Marcus Pacuvius

Pacuvius, Marcus (220–c.130 BC), Roman writer of tragedies (and also a painter), nephew of the poet Ennius, born at Brundisium. There exist the titles and fragments of twelve tragedies, based on Greek originals, and of one fabula praetexta (a drama having its subject in Roman history) on Paullus (probably L. Aemilius Paullus). Of the titles, only Antiopa (Gk. Antiopē), his most famous work, indicates an original by Euripides (contrast Ennius and Accius); the original of Niptra (‘the foot-washing’, of Odysseus by his old nurse) was probably by Sophocles; other titles suggest post-Euripidean originals. The poets Lucilius and Persius ridiculed certain peculiarities of his diction, especially compound adjectives, but his work showed command of pathos and passion, and impressive character drawing. He was known as doctus, ‘learned’, a term of high praise, probably on account of his Grecisms and his familiarity with lesser-known stories of Greek legend. Varro and Cicero looked upon him as the greatest of Roman tragedians; the latter in his De amicitia testifies to the popular enthusiasm with which a scene in Pacuvius' Orestes was received.