ic. _Tusc._ i. 3, 'Oratio Catonis, in qua obiecit ut probrum M.
Nobiliori quod is in provinciam poetas duxisset. Duxerat autem consul
ille in Aetoliam, ut scimus, Ennium.'

Cic. _pro Arch._ 22, 'In caelum huius proavus Cato tollitur: magnus
honos populi Romani rebus adiungitur.'

So far as is known, Ennius was at Rome B.C. 204-189. He lived plainly,
and supported himself by teaching Latin and Greek.

Jerome yr. Abr. 1777 = B.C. 240, 'Q. Ennius poeta Tarenti [an error]
nascitur, qui a Catone quaestore Romam translatus habitavit in monte
Aventino, parco admodum sumptu contentus, et unius ancillae
ministerio.'

Sueton. _Gramm._ 1, 'Livium et Ennium, quos utraque lingua domi
forisque docuisse adnotatum est.'

At Rome he was on familiar terms with the elder Scipio Africanus and
his brother Cornelius Nasica, and their circle.

Cic. _pro Arch._ 22, 'Carus fuit Africano superiori noster Ennius;
itaque etiam in sepulchro Scipionum putatur is esse constitutus ex
marmore.'

A pleasant story of his relations with Nasica is given by Cic. _de
Or._ ii. 276. Two epigrams on Scipio (Nos. 2 and 3) are extant.

In B.C. 189 Ennius accepted an invitation from M. Fulvius Nobilior to
accompany him in his campaign against the Aetolians, and be a witness
of his exploits. Fulvius' victory gave the poet materials for the
praetexta _Ambracia_, and Book xv. of the _Annals_.

Cic. _pro Arch._ 27, 'Ille qui cum Aetolis Ennio comite bellavit
Fulvius.' Cf. Cic. _Tusc._ i. 3 (above).

In B.C. 184 the poet received the Roman citizenship through the son of
Fulvius, Q. Nobilior. Hence 'nos sumus Romani, qui fuimus ante Rudini'
(above). He also received a grant of land at Potentia or Pisaurum from
Fulvius, who was then _triumvir coloniae deducendae_.

Cic. _Brut._ 79, 'Q. Nobiliorem M. f. ..., qui etiam Q. Ennium, qui cum
patre eius in Aetolia militaverat, civitate donavit, cum triumvir
coloniam deduxisset.'

Ennius probably spent the greater part of his days, after returning
from the Aetolian war, at Rome; and during this period he was on
intimate terms with the comic poet Caecilius Statius (see p. 37). He
was often in indifferent circumstances, in spite of the grant of land
he had received. Ennius died of gout B.C. 169.

Cic. _Cato Maior_, 14, 'Annos septuaginta natus--tot enim vixit
Ennius--ita ferebat duo quae maxima putantur onera, paupertatem et
senectutem, ut eis paene delectari videretur.'

Cic. _Brut._ 78, 'Hoc [C. Sulpicio Gallo]