(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 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 would tell us, that he should have been called Italicenfis, 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 afflicting 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 bade adieu to public affairs, resolving to consecrate the remainder to 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, at which was his tomb, which Silius often visited. Thus Martial compliments him on both these accounts:

Silus hæc magni celebrat monumenta Maronis, Jugera facundi qui Ciceronis habet. Harredem Dominumunque sui tumulique larifque Non alium mallet nec Maro nec Cicero.

Epigr. 49. lib. xi.

Of Tully's seat my Silius 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 have enabled him to succeed in some degree in whatever he undertook.

Having been for some time afflicted with an imposthume, which was deemed incurable, he grew weary of life, to which, in the language of Pliny, he put an end with determined courage.

There have been many editions of Silius Italicus. A neat and correct one was published at Leipzig in 1696, in 8vo, with short and useful notes by Cellarius: but the best is that cum notis integris variorum et Arnoldi Drakenborch. Traject. ad Rhen. 1717, in 4to.