Seve'rus, Corne'lius
according to the criticism of Quintilian, more distinguished as a verse-maker than as a poet, was contemporary with Ovid, by whom he is addressed in one of the Epistles written from Pontus.
He was the author of a poem entitled
Bellum Siculum, which he was prevented by death from completing. Seneca has preserved (
Suasor. vii.) a fragment by Severus, on the death of Cicero; and in one of his Epistles he speaks of him as having written upon Aetna; but whether this was an independent piece or was included in the Sicilian War, we cannot tell. [See LUCILIUS JUNIOR.]
The above-mentioned fragments, and a few inconsiderable scraps, collected chiefly from the grammarians, will be found in Wernsdorf,
Poet. Lat. Min. vol. iv. pt. i. pp. 217, 225, comp. vol. iv. pt. i. p. 33, vol. v. pt. iii. p. 1469. (Ovid,
Ep. ex Pont. 4.2. 2; Senec.
Suasor. vii.
Epist. lxxix.;
Quint. Inst. 10.1.89.)
[
W.R]
