Lucius Accius
Lucius Accius (170 BC – c. 86 BC) was a Roman tragic poet, literary scholar, and innovator in Latin orthography. Though only fragments of his works survive, his influence on Roman tragedy, Latin literature, and grammatical theory still echoes. Explore his life, writings, style, and key quotations.
Introduction
Lucius Accius (also spelled Attius) is one of the most important names in the history of Roman tragedy. Born in 170 BC in Pisaurum (in Umbria, in the northeast of Italy) and living until about 86 BC, he belonged to the late Republican era of Roman culture. Though only fragments (some 700 lines) from his ~50 or more plays survive, Accius was highly esteemed by later Roman writers for his linguistic vigor, moral seriousness, and fusion of Greek and Roman themes.
His legacy straddles drama, literary scholarship, and grammatical innovation. In many ways, he stood at a crossroads: looking to Greek models, yet seeking a distinct Roman tragic voice.
Early Life, Background & Influences
Accius was born at Pisaurum (modern Pesaro) around 170 BC, to parents who had been freedpersons (i.e. formerly enslaved).
Accius was deeply influenced by Greek tragedy, especially Aeschylus, Euripides, and other Attic dramatists. His works are often regarded as free translations or adaptations of Greek originals, transposed into Roman myth or history contexts.
He is said to have journeyed to Pergamum to study Greek culture and drama before returning to Rome — an experience that would shape his stylistic and thematic ambitions.
Career & Major Works
Dramatic Output
Accius’s dramatic oeuvre was impressive in scale. Scholars ascribe to him over 40 tragedies (some count about fifty) in various mythological and historical cycles. Brutus, Decius).
One of his best-known (though only fragmentary) works is Atreus, performed in 140 BC. Brutus, dramatized the downfall of the Tarquin monarchy and the founding of the Republic.
Though none of his plays survive intact, about seven hundred lines of fragments have been preserved through quotations in other authors.
Scholarly & Critical Writings
Accius was not merely a dramatist; he also engaged in literary criticism, grammar, and orthographic reform. His known treatises include:
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Libri Didascalicon — a verse treatise on the history and rules of Greek and Latin poetry, especially drama.
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Libri Pragmaticon, Parerga, Praxidica — works of which fragments are largely lost.
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Annales — a hexameter work recounting Roman religious or historical events.
He also ventured ideas in orthography — for example, doubling vowels (e.g. writing “aa” for a long ā) to better reflect pronunciation; though most of these innovations did not persist.
Style & Themes
Accius’s style was marked by linguistic vigor, rhetorical force, and moral weight. Ancient critics praised the “strength and vigor” of his diction and the sublimity of his ideas.
Themes in his drama often include:
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Fate, revenge, and family curses (especially within mythological cycles)
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Tyranny and its downfall (e.g. Brutus)
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Moral and civic virtue, especially in contrast to personal hubris
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Interaction between the Greek past and Roman identity
One of his memorable maxims is “oderint, dum metuant” — “Let them hate, so long as they fear.” This line comes from his Atreus, and was later quoted by Cicero; it also became a notorious motto associated with authoritarian rule.
Although his work was heavily influenced by Greek tragedy, Accius sought to infuse a Roman ethical seriousness and rhetorical clarity.
Historical & Cultural Context
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Accius worked during the middle-to-late Roman Republic, a time of growing literary ambition and intense interaction with Greek culture.
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His tragedies remained influential into the imperial period; his names and lines continued to be cited by writers such as Cicero, Horace, Varro, and grammarians.
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His innovations in orthography reflect a Roman intellectual grappling with how to adapt Latin to the influence of Greek learning.
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He is sometimes treated as the last great Roman tragic poet before drama declined in the later Republic and Empire.
Legacy & Influence
Although Accius’s plays no longer survive in full, his legacy is significant:
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He set a high standard for Roman tragedy, influencing subsequent dramatists and critics.
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His critical and grammatical speculations contributed to the development of Latin grammatical theory, particularly in the works of later librarians and grammarians.
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His memorable phrases, especially oderint dum metuant, survived through quotation and were referenced across literature and political discourse.
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Cicero, in Brutus, mentions having met Accius, and admired his innovations.
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His ambition to combine Greek dramatic tradition with Roman content stands as a model of “creative appropriation” in classical literature.
Famous Quotes & Aphorisms
Only fragments of his work remain, but some lines (often preserved by later authors) are attributed to him:
“A man whose life has been dishonourable is not entitled to escape disgrace in death.”
“Let them hate, so long as they fear.” (Oderint, dum metuant) — from Atreus
“Unhappy is he whose fame makes his misfortunes famous.”
These lines capture the moral seriousness, rhetorical drama, and psychological resonance characteristic of his fragments.
Lessons from Lucius Accius
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Influence survives even in fragments — Even when full works are lost, powerful lines and ideas can echo through history.
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Cultural synthesis matters — Accius’s blending of Greek form and Roman content shows how adaptation can become a creative force.
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Ambition in art and scholarship — He was not content to write plays; he also theorized about poetry, language, and orthography.
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Moral weight in tragedy — His work reminds us that even in myth, drama often probes the cost of power, honor, and hubris.
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Literary reputation endures through citation — His memory was preserved by later authors quoting and critiquing him, demonstrating the power of textual transmission.
Conclusion
Lucius Accius stands as a towering but elusive figure in Roman literary history. Born of humble origins, he rose through mastery of language, dramatic ambition, and intellectual daring. Though only fragments of his plays and writings survive, his imprint on Roman tragedy, grammatical thought, and rhetorical culture remains profound. His fragments may seem small, but they invite us to imagine the full sweep of a mind striving to shape a Roman tragic tradition in dialogue with the Greeks.