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Home , AD 65, Attica (wife of Agrippa), Aulus Gellius, Columella, Propertius

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Ancient authors 297

is unknown. His Attic Nights is a speeches for the law courts, collection of essays on a variety political speeches, philosophical ANCIENT AUTHORS of topics, based on his reading of essays, and personal letters to Greek and Roman writers and the friends and family. : (fourth century ad) is the lectures and conversations he had Apicius : Lucius Iunius name traditionally given to the heard. The title Attic Nights refers Moderatus Columella (wrote c.ad to Attica, the district in Greece author of a collection of recipes, 60–65) was born at Gades (modern de Re Coquinaria On the Art of around , where Gellius was ( Cadiz) in Spain and served in the Cooking living when he wrote the book. ). Marcus Gavius Apicius in Syria. He wrote a was a gourmet who lived in the (also Dio Cassius): treatise on farming, de Re Rustica early first centuryad and wrote Cassius Dio Cocceianus (c.ad (On Farming). about sauces. Seneca says that he 150–235) was born in Bithynia. He : Diodorus claimed to have created a scientia had a political career as a consul (wrote c.60–30 bc) was a Greek popīnae (snack bar cuisine). in and governor of the from Sicily who wrote a history of provinces of Africa and Dalmatia. : Appianos (late first the world centred on Rome, from century ad–ad 160s) was born in His , written in legendary beginnings to 54 bc. Greek, covers the period from , in Egypt, and practised Much of the original forty books ’ arrival in to ad 229. as a lawyer in Rome. His history of survives only in fragments. He Rome is written in Greek. Cato: Marcus Porcius Cato (234– wrote in Greek. : Lucius (c.ad 139 bc) was born at Tusculum, a Apuleius Dionysius of Halicarnassus: 155) was born in Africa and lived town about 16 miles from Rome. Dionysius (c.60 bc–some time in . He was the author He had a distinguished military after 7 bc) was a Greek historian and political career, reaching of the , also known from Halicarnassus in Asia Minor The Golden Ass the consulship and the office of as , a novel about (modern Bodrum in Turkey). He censor, despite not being born the adventures of a young man lived in Rome for many years who is turned into an ass. He into a senatorial family. He wrote from about 30 bc. His history of a book on farming, de Agri Cultura gave lectures on philosophy and a Rome, Roman Antiquities, is written (On Agriculture). Cato was famous collection of excerpts from these in Greek. It started with Rome’s Florida Anthology for his strictness and his criticism survives, called ( ). legendary beginnings and went of contemporary morality. He bc ad up to 264 bc, the First Punic War. : Augustus (63 – wanted to return to the old Roman Much of it is lost, and the surviving 14) was born Gaius Octavius, values of frugality and simplicity. and became Gaius Iulius part finishes in 441bc . Octavianus when he was adopted : Gaius Valerius Catullus : Sextus Iulius Frontinus by his great-uncle, . (c.84–54 bc) was born in Verona, in (c.–104) had a distinguished northern Italy, in a wealthy family. He was known by the title career as consul and governor of bc Very little is known about his life. Augustus after 27 when he Britain. After becoming supervisor became Rome’s first emperor. He came to Rome as a young of the water supply (cūrātor The Res Gestae Divi Augusti (Deeds of man and spent some time in the aquārum) in Rome in ad 97, he the Divine Augustus province of Bithynia on the staff of ) is an account wrote an account of the city’s the governor. He is best known for of the career of Augustus written aqueducts and water supply, On his love poems. in the first person. Augustus left the Waters of Rome, as a handbook the document with his will, with : Marcus Tullius Cicero for his successors. instructions to the Senate to set (106–43 bc) was a politician and : Quintus Horatius Flaccus up the text as an inscription. It lawyer, who was a leading figure (65–8 bc) was born in Apulia, in the was engraved on a pair of bronze in events at the end of the Roman south of Italy. He was of humble pillars in front of Augustus’ tomb Republic. He was born in a town origins, the son of a freedman in the Campus Martius. The not far from Rome and came who worked as a collector of original has not survived, but to Rome to study. Although not payments at auctions. His father copies were carved in stone on born into the senatorial class, he sent him to Rome and Athens to monuments and temples all over reached the highest office of state, be educated, and he became one the , and parts of the consulship. He was executed of the most celebrated poets of these have survived. on the orders of his day. Maecenas, the friend and during the unrest following the : Aulus Gellius adviser of Emperor Augustus, was c.ad assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 ( 130–180) lived in Rome and his patron. His most famous works Athens, although his birthplace bc. His surviving writings include T

