ABSTRACT
We know little about the life of Tibullus. We do not even know his praenomen, or "first name." It is thought that he came from Gabii, a town in Latium, but that depends on an unproven conjecture. Beyond his own statements in his poetry, we have two poems addressed to him by Horace, of which one describes the poet as a good critic who is at that time living in Latium, philosophical and depressed; Horace encourages him to enjoy his good looks, his wealth, his health, and his "art of enjoyment." In Rome, Tibullus was a close friend of Messalla and a member of Messalla's literary circle. He was probably younger than Propertius, and died before the age of forty shortly after Vergil died in 19 B.C.E. This will place his date of birth between 58 and 50 B.C.E. He spent his youth, then, in the last days of the Republic, just after J. Caesar, M. Crassus and Cn. Pompey had formed the First Triumvirate. He lived to see the victory of Octavian over Antony in 31 B.C. E., the so-called "Restoration of the Republic." Given the political turmoil of the time, and given the fact that Messalla, who had been quick to shift his allegiance from Antony to Octavian, had played an important role in politics as augur, consul, and triumphant general, it is striking that Tibullus remains entirely silent about particular events and policies. He never mentions Augustus, Maecenas, or Actium. He is concerned with peace and the countryside, but as general poetic and personal concerns, not as direct reflections of political realities or of a partisan ideology.
