[975] It may be concluded that Horace died at Rome, under the hospitable
roof of his patron Mecaenas, whose villa and gardens stood on the
Esquiline hill; which had formerly been the burial ground of the lower
classes; but, as he tells us,

Nunc licet Esquiliis habitare salubribus, atque
Aggere in aprico spatiare.--Sat. i. 8.

[976] Cordova. Lucan was the son of Annaeus Mella, Seneca's brother.

[977] This sentence is very obscure, and Ernesti considers the text to
be imperfect.

[978] They had good reason to know that, ridiculous as the tyrant made
himself, it was not safe to incur even the suspicion of being parties to
a jest upon him.

[979] See NERO, c. xxxvi.

[980] St. Jerom (Chron. Euseb.) places Lucan's death in the tenth year
of Nero's reign, corresponding with A.U.C. 817. This opportunity is
taken of correcting an error in the press, p. 342, respecting the date of
Nero's accession. It should be A.U.C. 807, A.D. 55.

[981] These circumstances are not mentioned by some other writers. See
Dr. Thomson's account of Lucan, before, p. 347, where it is said that he
died with philosophical firmness.

[982] We find it stated ib. p. 396, that Lucan expired while pronouncing
some verses from his own Pharsalia: for which we have the authority of