Satires
work by Ennius
Also known as: “Saturae”
Quick Summary
Quintus Ennius, a prominent early Latin poet, wrote the Saturae (Satires). These works, presented in four books with varied meters, primarily focused on practical wisdom, often illustrating lessons with fables.1
Satire, as an artistic form, uses ridicule, irony, and other methods to expose human vices and follies, aiming to inspire reform. While Ennius's Saturae contributed to the development of this genre, it was later poets like Lucilius who truly established satire as a literary form in Rome.23
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