, obviously belonging to the time of Nero, which if
not written by Calpurnius, were imitated from him.

Although there is nothing original in Calpurnius, he is "a skilful
literary craftsman." Of his models the chief is Virgil, of whom (under
the name of Tityrus) he speaks with great enthusiasm; he is also
indebted to Ovid and Theocritus. Calpurnius is "a fair scholar, and an
apt courtier, and not devoid of real poetical feeling. The bastard style
of pastoral cultivated by him, in which the description of nature is
made the writer's pretext, while ingenious flattery is his real purpose,
nevertheless excludes genuine pleasure, and consequently genuine
poetical achievement. He may be fairly compared to the minor poets of
the reign of Anne" (Garnett).

Calpurnius was first printed in 1471, together with Silius Italicus
and has been frequently republished, generally with Gratius Faliscus
and Nemesianus. The separate authorship of the eclogues of Calpurnius
and Nemesianus was established by M. Haupt's _De Carminibus bucolicis
Calpurnii et Nemesiani_ (1854). Editions by H. Schenkl (1885), with
full introduction and _index verborum_, and by C.H. Keene (1887), with
introduction, commentary and appendix. English verse translation by
E.J.L. Scott (1891); see H.E. Butler, _Post-Augustan Poetry_ (Oxford,
1909), pp. 150 foil., and F. Skutsch in Pauly-Wissowa's
_Realencyclopadie_, iii. 1 (1897). (J. H. F.)

FOOTNOTES:

[1] _Iulis_ for _in ulnis_ according to the best MS. tradition.

[2] According to Dr R. Garnett (and Mr Greswell, as stated in
Conington's _Virgil_, i. p. 123, note) the emperor referred to is the
younger Gordian (A.D. 238). His arguments in favour of this will be
found in the article on Calpurnius by him in the 9th edition of the
_Encyclopaedia Britannica_ and in the _Journal of Philology_, xvi.,
1888; see in answer J.P. Postgate, "The Comet of Calpurnius Siculus"
in _Classical Review_, June 1902. Dean Merivale (_Hist. of the Romans
under the Empire_, ch. 60) and Pompei, "Intorno al Tempo del Poeta
Calpurnio" in _Atti del Istituto Veneto_, v. 6 (1880), identify the
amphitheatre with the Colosseum (Flavian amphitheatre) and assign
Calpurnius to the reign of Domitian.

[3] It has been variously ascribed to Virgil, Ovid, Lucan, Statius
and Saleius Bassus.

CALTAGIRONE, a city and episcopal see of the province of Catania,
Sicily, situ