Life
(Literature and the Ancient World, Critical Edition)
Gaius Lucilius (GAY-uhs loo-SIHL-ee-uhs) was a member of a prominent family, which included a brother who was a senator and a sister who was the grandmother of Pompey the Great. Lucilius himself was a landowner who never sought political office. He served under Scipio Aemilianus during the siege of Numantia in 134-133 b.c.e. and started publishing in 131 b.c.e. He became a member of Scipio Aemilianus’s literary circle. His works were published in three separate collections (c. 125, c. 120, and c. 108 b.c.e., only fragments remain) that were later collected into one group. His satires were often autobiographical, with topics such as his own life and friends, travel, and public and private morality. He was outspoken and critical, mentioning enemies by name.