239-169 B.C.E.
Soldier, Poet

Simple Life. Ennius was born in Rudiae in Calabria. As the descendant of an indigenous Italian family, he also encountered Greek theater in Tarentum. He was proud to be fluent in the Oscan, Greek, and Latin languages. In 204 B.C.E. he met the elder Cato on military service in Sardinia. Cato brought Ennius to Rome, where he made a living teaching Greek and Latin grammar. As a poet, he was patronized by Roman noblemen, especially Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus. However, he accompanied another patrician, Marcus Fulvius Nobilior, on a military campaign. With the help of Marcus's son Quintus Fulvius Nobilior, Ennius subsequently won Roman citizenship in 184 B.C.E. He lived a simple life on the Aventine hill in Rome. He probably did not die of gout, as alleged by one anecdote. He was cremated in Rome and...