Lucilius is regarded as the first Roman verse satirist and the model for Horace, Persius, and Juvenal. A major figure in Latin literary history, he composed thirty books of satiric poems; these were widely read in antiquity, but subsequently survived only in the form of quotations (fragments) amounting to about 1300 lines. Lucilius is notable for his irreverent social and political criticism, fluent poetic style, and distinctive authorial voice.
Lucilius came from Suessa Aurunca (Juvenal Satire 1.20), a town in southwest Italy where his family probably owned land. Jerome gives his birth date as 148 BC (Chronicle pp. 143e and 148e Helm). Because Lucilius is also reported to have served in a military campaign in 134, most modern scholars conclude that Jerome misunderstood his sources, and
2677 words
Citation: Keane, Catherine. "Lucilius". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 06 October 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2813, accessed 22 November 2024.]
