Caecilius Statius | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 220 BC |
| Died | c. 166 BC |
| Nationality | Gallo-Roman |
| Genre | comedy |
Statius Caecilius, also known asCaecilius Statius (/sɪˈsiːliəsˈsteɪʃiəs/; c. 220 BC – c. 166 BC), was a Celtic Roman comic poet.[1]
A contemporary and intimate friend ofEnnius, according to tradition he was born in the territory of the Celtic InsubrianGauls, probably inMediolanum, and was probably taken as a prisoner to Rome (c. 200), during theRoman-Gallic wars. Originally a slave, he assumed the name ofCaecilius from his patron, probably one of theMetelli.[2] However, according to one source he was free-born ofSamnite stock whose family had settled in Cisalpine Gaul following theSecond Punic War. In this case he would have been a native speaker of a language close to Latin, rather thanGaulish Insubrian. There he came to the attention of Marcus Caecilius Denter, the Legatus Legionibus Praepositus in Cisalpine Gaul in 200 BC who introduced him in Rome.[3]
He supported himself by adapting Greek plays for the Roman stage from theNew Comedy writers, especiallyMenander, a genre calledComoedia Palliata. If the statement in the life ofTerence bySuetonius is correct and the reading sound, Caecilius's judgment was so esteemed that he was ordered to hear Terence'sAndria (exhibited 166 BC) read and to pronounce an opinion upon it.[2]
After several failures, Caecilius gained a high reputation.Volcatius Sedigitus, the dramatic critic, places him first amongst the comic poets;Varro credits him withpathos and skill in the construction of his plots;Horace (Epistles, ii. I. 59) contrasts his dignity with the art of Terence.Quintilian (Inst. Orat., x. I. 99) speaks somewhat disparagingly of him, andCicero, although he admits with some hesitation that Caecilius may have been the chief of the comic poets (De Optimo Genere Oratorum, I), considers him inferior to Terence in style and Latinity (Ad Atticum vii. 3), as was only natural, considering his foreign extraction.[2]
The fact that his plays could be referred to by name alone without any indication of the author (Cicero,De Finibus, ii. 7) is sufficient proof of their widespread popularity. Caecilius holds a place betweenPlautus and Terence in his treatment of the Greek originals; he did not, like Plautus, confound things Greek and Roman, nor, like Terence, eliminate everything that could not be romanized.[2]
The fragments of his plays are chiefly preserved inAulus Gellius, who cites several passages fromPlocium (The Necklace) together with the original Greek of Menander,[2] affording the only opportunity, apart from Plautus'Bacchides, to make a substantial comparison between a Roman comedy and its Greek model. Caecilius' version, diffuse and by no means close as a translation, does not reproduce the spirit of the original.
His comedies "apparently included serious thoughts on moral and social issues, mostly related to the immediate family, the corresponding relationships, and the impact of one’s personal affairs on one’s position in society."[4]
Forty-two titles are known, about half based on Menander, and half on other Greek authors. Approximately 280 fragmentary verses survive.Plocium is the best preserved (45 verses). In addition to that, a large fragment ofObolostates was discovered not long ago among thepapyri ofHerculaneum; it is as yet unedited, but is estimated to contain fragments of 400-500 lines. Some preliminary information was published by the researcher,Knut Kleve, in 1996.[5]
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This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Caecilius Statius".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 4 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 933.