(1) LIFE

L. Livius Andronicus, according to the poet Accius, was taken prisoner at the capture of Tarentum by Q. Fabius Maximus in B.C. 209, and exhibited his first play in B.C. 197. Cic. Brut. 72-3, ‘Accius a Q. Maximo quintum consule captum Tarenti scrips it Livium ann is xxx. postquam eum fabulam do cui e et Atticus scribit et nos in antiquis com men tar i is invenimus: do cui e autem fabulam ann is post xi., C. Cornelio Q. Minucio co . lud is Iuventatis, quos Sal in at or Senensi proelio voverat.’ But ancient evidence is unanimous that he was the first literary writer of Rome, and this is confirmed by his archaic language. Hence the statement of Cicero ibid. , that Livius produced his first play in B.C. 240, must be accepted. ‘Atque hic Livius, qui primus fabulam, C. Claudio Caeci filio et M. Tuditano co ., docuit anno ipso antequam nat us est Ennius; post Romam conditam autem quarto decimo et quingentesimo... In quo tantus error Acci fuit, ut his consul i bus xl. annos nat us Ennius fuerit: cui si a equal is fuerit Livius, minor fuit aliquanto is, qui primus fabulam dedit, quam ei, qui multas docuerant ante hos consules, et Plautus et Naevius.’ Cf. Cic. Tusc. i. 3, and Gell. xvii. 21, 42. Probably Accius, finding in his authorities that Livius was taken prisoner at the capture of Tarentum ( i.e. in B.C. 272), wrongly thought of the second capture by Fabius. In spite of Cicero’s correction, the error of Accius was, into Jerome, who says, yr. Abr. 1830 = B.C. 187, ‘T. [an error] Livius tragoediarum script or clarus habetur, qui ob in genii meritum a Livio Salina tore, cuius liberos erudiebat, libertate donatus est.’ It is probable that Livius was the slave of C. Livius Sal in at or, the father of the victor of Sena (M. Livius Sal in at or), and taught the latter; for he must have been set free before B.C. 240, and the victor of Sena could hardly have been born earlier than B.C. 258. This connexion made M. Livius Sal in at or when consul, B.C. 207, select Livius Andronicus to prepare a hymn of expiation to the Aventine Juno, and, probably in the same year, to compose a hymn of thanksgiving for the succe of Rome in the Hannibalic War. For his services the privileges of a guild were a igned to writers and actors. Livy xxvii. 37, ‘Dec revere pontifices ut virgines ter novenae per urbem euntes carmen canerent... conditum ab Livio poet a... Carmen in Iunonem reginam canentes ibant ill a temp estate for sit an laudabile rudibus in gen i is, nunc abhorrens et inconditum, si referatur.’ Fest. p. 333, ‘Cum Livius Andronicus bello Punico secundo scrips is set carmen quod a virgin i bus est cantatum, qui a prosper i us res public a populi Romani ger i coepta est, publice at tri but a est ei in Aventino aedis Minervae, in qua liceret scribis histrion i bus que consist ere ac dona ponere, in honorem Livi, qui a is et scribe bat fabulas et agebat.’ Livius had a twofold reason for writing, ( a ) To a ist him in his profe ion as a schoolmaster he published a translation of the Ody ey ; ( b ) as an actor, he wrote the plays he acted, and afterwards published them. Sueton. Gramm. 1, ‘Livium et Ennium... quos utraque lingua dom i for is que do cui e adnotatum est.’ Livy vii. 2, 8, ‘Livius... qui ab saturis ausus est primus argumento fabulam serere, idem scilicet, id quod omnes tum erant, suorum carminum actor.’