Servius the Grammarian’s Commentary on the Bucolics of Maro Maro refers to Publius Vergilius Maro, known in English as Virgil.

On the origin of the Bucolic song

Bucolics, as they say, are named from the tending of cattle original: "a custodia boum"; for cattle are the most important animals among country folk. Others, however, provide different reasons for this name.

Xerxes

For some say that at the time when Xerxes, the King of the Persians, invaded Greece, when everyone was hiding behind walls and the sacred rites of Diana could not be performed in the usual manner, country folk came to the mountains of Laconia and sang hymns in her honor. They believe the Bucolic poem originated from this event.

Diana

Honorably

Scythia

Others say that when Orestes carried away the statue of Diana Fascelis A title for Diana associated with bundles of sticks or "fasces" stolen from Scythia and was driven to Sicily by a storm, he celebrated the festival of Diana at the completion of a year. Many people were gathered, including some honored shepherds, and from that time the custom remained among the country people.

Apollo

Admetus

Opinion

Others wish this poem to be preserved not for Diana, but for the name of Apollo, from the time when he pastured the herds of King Admetus.

Pan

Satyrs

Others assert that this song was dedicated by shepherds to the rural deities, to Pan, the nymphs, and the satyrs. And this is the title of this work. Its quality, however, is of the humble style; for there are three "characters" or styles of writing: the humble, the middle, and the grandiloquent.

Three characters

All of these are found in this one poet. For in the Aeneid he has the grandiloquent style; in the Georgics, the middle; and in the Bucolics, the humble, according to the quality of the subject matter and the characters. For the characters here are rural folk, rejoicing in simplicity, from whom nothing lofty should be required. Furthermore, regarding the meter of the Bucolics, the fourth foot should end with a part of speech that is a dactyl in itself; for this makes a better verse, such as: "we [leave] the borders of our fatherland" original: "nos patriae fines," quoting the first line of Virgil's Eclogues.