ith Pollio,

'Pollio amat nostram, quamvis est rustica, Musam.'

_Ecl._ 2 and 3 are earlier than 5. Cf. 5, 86-7,

'Haec nos "Formosum Corydon ardebat Alexim,"
haec eadem docuit "Cuium pecus? an Meliboei?"'

_Ecl._ 4. The date is clear from l. 3,

'Si canimus silvas, silvae sint _consule_ dignae.'

It must have been written in 40, when Pollio was consul. This eclogue,
which in the Middle Age was believed to be a prophecy of the Messiah's
coming, cannot be satisfactorily explained as referring to Pollio's
son Saloninus, or to the expected child of Augustus, Julia.

_Ecl._ 5. Spohn's view is highly probable, that it was written for the
first celebration of Caesar's birthday in July, 42.

_Ecl._ 6, to Varus, probably written B.C. 40 from Siron's villa.

_Ecl._ 7 contains no allusion to contemporary events: the tone is
purely pastoral.

_Ecl._ 8 was written while Pollio was on his way back to Rome from his
victory over the Parthini in Illyricum, for his triumph in B.C. 39.
Cf. ll. 6 and 12.

In _Ecl._ 9, written B.C. 40 at Siron's villa, the poet expresses his
grief at the second expulsion from his farm.

_Ecl._ 10 entitled 'Gallus' was written B.C. 39. For details see under
'Gallus,' p. 182.[50]

_Sources of the Eclogues._--Several of the Eclogues are modelled on
Theocritus (cf. 'Sicelides Musae' 4, 1; 'Syracosius versus' 6, 1),
_e.g._ _Ecl._ 8 on Theocr. 2 and 3; and close imitations are found
throughout. The poet Euphorion of Chalcis (of third century B.C.) is
alluded to in _Ecl._ 10, 50 in connection with Gallus. The names of
the shepherds are mostly from Theocritus, as Tityrus, Mopsus,
Damoetas. They are 'Arcades' (7, 4, etc.), but, like the scenery,
exhibit traits both of Sicily and of North Italy. Thus the scenery
never gives an accurate picture of any one locality: _e.g._ _Ecl._ 9,
ll. 1-10, 26-7, 36, 59-60, present features of the district around
Mantua, while in ll. 39-43 a Sicilian scene is introduced from
Theocritus. The lofty mountains, _e.g._ 1, 84, are Sicilian, and so are
many of the trees, as chestnut and pine, which are said not to be
found near Mantua. For Mantuan scenery cf. _e.g._ 7, 12,

'Hic virides tenera praetexit harundine ripas
Mincius.'

The GEORGICS were written from B.C. 37 to 30 at the suggestion of
Maecenas. Cf. i. 1.

Serv. _vit. Verg._ 'Item proposuit Maecenas Georgica, quae scripsit
emendavitque septem annis.'

The poem was finished by B.C. 29. Cf. Donatus,