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Q. Ennius was born B.C. 239 at Rudiae in Calabria (about nineteen miles south of Brundisium).

Gell. xvii. 21, 43, ‘Consoles secuntur Q. Valerius et C. Mamilius, quibus natum esse Q. Ennium poetam M. Varro in primo de poetis libro scripsit eumque, cum septimum et sexagesimum annum haberet, duodecimum annalem scripsisse, idque ipsum Ennium in eodem libro dicere.’ (Cf. Cic. Tusc. i. 3.) Enn. Ann. l. 440,

‘Nos sumus Romani qui fuimus ante Rudini.’

Servius, in Aen. vii. 691, ‘(At Messapus equom domitor): Ab hoc Ennius dicit se originem ducere.’ (Enn. Ann. xviii. fr. 6.)

Ennius knew Greek, Latin, and Oscan. Latin he may have known as a boy, since the colony of Brundisium was founded B.C. 244; the use of Greek had been widely spread in South Italy through the influence of the Greek colonies.[15]

Gell. xvii. 17, 1, ‘Q. Ennius tria corda habere sese dicebat, quod loqui Graece et Osce et Latine sciret.’

Ennius came to Sardinia during the Second Punic War, probably with other Calabrian auxiliaries, but in what year is doubtful. Silius Italicus xii. 387 sqq., says he was centurion B.C. 215, and distinguished himself greatly; but his account is quite untrustworthy. In Sardinia he made the acquaintance of M. Porcius Cato, then quaestor, who induced him to come to Rome B.C. 204.

Nep. Cato, i. 4, ‘Praetor (B.C. 198) provinciam obtinuit Sardiniam, ex qua, quaestor superiore tempore ex Africa decedens, Q. Ennium poetam deduxerat.’

The poet’s Graecizing influence seems to have led afterwards to hostility between him and his patron, but in spite of this, Ennius appears to have cherished warm feelings towards Cato, and praised his exploits in the Annals.

Cic. Tusc. i. 3, ‘Oratio Catonis, in qua obiecit ut probrum M. Nobiliori quod is in provinciam poetas duxisset. Duxerat autem consul ille in Aetoliam, ut scimus, Ennium.’

Cic. pro Arch. 22, ‘In caelum huius proavus Cato tollitur: magnus honos populi Romani rebus adiungitur.’

So far as is known, Ennius was at Rome B.C. 204–189. He lived plainly, and supported himself by teaching Latin and Greek.

Jerome yr. Abr. 1777 = B.C. 240, ‘Q. Ennius poeta Tarenti [an error] nascitur, qui a Catone quaestore Romam translatus habitavit in monte Aventino, parco admodum sumptu contentus, et unius ancillae ministerio.’

Sueton. Gramm. 1, ‘Livium et Ennium, quos utraque lingua domi forisque docuisse adnotatum est.’

At Rome he was on familiar terms with the elder Scipio Africanus and his brother Cornelius Nasica, and their circle.

Cic. pro Arch. 22, ‘Carus fuit Africano superiori noster Ennius; itaque etiam in sepulchro Scipionum putatur is esse constitutus ex marmore.’

A pleasant story of his relations with Nasica is given by Cic. de Or. ii. 276. Two epigrams on Scipio (Nos. 2 and 3) are extant.

In B.C. 189 Ennius accepted an invitation from M. Fulvius Nobilior to accompany him in his campaign against the Aetolians, and be a witness of his exploits. Fulvius’ victory gave the poet materials for the praetexta Ambracia, and Book xv. of the Annals.

Cic. pro Arch. 27, ‘Ille qui cum Aetolis Ennio comite bellavit Fulvius.’ Cf. Cic. Tusc. i. 3 (above).

In B.C. 184 the poet received the Roman citizenship through the son of Fulvius, Q. Nobilior. Hence ‘nos sumus Romani, qui fuimus ante Rudini’ (above). He also received a grant of land at Potentia or Pisaurum from Fulvius, who was then triumvir coloniae deducendae.

Cic. Brut. 79, ‘Q. Nobiliorem M. f. … , qui etiam Q. Ennium, qui cum patre eius in Aetolia militaverat, civitate donavit, cum triumvir coloniam deduxisset.’

Ennius probably spent the greater part of his days, after returning from the Aetolian war, at Rome; and during this period he was on intimate terms with the comic poet Caecilius Statius (see p. 37). He was often in indifferent circumstances, in spite of the grant of land he had received. Ennius died of gout B.C. 169.

Cic. Cato Maior, 14, ‘Annos septuaginta natus—tot enim vixit Ennius—ita ferebat duo quae maxima putantur onera, paupertatem et senectutem, ut eis paene delectari videretur.’

Cic. Brut. 78, ‘Hoc [C. Sulpicio Gallo] praetore ludos Apollini faciente, cum Thyesten fabulam docuisset, Q. Marcio Cn. Servilio coss. (B.C. 169) mortem obiit Ennius.’

Jerome yr. Abr. 1849 = B.C. 168, ‘Ennius poeta septuagenario maior articulari morbo periit, sepultusque est in Scipionis monumento via Appia intra primum ab urbe miliarium. Quidam ossa eius Rudiam ex Ianiculo translata affirmant.’

For his gout cf. Enn. Sat. 1. 8,

‘Numquam poetor nisi si podager’;

Hor. Ep. i. 19, 7,

‘Ennius ipse pater numquam nisi potus ad arma

prosiluit dicenda.’

‘Ennius “equi fortis et victoris senectuti comparat suam” ’ (Cic. Cato Maior, 14).

The lines are Ann. xviii. fr. 7,

‘Sic ut fortis equus, spatio qui saepe supremo

vicit Olimpia, nunc senio confectus quiescit.’

His epitaph (Epigr. i) is quoted by Cic. Tusc. i. 34 and 117,

‘Aspicite, o cives, senis Enni imaginis formam!

hic vestrum panxit maxima facta patrum;

Nemo me dacrumis decoret nec funera fletu

faxit. Cur? Volito vivus per ora virum.’

According to Aelius Stilo, Ennius has depicted his own character in Ann. vii. fr. 10, wherein he portrays Servilius Geminus, the trusty companion of a man of position (Gell. xii. 4). For Ennius’ self-appreciation cf. also his epitaph (if by himself) quoted above, and Ann. i. fr. 4,

‘Latos per populos terrasque poemata nostra

clara cluebunt.’

In philosophy Ennius was an eclectic. Cf. Trag. 1. 417,

‘Philosophari est mihi necesse, at paucis: nam omnino haut placet.

Degustandum ex ea, non in eam ingurgitandum censeo.’

His rationalism is seen in Telamo, fr. 1,

‘Ego deum genus esse semper dixi et dicam caelitum,

sed eos non curare opinor, quid agat humanum genus:

nam si curent, bene bonis sit, male malis, quod nunc abest’;

ibid., fr. 2,

‘Sed superstitiosi vates inpudentesque arioli,

aut inertes aut insani aut quibus egestas imperat,

qui sibi semitam non sapiunt, alteri monstrant viam,

quibus divitias pollicentur, ab eis drachumam ipsi petunt.’

Traces of Epicureanism are seen in Ann. i. fr. 13,

‘Terraque corpus

quae dedit ipsa capit neque dispendi facit hilum.’

Ennius also believed in the Pythagorean theory of metempsychosis, and considered that his soul had animated the body of a peacock. Ann. i. fr. 14,

‘Memini me fiere pavom.’

Persius 6, 10,

‘Cor iubet hoc Enni postquam destertuit esse

Maeonides Quintus pavone e Pythagoreo.’

Cf. also Lucr. i. 120–6.