Pacuvius, Marcus (220–c. 130 BC)

Latin tragic poet and nephew of Ennius, born at Brundisium. After spending much of his life at Rome, where he earned a reputation as painter as well as poet, he returned to his birthplace, where he died. Pacuvius's tragedies owed much to their greater Greek counterparts, but they had the merit of being adaptations rather than mere translations. Fragments amounting to about 400 lines are extant.