Gaius Cilnius Maecenas 13 April
70 BCYear 70 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar.-Rome:* August—In Rome, Cicero prosecutes former governor Verres; Verres exiles himself to Marseille before the trial is over.* Pompey and Marcus Licinius Crassus become consul....
–
OctoberOctober is the tenth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with a length of 31 days. The eighth month in the old Roman calendar, October retained its name after July and August, after Julius and Augustus Caesar respectively; when the calendar was originally...
8 BCYear 8 BC was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.-Deaths:* November 27—Horace, Roman poet * Maecenas, Roman politician and patron of the arts * Empress Xu...
was a confidant and political advisor to
OctavianGaius Julius Caesar Augustus was the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in AD 14.
[These are the contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian after 45 BC...]
(who was to become the first Emperor of Rome as Caesar Augustus) as well as an important patron for the new generation of Augustan poets. During the reign of Augustus, Maecenas served as a quasi-culture minister to the Emperor.
His name has become a byword for a wealthy, generous and enlightened patron of the arts.
Biography
Expressions in Propertius seem to imply that Maecenas had taken some part in the campaigns of Mutina,
PhilippiPhilippi was a city in eastern Macedonia, in northern ancient Greece, established by Philip II in 356 BC and abandoned in the 14th century after the Ottoman conquest...
and
PerusiaThe ancient Perusia, now Perugia, first appears in history as one of the 12 confederate cities of Etruria. It is first mentioned in the account of the war of 310 or 309 BC between the Etruscans and the Romans...
. He prided himself on his ancient
EtruscanEtruscan civilization is the modern English name given to the culture and way of life of a people of ancient Italy and Corsica, residing between the Apennines and the River Tiber, whom the ancient Romans called Etrusci or Tusci...
lineage, and claimed descent from the princely house of the Cilnii, who excited the
jealousyJealousy is an emotion and typically refers to the negative thoughts and feelings of insecurity, fear, and anxiety over an anticipated loss of something that the person values, such as a relationship, friendship, or love. Jealousy often consists of a combination of emotions such as anger, sadness,...
of their townsmen by their preponderant wealth and influence at Arretium in the 4th century BC.
TacitusPublius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
refers to him as "Cilnius Maecenas"; it is possible that "Cilnius" was his mother's nomen - or that Maecenas was in fact a
cognomenThe cognomen was the third name of a citizen of Ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. The cognomen started as a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became hereditary...
.
The Gaius Maecenas mentioned in
CiceroMarcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. Cicero is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.Cicero is generally perceived to be one of the most versatile minds of ancient Rome...
as an influential member of the equestrian order in 91 BC may have been his grandfather, or even his father. The testimony of
HoraceThis article is about the Roman poet Horace. For other uses, see Horace .Quintus Horatius Flaccus, , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:Born in the small town of Venusia in the border region between Apulia and Lucania...
and Maecenas's own literary tastes imply that he had profited by the highest education of his time.
His great wealth may have been in part hereditary, but he owed his position and influence to his close connection with the
EmperorThe Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office: Latin titles such as imperator , augustus, caesar and princeps were all associated with it...
Augustus. He first appears in history in 40 BC, when he was employed by Octavian in arranging his marriage with
ScriboniaScribonia was the second wife of Roman Emperor Augustus and the mother of his only natural child, Julia Caesaris. She was the grandmother of Gaius Caesar, Julia the Younger, Lucius Caesar, Agrippina the Elder and Agrippa Postumus, great-grandmother to Emperor Caligula and Empress Agrippina the...
, and afterwards in assisting to negotiate the treaty of Brundisium and the reconciliation with
Mark AntonyMarcus Antonius , known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and General. He was an important supporter and the loyal friend of Gaius Julius Caesar as a military commander and administrator, being Caesar's second cousin, once removed, by his mother Julia Antonia...
. As a close friend and advisor he acted even as deputy for Augustus when he was abroad.
It was in 39 BC that
HoraceThis article is about the Roman poet Horace. For other uses, see Horace .Quintus Horatius Flaccus, , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:Born in the small town of Venusia in the border region between Apulia and Lucania...
was introduced to Maecenas, who had before this received
Lucius Varius RufusLucius Varius Rufus , Roman poet of the Augustan age.He was the friend of Virgil, after whose death he and Plotius Tucca prepared the Aeneid for publication, and of Horace, for whom he and Virgil obtained an introduction to Maecenas. Horace speaks of him as a master of epic and the only poet...
and
VirgilPublius Vergilius Maro was a classical Roman poet, best known for three major works—the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the Aeneid—although several minor poems are also attributed to him.The son of a farmer, Virgil came to be...
into his intimacy. In the "Journey to Brundisium," in 37, Maecenas and
Marcus Cocceius NervaMarcus Cocceius Nerva may refer to:*Nerva, the most famous bearer of this name who was the Roman Emperor from 96 to 98.*Marcus Cocceius Nerva , great-grandfather of the Roman Emperor...
