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Varro； whose authority on all questions connected with the antiquities
of his country is entitled to the greatest respect； tells us that at banquets it
was once the fashion for boys to sing； sometimes with and sometimes
without instrumental music； ancient ballads in praise of men of former
times。 These young performers； he observes； were of unblemished
character； a circumstance which he probably mentioned because； among
the Greeks； and indeed； in his time among the Romans also； the morals of
singing boys were in no high repute。
The testimony of Horace； though given incidentally； confirms the
statements of Cato； Valerius Maximus； and Varro。 The poet predicts that；
under the peaceful administration of Augustus； the Romans will； over their
full goblets； sing to the pipe； after the fashion of their fathers； the deeds of
brave captains； and the ancient legends touching the origin of the city。
The proposition； then； that Rome had ballad…poetry is not merely in
itself highly probable； but is fully proved by direct evidence of the greatest
weight。
This proposition being established； it becomes easy to understand why
the early history of the city is unlike almost everything else in Latin
literature； native where almost everything else is borrowed； imaginative
where almost everything else is prosaic。 We can scarcely hesitate to
pronounce that the magnificent； pathetic； and truly national legends； which
present so striking a contrast to all that surrounds them； are broken and
defaced fragments of that early poetry which； even in the age of Cato the
Censor； had become antiquated； and of which Tully had never heard a line。
That this poetry should have been suffered to perish will not appear
strange when we consider how complete was the triumph of the Greek
genius over the public mind of Italy。 It is probable that； at an early period；
Homer and Herodotus furnished some hints to the Latin Minstrels； but it
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was not till after the war with Pyrrhus that the poetry of Rome began to
put off its old Ausonian character。 The transformation was soon
consummated。 The conquered； says Horace； led captive the conquerors。 It
was precisely at the time at which the Roman people rose to unrivalled
political ascendency that they stooped to pass under the intellectual yoke。
It was precisely at the time at which the sceptre departed from Greece that
the empire of her language and of her arts became universal and despotic。
The revolution indeed was not effected without a struggle。 Naevius seems
to have been the last of the ancient line of poets。 Ennius was the founder
of a new dynasty。 Naevius celebrated the First Punic War in Saturnian
verse； the old national verse of Italy。 Ennius sang the Second Punic War in
numbers borrowed from the Iliad。 The elder poet； in the epitaph which he
wrote for himself； and which is a fine specimen of the early Roman diction
and versification； plaintively boasted that the Latin language had died with
him。 Thus what to Horace appeared to be the first faint dawn of Roman
literature appeared to Naevius to be its hopeless setting。 In truth； one
literature was setting； and another dawning。
The victory of the foreign taste was decisive； and indeed we can
hardly blame the Romans for turning away with contempt from the rude
lays which had delighted their fathers； and giving their whole admiration
to the immortal productions of Greece。 The national romances； neglected
by the great and the refined whose education had been finished at Rhodes
or Athens； continued； it may be supposed； during some generations to
delight the vulgar。 While Virgil； in hexameters of exquisite modulation；
described the sports of rustics； those rustics were still singing their wild
Saturnian ballads。 It is not improbable that； at the time when Cicero
lamented the irreparable loss of the poems mentioned by Cato； a search
among the nooks of the Appenines； as active as the search which Sir
Walter Scott made among the descendents of the mosstroopers of
Liddesdale； might have brought to light many fine remains of ancient
minstrelsy。 No such search was made。 The Latin ballads perished forever。
Yet discerning critics have thought that they could still perceive in the
early history of Rome numerous fragments of this lost poetry； as the
traveller on classic ground sometimes finds； built into the heavy wall of a
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Lays of Ancient Rome
fort or convent； a pillar rich with acanthus leaves； or a frieze where the
Amazons and Bacchanals seem to live。 The theatres and temples of the
Greek and the Roman were degraded into the quarries of the Turk and the
Goth。 Even so did the ancient Saturnian poetry become the quarry in
which a crowd of orators and annalists found the materials for their prose。
It is not difficult to trace the process by which the old songs were
transmuted into the form which they now wear。 Funeral panegyric and
chronicle appear to have been the intermediate links which connected the
lost ballads with the histories now extant。 From a very early period it was
the usage that an oration should be pronounced over the remains of a
noble Roman。 The orator； as we learn from Polybius； was expected； on
such occasions； to recapitulate all the services which the ancestors of the
deceased had； from the earliest time； rendered to the commonwealth。
There can be little doubt that the speaker on whom this duty was imposed
would make use of all the stories suited to his purpose which were to be
found in the popular lays。 There can be as little doubt that the family of an
eminent man would preserve a copy of the speech which had been
pronounced over his corpse。 The compilers of the early chronicles would
have recourse to these speeches； and the great historians of a later period
would have recourse to the chronicles。
It may be worth while to select a particular story； and to trace its
probable progress through these stages。 The description of the migration
of the Fabian house to Cremera is one of the finest of the many fine
passages which lie thick in the earlier books of Livy。 The Consul； clad in
his military garb； stands in the vestibule of his house； marshalling his clan；
three hundred and six fighting men； all of the same proud patrician blood；
all worthy to be attended by the fasces； and to command the legions。 A sad
and anxious retinue of friends accompanies the adventurers through the
streets； but the voice of lamentation is drowned by the shouts of admiring
thousands。 As the procession passes the Capitol； prayers and vows are
poured forth； but in vain。 The devoted band； leaving Janus on the right；
marches to its doom； through the Gate of Evil Luck。 After achieving high
deeds of valor against overwhelming numbers； all perish save one child；
the stock from which the great Fabian race was destined again to spring；
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Lays of Ancient Rome
for the safety and glory of the commonwealth。 That this fine romance； the
details of which are so full of poetical truth； and so utterly destitute of all
show of historical truth； came originally from some lay which had often
been sung with great applause at banquets is in the highest degree
probable。 Nor is it difficult to imagine a mode in which the transmission
might have taken place。 The celebrated Quintus Fabius Maximus； who
died about twenty years before the First Punic War； and more than forty
years before Ennius was born； is said to have been interred with
extraordinary pomp。 In the eulogy pronounced over his body all the great
exploits