SILIUS (Italicus Caius), an ancient Roman poet, and author of an epic poem in 17 books, which contains an history of the second Punic war, so famous in history for having decided the empire of the world in favour of the Romans. He was born in the reign of Tiberius, and is supposed to have derived the name of Italicus from the place of his birth; but whether he was born at Italica in Spain, or at Corfinium in Italy, which, according to Strabo, had the name of Italica given it during the Social war, is a point which cannot be known: though, if his birth had happened at either of these places, the grammarians will tell us, that he should have been called Italicensis, and not Italicus. When he came to Rome, he applied himself to the bar; and, by a close imitation of Cicero, succeeded so well, that he became a celebrated advocate and most accomplished orator. His merit and character recommended him to the highest offices in the republic, even to the consulship, of which he was possessed when Nero died. He is said to have been aiding and assisting in accusing persons of high rank and fortune, whom that wicked emperor had devoted to destruction: but he retrieved his character afterwards by a long and uniform course of virtuous behaviour. Vespasian sent him as proconsul into Asia, where he behaved with clean hands and unblemished reputation. After having thus spent the best part of his life in the service of his country, he bid adieu to public affairs, resolving to consecrate the remainder to a polite retirement and the muses. He had several fine villas in the country: one at Tusculum, celebrated for having been Cicero's; and a farm near Naples said to have been Virgil's, and at which was his tomb, which Silvius often visited. Thus Martial compliments him on both these accounts:
Silius hoc magis celebrat monumenta Maronis,
Ingera facundi qui Ciceronis habet.
Harcadem Dominumque sui tamulique larisque
Non aliam mallet nec Maro nec Cicero.
Epigr. 49. Lib. X.
Of Tully's feat my Silvius is possess'd,
And his the tomb where Virgil's ashes rest.
Could those great shades return to choose their heir,
The present owner they would both prefer.
In these retirements he applied himself to poetry: led not so much by any great force of genius, which would certainly not have suffered him to stay till life was in the wane and his imagination growing cold, as by his exceeding great love of Virgil, to whose memory he paid the highest veneration. He has imitated him in his poem; and though he falls infinitely short of him, yet he has discovered a great and universal genius, which would enable him to succeed in some degree in whatever he undertook.
Since we know little of Silvius Italicus but what we learn from an epistle of the younger Pliny, we cannot do better than subjoin part of that epistle, as we find it translated by Mr Melmoth; since it will not only confirm all that has been said, but let the reader into some farther particulars concerning him.
"I am just now informed, that Silvius Italicus has starved himself to death, at his villa near Naples. Having been afflicted with an impolthume, which was deemed incurable, he grew weary of life under such un-
easy circumstances, and therefore put an end to it with the most determined courage. He had been extremely fortunate through the whole course of his days, excepting only the loss of his younger son; however, that was made up to him in the satisfaction of seeing his eldest, who is of a more amiable character, attain the consular dignity, and of leaving him in a very flourishing situation. He suffered a little in his reputation in the time of Nero, having been suspected of forwardly joining in some of the informations which were carried on in the reign of that prince; but he made use of his interest in Vitellius with great discretion and humanity. He acquired much honour by his administration of the government of Asia; and by his approved behaviour after his retirement from business, cleared his character from that stain which his former intrigues had thrown upon it. He lived among the nobility of Rome without power, and consequently without envy. Though he frequently was confined to his bed, and always to his chamber, yet he was highly respected and much visited; not with a view to his wealth, but merely on account of his merit. He employed his time between conversing with men of letters and composing of verses; which he sometimes recited, in order to try the sentiments of the public; but he discovered in them more industry than genius. In the decline of his years he entirely quitted Rome, and lived altogether in Campania, from whence even the accession of the new emperor (Trajan) could not draw him. A circumstance which I mention, as well to the honour of the prince, who was not displeased with that liberty, as of Italicus, who was not afraid to make use of it. He was reproached with being fond of all the elegancies of the fine arts to a degree of excess. He had several villas in the same province; and the last purchase was always the chief favourite, to the neglect of the rest. They were all furnished with large collections of books, statues, and pictures, which he more than enjoyed, he even adored; particularly that of Virgil, of whom he was so passionate an admirer, that he celebrated the anniversary of that poet's birth-day with more solemnity than his own; especially at Naples, where he used to approach his tomb with as much reverence as if it had been a temple. In this tranquillity he lived to the 75th year of his age, with a delicate rather than a sickly constitution. It is remarkable, that as he was the last person upon whom Nero conferred the consular office (that prince being killed during his consulship), so he was the last also that survived of all those who had been raised by him to that dignity. When I consider this, I cannot forbear lamenting the transitory condition of mankind. Is there any thing in nature so short and limited as human life even in its most extended period? Does it not seem to you, my friend, but yesterday that Nero was upon the throne? and yet none of all those who were consuls in his reign now remain!"
There have been many editions of Silius Italicus. A neat and correct one was published at Leipzig, 1696, in 8vo, with short and useful notes by Cellarius: but the best is that cum notis integris variorum & Arnoldi Drakenborch. Traject. ad Rhenum. 1717, in 4to.