298 Ancient authors

are the Odes, short poems on a Minucius: Marcus Minucius Felix vulgar extravagance and bad taste variety of subjects, but he also (early third century ad) was a of Trimalchio, and his ostentatious wrote Epodes, Satires, and Epistles. Christian who wrote a defence display of wealth. of Christianity, Octavius, in the Julius Caesar: Gaius Iulius : Titus Maccius Plautus form of a discussion between two Caesar (100–44 bc), the general, (c.250–184 bc) wrote comedies Christian converts, Minucius and politician, and dictator, belonged which were based on Greek Octavius, and Caecilius, a pagan. to an aristocratic Roman family. originals, adapted for a Roman Minucius defends Christianity He was assassinated on the audience, but set in Greece. against the criticisms of Caecilius, Ides (15th) of March 44 bc, by a and at the end Caecilius is : Gaius Plinius group of senators who feared converted. Secundus (ad 23/24–79) was born that he intended to put an end at Comum (modern Como) in to the republican system of : Publius Ovidius Naso (43 bc– northern Italy. He is known as government and keep supreme ad 17) was born in a town near Pliny the Elder to distinguish him power for himself and his family. Rome and educated in the city. from his nephew, known as Pliny Caesar wrote an account of his He abandoned a public career to the Younger. He had a career in campaigns in Gaul and Britain become a poet. Emperor Augustus military and government service, (58–52 bc), the Commentaries (also banished him to Tomi on the serving as procurator in several known as the Gallic Wars). They Black Sea (in modern Romania). provinces before his final post are written in the third person, as According to Ovid, there were as commander of the fleet at if to give an objective account of two reasons for his exile, carmen Misenum in Italy. He dedicated events. (a poem) and error (a mistake). his spare time to research and The poem was Ars Amatoria : Decius Iunius Iuvenalis writing, and among his many (The Art of Love), advice on how (early second century ad) was learned works is his Natural to conduct a love affair, which born in a town in Italy, but lived History, an encyclopaedic collection fell foul of laws introduced by in Rome. He was the author of facts and stories about a huge Augustus to improve the morals of sixteen Satires, long poems variety of subjects. It is a very of contemporary society. The criticizing and attacking the useful source of information on mistake was probably connected vices of his fellow Romans. The many aspects of Roman life. In to the love affairs of Augustus’ Satires have a bitter humour Suburani ‘Pliny’ refers to Pliny the granddaughter, Julia. Among his and pessimistic attitude, and Younger. works are love poems such as there is much exaggeration. the (Loves) and a long epic : Gaius Nevertheless, Juvenal sheds light poem, The Metamorphoses, which Caecilius Plinius Secundus (ad on contemporary Roman society is a collection of stories from 61/62–113) was the nephew of and provides lots of detail about mythology, bound together by the Pliny the Elder. He was born everyday life. theme of transformation. at Comum (Como) in northern : Titus Livius (59 bc–ad 17) was Italy. He had a successful career : Petronius Arbiter (died born at Patavium (modern Padua) as a lawyer, politician, and ad 65) was a provincial governor in north-east Italy. Little is known administrator, and his final post and consul. He then became about his life, but he probably was as governor of the province Emperor ’s arbiter ēlegentiae came to Rome as an adult. He of Bithynia. His letters to friends, (arbiter of taste), a play on his wrote A History of Rome, starting family, and colleagues include an name; this meant he advised Nero with its foundation and going exchange with Emperor Trajan on what was tasteful or elegant. up to his own lifetime. Originally when he was governor of Bithynia. He was falsely accused of being there were 142 books, of which The letters offer a fascinating involved in a plot to kill Nero, and about twenty-five have survived. glimpse into the lives, attitudes, committed suicide. Petronius was and politics of the society of : Marcus Valerius Martialis the author of the Satyricon, a novel his time. Pliny wrote with the (c.ad 40–c.ad 96) was born in Spain, about the adventures of three intention of publishing his letters, and came to live in Rome in about young men travelling in southern and at regular intervals during his . He is best known for his Italy. The main episode is the cēna lifetime he published collections short poems, known as Epigrams, Trimalchiōnis (Trimalchio’s Dinner of them. Although they are real which often criticize and mock Party). Trimalchio is a wealthy personal letters, many of them the faults and vices of his fellow freedman to whose dinner party resemble short essays on various Romans. the three main characters are themes. In Suburani ‘Pliny’ refers to invited. Petronius mocks and Pliny the Younger. grotesquely exaggerates the T

