Quintus Ennius was considered the Father of Roman Literature. Little is known about his early life, but he first appeared in history as a centurion in the Second Punic War, catching the attention of Cato the Elder. Ennius went to Rome and made a living transcribing Greek plays, gaining favor among Roman nobles. His most famous work was the Annales, an epic poem on Roman history from Aeneas to 184 BCE, which became the national Roman epic until Virgil's Aeneid. Ennius had a comfortable life surrounded by noble patrons until his death in 169 BCE.

1. Quintus Ennius<br />Little is actually known about the man who is considered to be the Father of Roman Literature, Quintus Ennius. From his birth in c.239 B.C.E. until 204 B.C.E. nothing is documented about him. Ennius's first appearance in history is when he held rank of centurion in the Second Punic War. This caught the eye of Cato the Elder, who consequently took Ennius to Rome. There, Ennius transcribed Greek plays for a living and gained the favor of many great men of Rome, including Scipio and Fulvius Nobilior. His tragedies, including praetexta, a drama based on legends and histories of Rome, Ambracia, depicting the siege of the city of Ambracia, Sabinae, about the rape of the Sabine women and various translations of Greek plays helped him earn fame among the public and the royal.<br />But the true reason for his popularity among noblemen was because of his Annales. The Annales were an epic poem written about the history of Rome, from Aeneas saving the Trojans to the censorship of Cato the Elder in 184 B.C.E. In fact, the Annales remained the national Roman epic until Virgil wrote his Aeneid. Sadly, only six hundred lines out of eighteen books survive. Other fragments of his books exist, including the Epicharmus, written about the gods and their presence throughout the universe and the Euhemerus, another theological account. He also composed the Hedyphagetica, a gastronomical comedy based off a work by Archestratus of Gela, and the Saturae, an account of the daily life of Ennius himself and his noblemen friends.<br /> Ennius lived in a fairly comfortable environment surrounded by the favoritism of many noblemen. He was considered a felicitous man, and remained so until his death c.169 B.C.E. Upon his eminent death, Ennius stated, quot;
Let no one weep for me, or celebrate my funeral with mourning; for I still live, as I pass to and fro through the mouths of men.quot;
Despite the dismemberment of his writing cannon and life history, Ennius still remains a large influence on writing and poetry. ♪<br />Bibliography<br />• quot;
Ennius.quot;
Answers.com. Answers Corporation, 2010. Web. 8 May 2010. <http://www.answers.com/topic/ennius>.<br />• quot;
Ennius.quot;
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. Web. 8 May 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quintus_Ennius>.<br /> • quot;
Quintus Ennius.quot;
NNBD. Soylent Communications, 2010. Web. 8 May 2010. <http://www.nndb.com/people/818/000095533/>.<br />