Caesius Bassus
Encyclopedia
Caesius Bassus was a Roman
lyric poet
, who lived in the reign of Nero
.
He was the intimate friend of Persius
, who dedicated his sixth satire to him, and whose works be edited (Schol. on Persius, vi. I). He is said to have lost his life in the eruption of Vesuvius (79). He had a great reputation as a poet; Quintilian
(Instit. x. I. 96) goes so far as to say that, with the exception of Horace
, he was the only lyric poet worth reading.
He is also identified with the author of a treatise De Metris, of which considerable fragments, probably of an abbreviated edition, are extant (ed. Keil, 1885). The work was probably originally in verse, and afterwards recast or epitomized in prose
form to be used as an instruction book. An account of some of the metres of Horace (in Keil, Grammatici Latini, vi. 305), bearing the title Ars Caesii Bassi de Metris is not by him, but chiefly borrowed by its unknown author, from the treatise, mentioned above.
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
lyric poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, who lived in the reign of Nero
Nero
Nero , was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68, and the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Nero was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius to become his heir and successor, and succeeded to the throne in 54 following Claudius' death....
.
He was the intimate friend of Persius
Aulus Persius Flaccus
Persius, in full Aulus Persius Flaccus , was a Roman poet and satirist of Etruscan origin. In his works, poems and satires, he shows a stoic wisdom and a strong criticism for the abuses of his contemporaries...
, who dedicated his sixth satire to him, and whose works be edited (Schol. on Persius, vi. I). He is said to have lost his life in the eruption of Vesuvius (79). He had a great reputation as a poet; Quintilian
Quintilian
Marcus Fabius Quintilianus was a Roman rhetorician from Hispania, widely referred to in medieval schools of rhetoric and in Renaissance writing...
(Instit. x. I. 96) goes so far as to say that, with the exception of Horace
Horace
Quintus Horatius Flaccus , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:...
, he was the only lyric poet worth reading.
He is also identified with the author of a treatise De Metris, of which considerable fragments, probably of an abbreviated edition, are extant (ed. Keil, 1885). The work was probably originally in verse, and afterwards recast or epitomized in prose
Prose
Prose is the most typical form of written language, applying ordinary grammatical structure and natural flow of speech rather than rhythmic structure...
form to be used as an instruction book. An account of some of the metres of Horace (in Keil, Grammatici Latini, vi. 305), bearing the title Ars Caesii Bassi de Metris is not by him, but chiefly borrowed by its unknown author, from the treatise, mentioned above.