About
Publilius Syrus, born in Syria and brought to Rome as a slave, was freed for his wit and talent. He composed and performed his own mimes, achieving great success in the towns of Italy. In 46 BC, Julius Caesar invited him to the games in Rome, where he defeated the playwright Decimus Laberius in an improvisation contest. None of his mimes survive; all that remains is a collection of about 700 moral maxims in verse, the Sententiae, probably compiled in the 1st century AD. For centuries these maxims were attributed to Seneca, until Erasmus restored credit to Publilius in the 16th century.
Major works
- Sententiaecollection of maxims
Key milestones
- 46 av. J.-C.Invited by Julius Caesar to the games in Rome, he won an improvisation contest against Decimus Laberius.
- Freed for his wit and talent, he belonged to the gens Publilia.
Themes
moralitypractical wisdomhuman naturefortunevirtue
Sources: britannica.com · oxfordreference.com