- Born:
- 116 bc, probably Reate, Italy
- Died:
- 27 bc
- Movement / Style:
- Ciceronian period
- Golden Age
- Subjects Of Study:
- Latin language
Marcus Terentius Varro
-
Who was Marcus Terentius Varro?
Marcus Terentius Varro (116ā27 bc) was Romeās greatest scholar and a satirist. Varro was a prolific author whose work was intended to further Roman greatness through its moral and educational quality. He studied with a Latin scholar and with Antiochus of Ascalon at Athens. Though he was not attracted to a political career, he served as praetor and served with Pompey the Great in Spain.
Varro wrote about 74 works in more than 600 books on jurisprudence, astronomy, geography, education, and literary history, as well as satires, poems, orations, and letters. His only complete surviving work is the Res rustica (āFarm Topicsā), a practical instruction in agriculture and animal husbandry.
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When and where did Varro live?
Marcus Terentius Varro, Romeās greatest scholar, was born in 116 BCE, likely in Reate, Italy, and died in 27 BCE. A man of immense learning and a prolific author, he intended his work, by its moral and educational quality, to further Roman greatness. Varro studied with a prominent Latin scholar and with the philosopher Antiochus of Ascalon at Athens.
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What subjects did Varro write about?
Marcus Terentius Varro, a Roman scholar, wrote prolifically on diverse subjects, intending to promote Roman greatness through moral and educational content. His works spanned jurisprudence, astronomy, geography, education, and literary history, including satires, poems, orations, and letters.
The only complete surviving work is Res rustica, offering practical guidance on agriculture and animal husbandry to encourage rural appreciation. De lingua Latina, dedicated to Cicero, provides linguistic insights and valuable information on various topics. Of the original 25 books, only books five to ten remain, with gaps.
From Varro's 150 books of Saturae Menippeae, about 90 titles and nearly 600 fragments are still around. These satires, blending prose and verse, cover subjects from eating and drinking to literature and philosophy.
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Why is Varro considered important in Roman literature?
Marcus Terentius Varro (116ā27 bc) was Romeās greatest scholar and a satirist. Varro's works, inspired by patriotism and intended to promote Roman greatness through moral and educational content, greatly influenced the Roman Empire before and after its founding.
Varro influenced almost every branch of scholarship through his vast learning and prodigious output. His writings covered jurisprudence, astronomy, geography, education, literary history, satires, poems, orations, and letters. His work De lingua Latina is valuable as a linguistic resource and for its incidental information on various subjects.
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What are some of Varroās most famous works?
Marcus Terentius Varro (116ā27 bc) was a Roman scholar and satirist, notable for his vast learning and prolific writing. Varro's works aimed to promote Roman greatness through moral and educational content, linking Romeās future to its past.
Some of Varroās most famous works include:
* Saturae Menippeae (Menippean Satires), a collection of 150 books of humorous medleys in mixed prose and verse.
* De lingua Latina (On the Latin Language), a work in 25 books dedicated to Cicero, of which books v to x survive.
* Res rustica (Farm Topics), a practical guide in three sections on agriculture and animal husbandry.2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did Varroās writings influence later generations and scholars?
Marcus Terentius Varro (116ā27 bc) was Romeās greatest scholar and a satirist. He intended his work, by its moral and educational quality, to further Roman greatness. Varro's works exerted great influence before and after the founding of the Roman Empire.
Varro influenced scholarship through his vast learning and prodigious output. His work, De lingua Latina, with its prescriptive tone, and his agricultural work, Res rusticae, influenced Roman consciousness and culture. His Historia naturalis was a major sourcebook during the Middle Ages.
4 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Marcus Terentius Varro (born 116 bc, probably Reate, Italyādied 27 bc) was Romeās greatest scholar and a satirist of stature, best known for his Saturae Menippeae (āMenippean Satiresā). He was a man of immense learning and a prolific author. Inspired by a deep patriotism, he intended his work, by its moral and educational quality, to further Roman greatness. Seeking to link Romeās future with its glorious past, his works exerted great influence before and after the founding of the Roman Empire (27 bc).
Varro studied with a prominent Latin scholar and with the philosopher Antiochus of Ascalon at Athens. Though not attracted to a political career, he played some part in the public life of the Roman Republic and rose to the office of praetor. He served with Pompey the Great in Spain (76), became his pro-quaestor there, and also served under him in the war against the pirates (67).
In 59 Varro wrote a political pamphlet entitled Trikaranos (āThe Three-Headedā) on the coalition of Pompey, Julius Caesar, and Crassus. He sided with Pompey in Spain (49) but was pardoned (47) and appointed librarian by Caesar, to whom he dedicated the second part of his Antiquitates rerum humanarum et divinarum (āAntiquities of Human and Divine Thingsā). Under the second triumvirate Varro was outlawed by Mark Antony, and his books were burned, but his property was later restored by Augustus. He spent the rest of his life in study and writing.
Varro wrote about 74 works in more than 600 books on a wide range of subjects: jurisprudence, astronomy, geography, education, and literary history, as well as satires, poems, orations, and letters. The only complete work to survive is the Res rustica (āFarm Topicsā), a three-section work of practical instruction in general agriculture and animal husbandry, written to foster a love of rural life.
Dedicated to Cicero, Varroās De lingua Latina (āOn the Latin Languageā) is of interest not only as a linguistic work but also as a source of valuable incidental information on a variety of subjects. Of the original 25 books there remain, apart from brief fragments, only books v to x, and even these contain considerable gaps.
Of Varroās 150 books of the Saturae Menippeae, some 90 titles and nearly 600 fragments remain. The satires are humorous medleys in mixed prose and verse in the manner of the 3rd-century-bc cynic philosopher Menippus of Gadara. The subjects range from eating and drinking to literature and philosophy. In these satires, Varro shows himself a man of the old stamp, making fun of the follies and absurdities of modern times. He preaches a simple life of old-fashioned Roman virtue and piety, opposes luxury and philosophic dogmatism, and shows considerable skill in handling several meters and poetic manners.
The Res rustica appears in an edition with an English translation by W.D. Hooper and H.B. Ash in The Loeb Classical Library series (1934), which also offers De lingua Latina and an English translation in 2 volumes by R.G. Kent (1938).
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