VARRO, MARCUS TERENTIUS, a Roman author; born probably of eques trian rank in the Sabine town of Reate, in 116 B. C. He studied under L. /Dais Stilo, and at Athens under Antiochus of Ascalon, whose philosophy Cicero makes him expound as an interlocutor in the "Posterior Academics." He saw some service under Pompey, and in the civil war was legate in Spain with Petreius and Afranius. He awaited the result of Pharsalia with Cicero and Cato at Dyr rachium, and was kindly treated by the conqueror, who appointed him to be librarian for his intended collection. The second triumvirate plunged him into danger, and Antony plundered his splen did Cacine villa, burned his beloved books, and placed his name in the list of the proscribed. But he was soon exempted, and Augustus even restored his prop erty, so that he was able to spend his latest years in peace. He survived till 7 B. c. Varro was a man of upright and honorable character, a monument of the old-fashioned Roman virtues, even to their hard and unsympathetic side. His diction shows qualities of the same kind—it is pithy and vigorous, but harsh, abrupt, without flexibility or charm. The total number of his works amounted to about 620 books, belonging to 74 different works. Of the poetical works (satires, pseudo-tragedies and poems) nothing is known but the names. But of the 150 books of the "Satires of Menippus," a medley of prose and verse, imitated from the Cynic satirist Menippus enough fragments (ed. Riese, 1865; Bticheler, 1882) remain to prove the greatness of the loss. Here are in singular medley
grotesque personifications of ideas, ridi cule of the philosophers, mythology, erudition, proverbs, bitter satire at the social corruptions of the day, and praise of the homely virtues of the good old times, the whole spirited and rich in humor, if seldom artistic in form. Varro's prose writings embraced oratory, history both general and literary, juris prudence, grammar, philosophy, geog raphy, and husbandry. The most impor tant of these were his "Human and Di vine Antiquities," a work of vast learn ing in 41 books, a mine in which bur rowed Pliny, Plutarch, Gellius, Festus, Macrobius, as well as the Christian fathers, especially St. Augustine; "The Latin Language," in 25 books, of which only v.-x. are extant (ed. C. 0. Muller, 1833; L. Spengel, re-edited by his son, 1885), on the formation and inflection of words, and on syntax, married by arbi trary arrangement, and etymologies due to mere empirical word play; "Rustic Affairs, Part III.," almost entire (ed. Keil, Leip. 1884), in dialogue form, on agriculture, cattle, bird and fish breeding. His "Discipline, Part IX.," deserved to live, being an attempt at an encyclo paedia of the liberal arts; his "Imagina tion, Part XV.," or "Hebdomades," was a series of 700 illustrated biographies of Greek and Roman celebrities with a met rical eulogium on each.