His chief writings on rhetoric were _De Oratore; Brutus de Claris Oratoribus;_ and _Orator ad M. Brutum_. Cicero was a lover of philosophy, and his writings on the subject were numerous. Those most read are _De Senectute, De Amicitia,_ and _De Officiis_.
Eight hundred and sixty-four of Cicero's letters are extant, and they furnish an inexhaustible treasure of contemporaneous history.
Of CAESAR'S literary works the most important are his _Commentarii_, containing the history of the first seven years of the Gallic war, and the history of the civil strife down to the Alexandrine war. The account of his last year in Gaul was written probably by Aulus Hirtius; that of the Alexandrine, African, and Spanish wars, by some unknown hand. As an orator, Caesar ranks next to Cicero.
CORNELIUS NEPOS, a native of Northern Italy, was a friend of both Cicero and Atticus. He was a prolific writer, but only his _De Viris Illustribus_ is preserved. It shows neither historical accuracy nor good style.
TITUS LUCRETIUS CARUS has left a didactic poem, _De Rerum Natura_. The tone of the work is sad, and in many places bitter.
GAIUS VALERIUS CATULLUS, of Veróna, is the greatest lyric poet of Roman literature. One hundred and sixteen of his poems are extant.
The great epic Roman poet was VIRGIL. His _Aenéis_, in twelve books, gives an account of the wanderings and adventures of Aenéas, and his struggles to found a city in Italy. The poem was not revised when Virgil died, and it was published contrary to his wishes.
Besides the _Aenéis_, Virgil wrote the _Bucolica_, ten Eclogues imitated and partially translated from the Greek poet Theocritus. The _Georgica_, a poem of four books on agriculture in its different branches, is considered his most finished work, and the most perfect production of Roman art-poetry. (See page 179.)
QUINTUS HORATIUS FLACCUS left four books of Odes, one of Epodes, two of Satires, two of Epistles, and the _Ars Poetica_. (See page 180.)
ALBIUS TIBULLUS, an elegiac poet, celebrated in exquisitely fine poems the beauty and cruelty of his mistresses.
SEXTUS PROPERTIUS, a native of Umbria, was also an elegiac poet, and wrote mostly on love.
PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO left three books of _Amores_; one of _Heroides_; the _Ars Amatoria_; _Remedia Amoris_; the _Metamorphoses_ (fifteen books); the _Tristia_; and the _Fasti_. (See page 181.)