—great-grandfather to the future emperor
NervaMarcus Cocceius Nerva was a Roman Emperor who reigned from 96 until his death in 98. Nerva acceded to this position at the advanced age of 65, after a lifetime of imperial service under Nero and the rulers of the Flavian dynasty—Vespasian, Titus and Domitian...
—are described as having been sent on an important mission, and they were successful in patching up, by the Treaty of
TarentumTaranto is a coastal city in Puglia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base.It is the third-largest continental city of southern Italy: according to the 2001 census, it has a population of...
, a reconciliation between the two claimants for supreme power. During the Sicilian war against
Sextus PompeiusSextus Pompeius Magnus Pius, in English Sextus Pompey , was a Roman general from the late Republic . He was the last focus of opposition to the Second Triumvirate....
in 36, Maecenas was sent back to Rome, and was entrusted with supreme administrative control in the city and in Italy. He was
vicegerentVicegerent is the official administrative deputy of a ruler or head of state: vice + gerere .-Notable vicegerents:*Thomas Cromwell, Vicegerent of Henry VIII, appointed 1535.*The Byzantine Emperors held as a title "God's Vicegerent on Earth"....
of Octavian during the campaign that led to the
battle of ActiumThe Battle of Actium was the decisive confrontation of the Final War of the Roman Republic. It was fought between the forces of Octavian and the combined forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra. The battle took place on 2 September 31 BC, on the Ionian Sea near the Roman colony of Actium in Greece...
, when, with great promptness and secrecy, he crushed the
conspiracyIn a political sense, conspiracy refers to a group of persons united in the goal of usurping or overthrowing an established political power. Typically, the final goal is to gain power through a revolutionary coup d'état or through assassination....
of
Lepidus the YoungerMarcus Aemilius Lepidus the Younger or Marcus Aemilius Lepidus Minor , was the only child of triumvir Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. Lepidus' mother was Junia Secunda, a sister to politician Marcus Junius Brutus....
; during the subsequent absences of his chief in the provinces he again held the same position.
During the latter years of his life he fell somewhat out of favour with his master.
SuetoniusGaius Suetonius Tranquillus, commonly known as Suetonius , was an equestrian and a historian during the Roman Empire. His most important surviving work is a set of biographies of twelve successive Roman rulers, from Julius Caesar until Domitian, entitled De Vita Caesarum...
attributes the loss of the imperial favour to Maecenas' having indiscreetly revealed to Terentia, his beautiful but difficult wife, the discovery of the conspiracy in which her brother Varro Murena was implicated, but according to
Dio CassiusLucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus , known in English as Cassius Dio, Dio Cassius, or Dio was a Roman consul and a noted historian writing in Greek...
it was due to the emperor's relations with Terentia. Maecenas died in 8 BC, leaving the emperor sole heir to his wealth.
Reputation
Opinions were much divided in ancient times as to the personal character of Maecenas; but the testimony as to his administrative and diplomatic ability was unanimous. He enjoyed the credit of sharing largely in the establishment of the new order of things, of reconciling parties, and of carrying the new empire safely through many dangers. To his influence especially was attributed the more humane policy of Octavian after his first alliance with Antony and
LepidusMarcus Aemilius Lepidus , was a Roman patrician who rose to become a member of the Second Triumvirate and Pontifex Maximus. His father, Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, had been involved in a rebellion against the Roman Republic which led to his death.Lepidus was among Julius Caesar's greatest...
. The best summary of his character as a man and a statesman, by
Marcus Velleius PaterculusMarcus Velleius Paterculus was a Roman historian, also known simply as Velleius. Although his praenomen is given as Marcus by Priscian, some modern scholars identify him with Gaius Velleius Paterculus, whose name occurs in an inscription on a north African milestone .-Biography:Paterculus belonged...
, describes him as "of sleepless vigilance in critical emergencies, far-seeing and knowing how to act, but in his relaxation from business more luxurious and effeminate than a woman." Expressions in the
Odes of Horace seem to imply that Maecenas was deficient in the robustness of fibre which Romans liked to imagine was characteristic of their city.
