Lucilius C 180- 102 BC
Plain speaking ; personal sharp outbursts against contemporary folly or
criminality.
Grudgingly respected by Horace but Horace accused him of coarseness and
being abusive I with writing too much and courting popularity.
Outright condemnation from Juvenal for an outspokenness (Lucilius was
under the protection of Scipio) impossible in J.'s times.
Wrote on wealth, goodness, superstition, poetry, a journey to Sicily, banquets,
sexual matte s' gladiators.
Horace 65-8 BC
Chose to follow Lucilius' path and his varied subject matter.
Use of laughter to awaken self criticism in the reader.
Rejected Lucilius' anger in favour of plain talk, honesty and common sense.
Good deal of Epicurean philosophy and ridicule of Stoic and Cynic posturing.
He seeks always to arouse self-criticism.
Not concerned to attack contemporary individuals.
He wrote to give pleasure and entertain.
Autobiographical mode of composition.
Petronius- died AD66
Verse-prose medley. The first Roman novel, written to entertain.
Only portion survive (books 14 and 15).
Plot: The escapades of 3 unsavoury characters around the cities and fleshpots
of Campania and S. Italy
'Cena Trimalchionis' satirises the vulgar pretensions of a nouveau riche
freedman in Puteoli: coarse vulgar.
Plenty of energy and gusto.
Masterly portrait of T. shows the ingenious and grotesque manners of
freedmen, clients and patron.
Juvenal
AD 0-137
Many rhetorical devices: anaphora, antithesis, vivid description,
dramatic
narrative, emotional exaggeration, epigrammatic phrase.
Set about portraying vices and crimes which seemed most deep-seated
and
endemic.
Any resemblances to living persons were coincidental to his purpose.
His weapon as contempt and his aim deadly.
Brilliant epigrams.
Scorn and ridicule.
So much so at sometimes all we appreciate is J's anger and indignation.
A mighty moralist.
