The Roman Poets of the Republic

PAGE

Recent change in the estimate of Roman Poetry 1

Want of originality 2

As compared with Greek Poetry 2

" " with Roman Oratory and History 3

The most complete literary monument of Rome 5

Partly imitative, partly original 6

Imitative in forms 7

" in metres 8

Imitative element in diction 9

" " in matter 11

Original character, partly Roman, partly Italian 13

National spirit 14

Imaginative sentiment 15

Moral feeling 16

Italian element in Roman Poetry 17

Love of Nature 17

Passion of Love 19

Personal element in Roman Poetry 20

Four Periods of Roman Poetry 23

Character of each 24

Conclusion 26

Niebuhr's theory of a Ballad-Poetry 28

The Saturnian metre 29

Ritual Hymns 31

Prophetic verses 33

Fescennine verses 34

Saturae[page viii] 36

Gnomic verses 37

Commemorative verses 37

Inferences as to their character 38

" from early state of the language 39

No public recognition of Poetry 40

Roman story result of tradition and reflection 41

Inferences from the nature of Roman religion 43

" from the character and pursuits of the people 44

Roman Poetry of Italian rather than Roman origin 45

FIRST PERIOD.

FROM LIVIUS ANDRONICUS TO LUCILIUS.

CN. NAEVIUS, 240-202 b.c.

Contact with Greece after capture of Tarentum 47

First period of Roman literature 49

Forms of Poetry during this period 50

Livius Andronicus 51

Cn. Naevius, his life 52

Dramas 55

Epic poem 57

Style 59

Conclusion 60