VIRGIL, ver711 (Puinaus Vnicuaus MAan), Roman poet: b. near Mantua in Cisalpine Gaul, 15 Oct. 70 B.C. ; d. Brundisium, Italy, Z1 SepL 19 B.C.
The Roman writers differ greatly in the amount of biographical information which they themselves give us, and Virgil forms a marked contrast io this rdspect to his friend and con temporary. Horace. This is doubtless due in part to the nature of the themes which he treated, but in part also to his natural modesty and shrinking from every form of publicity. Fortunately, however, besides allusions of a casual mature in the works of other Roman writers, thii.e. anciem biographieb of the poet have come down to us. The best of these is that of Aelius Danatus, of the 4th century, 'which, though distorted in some particulars, seems to be based upon good sources and tq give accurately the main details of Virgil's life.
Virgil was born in the country, in a district Called Andes, not far from the modern Pietola, three miles below Mantua on the river Mincio. His father was of hunable origin and is said by some to have been a potter, by_others the lured laborer of one Magius. He married Magia Polka, the daughter of his employer, and finally became himself the owner of a small estate, from which he made a living by farm ing and bee-keepintf. He prospered sufficiently to be able to give his son a thorough education, at first ia tbe neighboring town of Cremona, and afterward at Naples and Rome. Of these opportunities Virgil took the fullest advantage. He was always a diligent student and like Cicero made a thorough preparation for his life work. At Naples he took up. the study of Grecian literature under Parthenius; at Rome he not only applied hitnself to the regular curriculum of rhetoric atoi philosophy, but be sides studied medicine, mathematics .and nat ural philosophy. He seems to have owed most to the Epicurean Siro. throug3i whom he prob ably became acquainted with the worieof Lucre taus, by whith he was strongly influenced, as was recognized boy the ancient critics.. He aLso acquired a love for philosophical speculation which.lasted throughout his life and profoundly affected his literary work. Virgil is said to have suffered constantly from dysepsia and headache and his- ill,health, as well as his re tiring disposition and studious habits,. turned him from, the u.sual political or military career.
He held no public office of any sort and in fact spent little time in Rome, finding the milder climate of Caunpania and Sicily more congenial. He seems to have amassed a comfortable for tune from the liberality of his patrons, for in his later lile he owned several country .places and a house at Rome, on the Esqttiline HilL He enjoyed the friendship of the most dis tinguished men of his day, both in the world of letters and in public life. He never married and his name is associated neither by himself nor by others with any affairs of the heart After the completien of .his course of study at Rome, we lose sight of Virgil completely for about 10 years. It seems probable that he re tired to his native place and busied himself with; the management of his paternal estate and with study. This quiet life was rudely inter nipted after the battle of Philippi in 42 ac. His estate was included in the proscriptions which were made in Cisalpine Gaul for the benefit of the vetesans of Antony and Octavian and he is said to have had a narrow escape from death at die hands of one of the soldiers. The details of the affair are confused and un certain. We know, however, that Virgil went to Rome to appeal for protection, where he made the acquaintance of Mrcena.s and of Oc tavian. He was unable to recover his property, but seetns to have been given another estate, perhaps the one which he •is known to have cnvned near Nola in Campania. His visit to the capital had, however, much more important consequences, which influenced his whole future life. He became a member of the literary circle which Ma-cenas had gathered about himself, to which he was afterward the means of in troducing Horace, and through the generosity of his patron was enabled to devote all his time to literary work and to study. In the year 19 ac. Virgil undertook a journey to Greece and Asia Minor, with the intention of revising. the faEneid,) of which he had made a preliminary draft, and then devoting the rest of his life to his .favorite philosophical studies. At Athens he met Augustus, who persuaded him to return with him to Italy. Virgil had contracted a fever from exposure to the sun at Megara and was ill when he embarked. He died shortly after landing at Brundisium and was buried near Naples. The exact location of his tomb is a matter of uncertainty.