Maecenate (patronage)
Maecenas is most famous for his support of young poets, hence his name has become the
eponymAn eponym is the name of a person, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named. One who is referred to as eponymous is someone who gives his or her name to something, e.g...
for a
"patron of arts". He supported
VirgilPublius Vergilius Maro was a classical Roman poet, best known for three major works—the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the Aeneid—although several minor poems are also attributed to him.The son of a farmer, Virgil came to be...
who wrote the
GeorgicsThe Georgics, published in 29 BCE, are the second major work by the Latin poet Virgil. Their ostensible subject is rural life and farming. They are generally described as didactic poetry. The 17th century poet John Dryden described The Georgics as, "The greatest poem by the greatest...
in his honour. It was Virgil, impressed with examples of
HoraceThis article is about the Roman poet Horace. For other uses, see Horace .Quintus Horatius Flaccus, , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:Born in the small town of Venusia in the border region between Apulia and Lucania...
's poetry, who introduced Horace to Maecenas. Indeed Horace begins the first poem of his Odes (Odes I.i) by addressing his new patron. He was given full financial support, as well as an estate in the Sabine mountains, by Maecenas in a spirit close to Greek
evergetismEuergetism is a term coined by French historian A Boulanger, it derives directly from Greek εύεργετέω meaning « I do good things ». It is the practice of notables to distribute a part of their wealth to the community of the hoi polloi, rather than to individuals .- Hellenistic Generosity :This...
. Propertius and the minor poets Varius Rufus,
Plotius TuccaPlotius Tucca was a Roman poet and a friend of Virgil's. He was in the circle of friends with Virgil and Maecenas, as indicated by Horace . Virgil regarded him as senior and more admired than he himself was , and Horace deemed him the preeminent writer of epic poetry of the 30's...
,
Valgius RufusGaius Valgius Rufus, Latin poet, friend of Horace and Maecenas, and consul in 12 BC.He was known as a writer of elegies and epigrams, and his contemporaries believed him capable of great things in epic. The author of the panegyric on Messalla declares Rufus to be the only poet fitted to be the...
and
Domitius MarsusDomitius Marsus was a Latin poet, friend of Virgil and Tibullus, and contemporary of Horace.He survived Tibullus , but was no longer alive when Ovid wrote the epistle from Pontus containing a list of poets...
also were his protégés.
His character as a munificent patron of literature - which has made his name a household word - is gratefully acknowledged by the recipients of it and attested by the regrets of the men of letters of a later age, expressed by Martial and Juvenal. His patronage was exercised, not from vanity or a mere
dilettanteDilettante may refer to:* A person who enjoys the arts or someone who engages in a field as an amateur out of casual interest rather than as a profession* Dilettante Society* Dilettantes, a You Am I album from 2008...
love of letters, but with a view to the higher interest of the state. He recognized in the genius of the poets of that time, not only the truest ornament of the court, but a power of reconciling men's minds to the new order of things, and of investing the actual state of affairs with an ideal glory and
majestyMajesty is an English word derived ultimately from the Latin Maiestas, meaning Greatness.- Origin :Originally, during the Roman republic, the word maiestas was the legal term for the supreme status and dignity of the state, to be respected above everything else...
. The change in seriousness of purpose between the
Eclogues and the
Georgics of Virgil was in a great measure the result of the direction given by the statesman to the poet's genius. A similar change between the earlier odes of Horace, in which he declares his epicurean indifference to affairs of state, and the great national odes of the third book is to be ascribed to the same guidance.
Maecenas endeavoured also to divert the less masculine genius of Propertius from harping continually on his love to themes of public interest. But if the motive of his patronage had been merely politic it never could have inspired the
affectionAffection is a "disposition or state of mind or body" that is often associated with a feeling or type of love. It has given rise to a number of branches of philosophy and psychology concerning: emotion ; disease; influence; state of being ; and state of mind .-Usage:"Affection" is popularly used to...
which it did in its recipients. The great
charmCharm or charms may refer to:In paranormal magic:* "Lucky charms" such as amulets, touch pieces and painted pebbles* Charm bracelet, an item of jewelry worn around the wrist that carries personal charms** Italian charm bracelet...
of Maecenas in his relation to the men of genius who formed his circle was his simplicity, cordiality and sincerity. Although not particular in the choice of some of the associates of his pleasures, he admitted none but men of worth to his intimacy, and when once admitted they were treated like equals. Much of the wisdom of Maecenas probably lives in the
Satires and
Epistles of Horace. It has fallen to the lot of no other patron of literature to have his name associated with works of such lasting interest as the
Georgics of Virgil, the first three books of Horace's
Odes, and the first book of his
Epistles.
Works
Maecenas also wrote literature himself in both
proseProse is the ordinary form of written language. The word "prose" is derived from the Latin prosa, which literally translates to "straightforward". Prose is adopted for the discussion of facts and topical reading, as it is often articulated in free form writing style...
and verse. The some twenty fragments that remain show that he was less successful as an author than as a
judgeA judge, or arbiter of justice, is a lead official who presides over a court of law, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is like an umpire in a game and...
and patron of literature.
