Lucius Varius Rufus moved within the tightest circle of early Augustan Rome. He stood as a close friend to Virgil, who later entrusted him with a sacred task after his own death. When Virgil died in 19 BC, Varius and Plotius Tucca prepared the Aeneid for publication. This act bound their lives together long before the final lines were written. Horace also counted Varius among his innermost friends. The poet helped secure an introduction to Maecenas alongside Virgil. Maecenas became the central patron of this literary group. Horace described Varius as a master of epic poetry. In Odes i.6, he named Varius the only man capable of celebrating Vipsanius Agrippa. Virgil himself spoke through the character Lycidas in Eclogue ix.35. He expressed regret that no one had yet produced work equal to that of Varius or Helvius Cinna.
Epic Poetry And De Morte
Macrobius recorded details about an epic poem titled De Morte composed by Varius. Saturnalia vi.1.39 and 2.19 contain these references from ancient sources. Some lines from this lost work appear quoted in later texts. These fragments show how other poets borrowed directly from his verses. Macrobius states that specific lines were imitated or appropriated by Virgil. Horace likely alluded to another epic in Satire i.10.43. A scholiast on Epistles i.16.729 claims three lines came bodily from a panegyric on Augustus written by Varius. No complete copy of any epic survives today. Scholars must reconstruct meaning from scattered quotations found in commentaries. The influence of these lines on Virgil remains a subject of intense study. Ancient readers knew the original text well enough to recognize the theft.The Tragedy Thyestes
A didascalia preserved in a Paris manuscript describes the production history of Thyestes. This play was performed at games celebrated in 29 BC by Octavian. The event honored the victory at Actium. Quintilian declared the tragedy fit to rank with any Greek tragedies in Inst. Orat. x.1.98. The Roman ruler gave Varius a present of one million sesterces for the performance. This sum represented immense wealth and official recognition. The play itself has not survived intact. Only fragments remain within ancient literary criticism. Critics still debate whether it matched the quality of Sophocles or Euripides. The financial reward signals how highly the state valued his work. Public spectacle served as a vehicle for political messaging during this era.