Author: ephorus

Imperial Latin is defined as the literary output from the reign of Tiberius through the reign of Marcus Aurelius, the last of the so-called “Five Good Emperors,” after which point…

Any classification of Latin (or any language!) into periods is arbitrary, but it is especially so in defining Classical Latin (Latina classica). The term originally was coined to refer to those authors…

Life Very little is known of Grattius. Ovid mentions him as a contemporary, but he is otherwise not mentioned in any extant sources. One scholar reportedly saw the name Faliscus attached…

The Appendix Tibulliana contains various elegies that were transmitted under Tibullus’ name in the manuscripts, but in fact differ in authorship. Two of the authors are directly named (Lygdamus and Sulpicia)…

Life Tiberius Catius Asconius Silius Italicus (the name Asconius is uncertain) was born in the middle of the first half of the first century CE. His place of birth or…

Life Nothing for certain is known about the life of Aulus Cornelius Celsus. Pliny the Elder’s reference to his works in the Historia Naturalis (written 77 CE) provides the terminus ante quem for his life,…

Life Thanks to a biography of him by Valerius Probus, we are fortunate to know a good amount about Aulus Persius Flaccus. He was born 6 December 34 CE in Volterra,…

Life For a man who chronicled much of Roman history, the life of Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus is actually for the most part shrouded in mystery. His date of birth and…

Life Gaius Plinius Secundus, in English Pliny the Elder, was an ancient scientist, natural philosopher, and military commander, as well as was the uncle of Pliny the Younger. He was born in…

Quintus Tullius Cicero was the younger brother of the more prominent Marcus Tullius Cicero. Life Quintus Cicero was born in 100 BCE, and thus was likely the same age as Julius…