or SE'RVIUS MA'RIUS HONORA'TUS, as the name is variously written, the arrangement of its
constituent parts being, moreover, varied in every possible way, was a celebrated Latin
grammarian, contemporary with Macrobius, for we cannot reasonably doubt that he is the Servius
introduced among the dramatis personae of the Saturnalia, and who is frequently mentioned with
the greatest respect in that work, a warm tribute being paid not only to his learning and his
talents, but also to his amiable disposition and unaffected modesty.
Works
Commentary on Vergil
Servius' most celebrated production was an elaborate commentary upon Virgil, with
commentaries on the
Eclogues,
Georgics and
Aeneid,
compiled from the labours of a multitude of earlier annotators. This is, nominally, at
least, still extant; but from the widely different forms which it assumes in different MSS.,
it is clear that it must have been changed and interpolated to such an extent by the
transcribers of the middle ages, that it is impossible to determine how much belongs to
Servius and how much to the later hands by whom his performance has been overlaid. Even in
its present condition, however, it contains so many quotations from lost works, and so much
curious information on abstruse points connected with history, antiquities, and mythology,
that it is deservedly regarded as the most important and valuable of all the Latin Scholia.
It is attached to many of the earlier impressions of the poet, and by comparing a few of
these the discrepancies alluded to above will be at once perceived.
Editions
Much was done to improve and purify the text by R. Stephens (Paris, fol.
1532), and by Masvicius (Virgilii Opera, 4to. Leonard.
1717), but it will be found under its best form in the celebrated edition of
Virgil by Burmann. The recension by Lion (2 vols. 8vo. Gotting.
1825) is not of any particular value.
We possess also the following treatises which bear the name of Servius Maurus
Honoratus.
2.
In secundam Donati Editionem
Interpretatioprinted by Jo. Theodoricus Bellovacus, in his Grammatici illustres
XII. fol. Paris, 1516; by Adamus Petri, in his collection, 8vo.
Basel, 1527, and included by Putschius in his " Grammaticae Latinae Auctores
Antiqui," 4to. Hannov. 1605, pp. 1779-1799. Some additions will be found in
Endlicher, Analecta Grammaotica, p. 512.
3.
De Ratione ultimarum Syllabarum ad Aquilinum
Liberfirst printed along with the
Centimetrum (see below)
by
Robertus de Fano and Bernardinus de Bergomo, 4to. Call. 1476, and contained
in
Putschius, p. 1799-1815. See also
Endlicher, p. 491, where we have the
title de Finalibus.4.
[Ars de centum Metris s.
Centimetrum](phi-2349.001)Addressed to Albinus, first printed in the " de Schemate et Tropo" of Beda, 4to.
Mediol. 1473, contained in Putschius, pp. 1815-1826, and to be found
under its best form in Gaisford's " Scriptores Latini Rei Metricae," 8vo. Oxon. 1837,
p. 363. (Macr. 1.2, 24, 6.6, 7, 7.11;
Heyne, de Antiq. Virg. Interpr. Burmann, Praef.)