Naevius

Gnaeus Naevius, often anglicized as Naevius (c. 270–c. 201 BCE), was a Roman dramatist and epic poet of the early Republic. He is one of the first authors to compose extensively in Latin and to adapt Greek dramatic forms to Roman topics, and is frequently cited as a founder of Roman drama. Naevius wrote both tragedies and comedies, producing works in varying Roman genres such as fabulae praetextae (serious plays with Roman history and magistrates) and fabulae togatae (comedic plays about Roman daily life).

He is also attributed with creating and popularizing Latin verse on Roman subjects, including an epic account of the First Punic War in a compilation often referred to as Rerum Punicarum Libri (Books of the Punic War). This work, like his plays, survives only in fragments and in references by later scholars, but it is considered influential in establishing Latin narrative poetry and national themes.

Naevius is believed to have originated from Campania (with tradition placing him in Capua or nearby towns) and to have moved to Rome, where his early success helped shape the development of Roman dramaturgy. According to later Roman tradition, he later fell afoul of political authorities and was exiled to Tarentum, where he is said to have died. The exact details of his life are uncertain, and much of what is known about him comes from later literary critics and historians.

Legacy of Naevius rests on his role as a pioneer of Latin drama and epic, setting precedents that influenced subsequent poets and theatrical writers, notably Ennius, and helping to establish a distinctly Roman literary tradition.