Ancient authors 299

Plutarch: Ploutarchos (c.ad : Strabo (64 bc–after ad 24) Rustica (On Farming) survives 46–120) was a Greek biographer, was a Greek from Pontus who in complete form. About half historian, and philosopher. He came to Rome in 44 bc to finish of de Lingua Latina (On the took the name Lucius Mercius his education, then visited the Language) also survives. Plutarchus when he became a city several times afterwards. His Vergil (also ): Publius Roman citizen. visited Geography, written in Greek, is a Vergilius Maro (70–19 bc) was Rome, where he taught and gave description of the main countries born at Mantua in Cisalpine lectures, but spent most of his in the Roman world, including Gaul and educated at Cremona, life in his native Greece. Among physical geography, history, and (modern Milan), and his many works are biographies economic development. There is Rome. Maecenas, the friend and of famous Greek and Roman also much incidental detail about adviser of Emperor Augustus, was politicians and soldiers, the Parallel customs, animals, and plants. his patron, and he became the Lives, so called because they are : Gaius Suetonius most celebrated poet of his day. arranged in pairs of Greek and Tranquillus (born c.70 ad) was a His greatest work is the , an Roman so that the subjects can secretary at the imperial palace. epic poem which tells the story be compared. He also wrote He wrote biographies of Julius of the founding of the Roman biographies of the Roman Caesar and the first eleven race by the Trojan hero Aeneas. emperors. His biographies of emperors, Lives of the Caesars. The poem is a celebration of the Galba and Otho survive in full, and Although his position gave him origin and growth of the Roman there are fragments of his lives of access to the state archives, he Empire and of the achievements and Nero. is not very reliable in his use of Augustus. Vergil also wrote the : Sextus Propertius of sources, and his work relies Eclogues, pastoral poems about (c.50 bc–after 16 bc) was born at heavily on uncritical reporting of the life of shepherds, and the Assisium (modern ) in central gossip and anecdote. His other Georgics, a poem about farming. Italy, and educated at Rome. He works include lives of teachers : Vitruvius Pollio (first wrote poems known as Elegies, of literature and rhetoric, On the century bc), an engineer and many of them love poems. Grammarians and On Rhetoricians; architect, wrote On Architecture. only parts of these have survived. Seneca: Lucius Annaeus Seneca (c.–ad 65) is sometimes : Publius (or Gaius) known as to Cornelius Tacitus (ad 56/57–after distinguish him from his father of 117) may have been born in Gallia the same name, who was also a Narbonensis. He had a successful writer. He was born in Cordoba, political career in Rome and wrote in Spain, and came to Rome two major works of history. to be educated. He was Nero’s covered the period ad 14–68, tutor and, when Nero became from the death of Augustus to emperor, Seneca became his the death Nero, and Histories political adviser. In ad 65, after he continued with the years ad 69–96. had retired from public life, he Only parts of these works survive. was implicated in a conspiracy to He also wrote a biography of his overthrow Nero and was forced father-in-law Agricola, the general to commit suicide. Seneca was and governor of Britain. Tacitus a philosopher, politician, and used as his sources the writings of dramatist. Among his many earlier historians, official records, writings are several works of and his own experience. Tacitus moral philosophy which contain was a supporter of the republican interesting details about life in system of government and a Rome in the first centuryad . Some harsh critic of the emperors and of these are in the form of letters the imperial system. He claims to to friends and family, including write without prejudice, but his one to his mother, Helvia. bias is often evident. Servius: Marius Servius Varro: Honoratus (early fifth century (115–27 bc) was born near Rome ad) wrote commentaries on Latin in Sabine territory. Among his literature. many literary works, only de Re