Apollonius is followed very closely, many passages being translated from him; thus iv. 236 = Apoll. ii. 38; vii. 404 = Apoll. in. 966. Valerius, however, amplifies where Apollonius is brief, and vice versa. Thus Apoll. ii. 948 _sqq._ is dismissed by Valerius v. 110 _sqq._ in a few words. The character painting of Valerius is superior to that of the original, cf. the character of Jason and of Aeetes. So for his artistic work; thus his portraiture of the gradual progress of Medea's love is superior to Apollonius' description, and to Virgil's of Dido.
'Tu, cui iam curaeque vigent animique viriles,'
'Ante annos animumque gerens curamque virilem.'
Cf. 'horrentem iaculis, nec credere quivi, heu quid agat, libans carchesia, summa dies, miscere polum, rumpere questus,' in Book i.[83]
(2) In matter. The description of Fame, ii. 116 _sqq._, is from _Aen._ iv. The character of Styrus, the betrothed of Medea, is modelled on that of Turnus.
After Virgil, Homer (esp. in Book vi.), Ovid, and Seneca's tragedies are chiefly imitated. Statius is full of imitations of Valerius.
Valerius often tries to connect his subject with Rome.[84] Cf. ii. 304,
'Iam nemus Egeriae, iam te ciet altus ab Alba Iuppiter et soli non mitis Aricia regi';
'genus Aeneadum et Troiae melioris honores.'
The full name of Silius is got from an inscription (_C.I.L._ vi. 1984), and is Ti. Catius Silius Italicus. Our chief information about his life is found in Pliny, _Epist._ iii. 7, where his recent death is mentioned. It was probably written A.D. 101, and as it states that Silius was then 75 years old, the year of his birth was A.D. 25. His birthplace is unknown, but was not Italica in Spain, otherwise Martial would have claimed him as a countryman. Pliny tells us that Silius had risen by acting as a _delator_ under Nero, who made him consul A.D. 68. He had taken the side of Vitellius in the war of the succession A.D. 69[85] and had afterwards, as proconsul, governed Asia with success (under Vespasian). After this he possessed great social influence. Towards the end of his life, he retired to Campania, and gave himself up to study. The account of his learned retirement,[86] his reverence for Virgil,[87] the consulship of his son,[88] the death of his younger son,[89] and other details, are corroborated by his contemporary Martial.