it liberos?'

Phaedrus survived the attacks made on him, and Book v. was written in
his old age (see below).

Several personal points are clear from his writings:

(1) He had to meet the attacks of critics; ii. epil. 10,

'Si livor obtrectare curam voluerit,
non tamen eripiet laudis conscientiam.'

(2) His desire for fame and his self-consciousness; iii. prol. 60,

'Ergo hinc abesto livor, ne frustra gemas,
quoniam sollemnis mihi debetur gloria.'

(3) His contempt for money; iii. prol. 21,

'Curamque habendi penitus corde eraserim';

v. 4, 7,

'Huius respectu fabulae deterritus
periculosum semper vitavi lucrum.'

Phaedrus wrote five Books of fables. Many have certainly been lost.
Cf. his reference to tree-fables, none of which we have; i. prol. 6,

'quod arbores loquantur, non tantum ferae.'

There are, besides the five Books, thirty fables usually printed as an
appendix, and probably composed by Phaedrus. The fables are all in
'impure' iambic senarii, like those of Terence and Publius Syrus.
Phaedrus followed Aesop, but, as he affirms, not slavishly; i. prol.
1,

'Aesopus auctor quam materiam repperit,
hanc ego polivi versibus senariis';

iv. prol. 10,

'fabulis
quas Aesopias, non Aesopi, nomino.'

We have the Greek originals for about a third of the fables; but
Phaedrus speaks of his additions to Aesop; ii. prol. 8,

'Equidem omni cura morem servabo senis;
sed si libuerit aliquid interponere,
dictorum sensus ut delectet varietas,
bonas in partes, lector, accipias velim.'

Stories from contemporary or recent history are given in ii. 6, 7;
iii. 10; v. 7.

Books i. and ii. were published under Tiberius; Book iii. was
published after Tiberius' death (cf. iii. prol. 33), and is dedicated
to Eutychus, who has been identified with a favourite slave of
Caligula. Book iv. followed, addressed to Particulo (iv. prol. 10).
Book v., addressed to Philetes, was written in the poet's old age; v.
10, 7,

'Cui senex contra Lacon:
"Non te destituit animus, sed vires meae.
Quod fuimus, lauda, si iam damnas, quod sumus."
Hoc cur, Philete, scripserim, pulchre vides.'

Martial is the only classical writer who refers to Phaedrus; iii. 20,
5,

'An aemulatur improbi iocos Phaedri?'

SENECA THE YOUNGER.

(1) LIFE.

L. Annaeus Seneca, the son of Annaeus Seneca, the rhetor, was born at
Corduba in Spain. For information about his