Epitome

Life There is some question about the identity of Quintus Curtius Rufus. The manuscripts of the Historiae Alexandri Magni ("The History of Alexander the Great") name him as their author. Most…

Life Marcus Annaeus Lucanus was born in Corduba (Cordova), Hispania into the very prominent Annaei family, which included his uncle, Seneca the Younger, and grandfather, Seneca the Elder. His birth was recorded as being Nov.…

As the conqueror of Gaul, the dictator of Rome, and arguably the last ruler of the Republic, Gaius Iulius Caesar, often in English simply called Julius Caesar, was one of Rome's…

Life Titus Calpunius Siculus was a bucolic poet of the Neronian age. Nothing else is known about him with certainty, though some have tried to link him to (or tried…

Life Very little is known about Titus Lucretius Carus except as that he was an author of a single work, the De Rerum Natura, a poem on Epicurean beliefs.  Nothing…

Life Titus Maccius Plautus was born in Umbria before 250 BCE. He supposedly emigrated to Rome to start up a shipping business and write plays on the side to earn extra…

Life Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, known in English as Pliny the Younger or Plinius Minor to distinguish him from Pliny the Elder, his uncle and adoptive parent, was a prominent first…

Life Lucius Accius was born around 170 BCE in Pisaurum to a freedman. His early life is unknown, though he was said to have steered clear of a legal career.…

Life Annaeus Seneca, often called Maior (“the Elder”) to differentiate him from his more popular son Seneca the Younger, was born in Corduba, Hispania (mod. Cordova, Spain) in the middle of…

Life Marcus Fabius Quintilianus (in English mostly as Quintilian, but also incorrectly spelled Quintillian or Quinctilian) was born around 35 CE at Calagurris in Hispania (now Calahorra, Spain). His works…