Numa Oceanus Octavius, Cn. cos. Oeneus Oenomaus Oeta Oileus Olympia locus ludi Olympionices…
M. Tullius Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes
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…ne mo spectat, cae li scrutantu r plagas. Atque idem multum enim illum audiebam et libenter Zethum illum Pacuvii nimis inimicum doctrinae esse dicebat ; magis eum delectabat Neoptolemus Ennii, qui se ait philosophari velle, sed paucis…
M. Tullius Cicero, De Republica
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…cum multo maioribus natu quam essent ipsi et cum aliquanto minoribus compararentur. Vt Accius isdem aedilibus ait se et Pacuvium docuisse fabulam, cum ille octoginta, ipse triginta annos natus esset sic Hortensius non cum suis aequalibus solum sed…
M. Tullius Cicero, Brutus
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…. quid enim causae est cur poetas Latinos Graecis litteris eruditi legant, philosophos non legant an quia delectat Ennius Pacuvius Accius multi alii, qui non verba sed vim Graecorum expresserunt poetarum quanto magis philosophi delectabunt, si ut illi…
M. Tullius Cicero, Academica
Marcus. A Roman tragedian, born about B.C. 220 at Brundisium. He is described as being the son of Ennius's sister, and pupil of the poet (Euseb. Chron. 156, 3; Cic. Brut. 64). He spent most of his life at Rome, where he gained his livelihood as a dramatic poet and as a painter. In his old age he returned to Lower Italy, and died there, at the age of ninety, about B.C. 130 (Gell.i. 24). He is the first Roman dramatist who confined himself to the composition of tragedies. Titles and fragments of some thirteen of his imitations of Greek plays are preserved, as well as fragments of a fabula praetexta entitled Paulus, whose hero was probably the victor of Pydna, Aemilius Paulus. If this small number justifies any opinion on his poetical activity, he was far less productive than his predecessor Ennius and his successor Attius. Nevertheless, he and Attius were considered the most important tragedians of Rome. In the judgment of literary critics, who followed the traditions of the Ciceronian Age, he was preferred to Attius for finish and learning, but Attius excelled him in fire and natural power (Hor. Epist. ii. 1, 55, 56; Quint. x. 1, 97). His style was praised for its copiousness, dignity, and stateliness, though Cicero (Brutus, 258) declines to give him credit for pure and genuine Latinity. Even in Cicero's time, however, the revival of his plays was often welcomed by Roman audiences, and for his dignity and command of language he was often styled doctus. Pacuvius was also successful in his painting, and one of his works in the temple of Hercules in the Forum Boarium was greatly admired (Gell. xiii.2.2).
The dramatic fragments of Pacuvius are edited by Ribbeck (Leipzig, 1871). See a paper by Prof. Nettleship in the (English) Journal of Philology, xviii. 263 foll.; and Mommsen, Hist. of Rome, iii. p. 536 (American ed.).