Pacuvius facts for kids

Marcus Pacuvius (pronounced pa-KYOO-vee-us; 220 – around 130 BC) was an important ancient Roman writer. He was known for writing "tragedies," which are serious plays with often sad or dramatic endings. Many people thought he was the greatest Roman writer of tragedies before another famous poet, Lucius Accius, came along.

Pacuvius's Life Story

Pacuvius was the nephew and student of a famous Roman poet named Ennius. Ennius was the first to make Roman tragedy important and respected. After Ennius died in 169 BC, Pacuvius was the main writer keeping serious plays alive in Rome. He continued the style that Ennius had started.

Pacuvius was probably from a group of people called the Oscans. He was born in a place called Brundisium, which became a Roman colony in 244 BC. Because of his background, his writing style wasn't always as perfectly "Roman" as some other early comedy writers like Naevius and Plautus.

Besides being a poet, Pacuvius was also a talented painter! Pliny the Elder, a Roman writer, mentioned one of Pacuvius's paintings in the Temple of Hercules in Rome.

Pacuvius didn't write as many plays as Ennius or Accius. We know of only twelve of his plays. Most of these plays were based on old Greek stories, especially those about the Trojan War. Some of his plays included Antiope, Armorum Judicium, Atalanta, Chryses, Dulorestes, Hermione, Iliona, Medus, Niptra, Pentheus, Periboea, and Teucer.

He also wrote one play called praetexta (a Roman historical play) named Paullus. This play was written to celebrate the victory of Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus at the Battle of Pydna in 168 BC. This was similar to how other poets wrote plays to remember big military wins.

Pacuvius kept writing tragedies until he was 80 years old. He even put on a play in the same year as Accius, who was only 30 at the time. Pacuvius spent his last years in Tarentum. There's a story that Accius visited him there while on his way to Asia. Accius supposedly read his own play, Atreus, to Pacuvius. This story might not be completely true, but it shows how people saw the two poets: Pacuvius was seen as very skilled and learned, while Accius was known for being strong and lively in his writing.

Pacuvius's Own Words

Pacuvius is said to have written his own epitaph, which is a short text written on a tombstone. A Roman writer named Aulus Gellius quoted it and admired it for being modest, simple, and serious.

Why Was Pacuvius Important?

The famous Roman speaker Cicero often quoted Pacuvius and admired his work greatly. Cicero even seemed to think Pacuvius was the best Roman tragic poet.

The parts of Pacuvius's plays that Cicero quoted show strong feelings like bravery, dignity, and generosity. These ideas appealed to the best qualities in Roman people. His writings also showed a warm and steady spirit, mixing kindness and humanity with the serious Roman character.

Roman tragic poets like Pacuvius also helped people think about big questions, like those in philosophy. They even questioned some common superstitions, much like the later philosopher Lucretius did.

Many quotes from Pacuvius show that he was interested in both science and ethics (moral principles). Some of his writings also questioned religious trickery. These poets helped the Roman language grow, making it suitable for speeches, history, and moral discussions.

The Roman literary language was developing during the 2nd century BC. This was also when great Roman speakers started to appear, and Roman tragedy shared a strong connection with their style. However, this new way of creating language sometimes led to rough writing. Pacuvius introduced new words and ways of forming sentences, which some writers, like the satirist Gaius Lucilius, made fun of. Even much later, another writer named Persius also joked about his style.

Despite trying to add new elements to the Roman language that didn't always fit, and even though his style wasn't as naturally "Roman" as Naevius, Plautus, or Terence, the surviving pieces of his plays prove how much he helped shape Rome's literary language. He also greatly influenced the culture and character of the people living in his time.

See also

In Spanish: Marco Pacuvio para niños