Gaius Maecenas

Article abstract: Roman statesman{$I[g]Roman Republic;Gaius Maecenas[Maecenas]} Maecenas was one of the most powerful men in Rome of the first century b.c.e., often functioning as diplomatic arbiter and city administrator. His most significant role was as patron to a circle of writers who became known as the poets of the Golden Age of Latin literature.

Early Life

Gaius Maecenas (mi-SEE-nuhs) was born in Arretium (modern Arezzo, Italy) to a wealthy equestrian family that traced its origins to Etruscan kings. Nothing is known of the first thirty years of...

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