Editing Ennius (section)

{{Short description|Roman writer and poet (c. 239 – c. 169 BC)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox writer
| image            = Ny Carlsberg Glyptothek - Doppelherme Vergil-Ennius.jpg
| caption          = Double herm with the portrait of the Roman poets [[Virgil]] or Ennius
| pseudonym        = 
| birth_name       = Quintus Ennius
| birth_date       = {{circa}} 239 BCE
| birth_place      = [[Rudiae]], [[Roman Republic]]
| death_date       = {{circa}} 169 BCE
| death_place      = 
| occupation       = Poet
| period           = 
| genre            = [[Epic poetry]]
| subject          = 
| movement         = 
| signature        = 
}}
'''Quintus Ennius''' ({{IPA|la|ˈkᶣiːnt̪ʊs̺ ˈɛnːiʊs̺}}<!-- "ɪ" before a vowel is wrong acc. to sydney allen and others, so at least do not change it to "ɪ.ʊ"-->; {{circa|239|169 BCE}}) was a writer and poet who lived during the [[Roman Republic]]. He is often considered the father of [[Roman poetry]]. He was born in the small town of [[Rudiae]],<ref>[[#Smith|Smith (1852)]], p. 359. "Rudiae is celebrated as the birthplace of Ennius."</ref> located near modern [[Lecce]] (ancient ''Calabria'', today [[Salento]]), a town founded by the [[Messapians]], and could speak [[Greek language|Greek]] as well as [[Latin]] and [[Oscan language|Oscan]] (his native language).<ref>{{cite book |title=Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature |year=1995 |page=381 |publisher=Merriam-Webster Inc. Publishers |location=Springfield, Massachusetts |isbn=0-87779-042-6 |quote="Ennius was at home in three languages: Oscan, his native tongue; Greek, in which he was educated; and Latin, the language of the army with which he served in the Second Punic War."}}</ref> Although only fragments of his works survive, his influence in [[Latin literature]] was significant, particularly in his use of Greek literary models.