His prose works on various subjects -
PrometheusIn Greek mythology, Prometheus is a Titan, the son of Iapetus and Themis, and brother to Atlas, Epimetheus and Menoetius. He was a champion of human-kind known for his wily intelligence, who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals...
, dialogues like
SymposiumSymposium originally referred to a drinking party but has since come to refer to any academic conference, or a style of university class characterized by an openly discursive format, rather than a lecture and question–answer format...
(a banquet at which Virgil, Horace and Messalla were present),
De cultu suo (on his manner of life) and a poem
In Octaviam ("Against
OctaviaOctavia Minor , also known as Octavia the Younger or simply Octavia, was the sister of the first Roman Emperor, Augustus , half sister of Octavia Major, and fourth wife of Mark Antony....
") of which the content is unclear - were ridiculed by Augustus,
SenecaLucius Annaeus Seneca was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and in one work humorist, of the Silver Age of Latin literature. He was tutor and later advisor to emperor Nero...
and
QuintilianMarcus Fabius Quintilianus was a Roman rhetorician from Hispania, widely referred to in medieval schools of rhetoric and in Renaissance writing...
for their strange
styleStylistics is the study of varieties of language whose properties position that language in context, and tries to establish principles capable of accounting for the particular choices made by individuals and social groups in their use of language. A variety, in this sense, is a situationally...
, the use of rare words and awkward transpositions.
According to
Dio CassiusLucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus , known in English as Cassius Dio, Dio Cassius, or Dio was a Roman consul and a noted historian writing in Greek...
, Maecenas was also the inventor of a system of
shorthandShorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases speed or brevity of writing as compared to a normal method of writing a language. The process of writing in shorthand is called stenography, from the Greek stenos and graphē or graphie...
.
The Gardens of Maecenas
Maecenas sited his famous gardens, the first gardens in the Hellenistic-
Persian gardenThe tradition and style of garden design of Persian gardens influenced the design of gardens from Andalusia to India. The Taj Mahal is one of the largest Persian gardens of the world, but the gardens of the Alhambra equally show the influence of Persian garden style on a more intimate...
style in Rome, on the
Esquiline HillThe Esquiline Hill is one of the celebrated Seven Hills of Rome. Its southern-most cusp is the Oppius .-Etymology:The origin of the name Esquilino is still under much debate. One view is that the Hill was named after the abundance of holm-oaks, exculi, that resided there...
, atop the
Servian WallThe Servian Wall were defensive barriers constructed around the city of Rome in the early 4th century BC. The wall was up to 10 meters in height in places, 3.6 meters wide at its base, 11 km long, and is believed to had 16 main gates, though many of these are mentioned only from...
and its adjoining
necropolisA necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, meaning "city of the dead"...
, near the gardens of Lamia. It contained
terraceIn gardening, a terrace is an element where a raised flat paved or gravelled section overlooks a prospect. A raised terrace keeps a house dry and provides a transition between the hard materials of the architecture and softer ones of the garden.-History:...
s, libraries and other aspects of Roman culture. Maecenas is said to have been the first to construct a swimming bath of hot water in Rome , which may have been in the gardens. The luxury of his gardens and villas incurred the displeasure of
Seneca the YoungerLucius Annaeus Seneca was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and in one work humorist, of the Silver Age of Latin literature. He was tutor and later advisor to emperor Nero...
.
Though the approximate site is known, it is not easy to reconcile literary indications to determine the gardens' exact location, whether or not they lay on both sides of the Servian
agger and both north and south of the
porta EsquilinaThe Porta Esquilina was a gate in the Servian Wall and it dates back to the 6th century BC when the Servian Wall was built by the Roman king Servius Tullius. The Porta Esquilina is also known as the Esquiline Gate.-Location:...
. Common graves of the
archaic Esquiline necropolisThe Esquiline Necropolis was a prehistoric necropolis on the Esquiline in Rome, in use until the end of the 1st century AD....
have been found near the north-west corner of the modern
Piazza Vittorio EmanuelePiazza Vittorio Emanuele II, also known as Piazza Vittorio, is a piazza in Rome, in the Esquilino rione. It is served by the Vittorio Emanuele Metro station....
, that is, outside the Esquiline gate of antiquity and north of the
via Tiburtina vetusVia Tiburtina is an ancient road of Italy leading east-northeast from Rome to Tivoli . It was built by the Roman consul Marcus Valerius Maximus around 286 BC and later prolonged up to the territories of the Marsi and the Equi, in the Abruzzo, as Via Valeria: the total length was c. 200 km from Rome...
; most probably the
horti Maecenatiani extended north from this gate and road on both sides of the
agger.
The gardens became imperial property after Maecenas's death, and
TiberiusTiberius Julius Caesar Augustus, born Tiberius Claudius Nero , was the second Roman Emperor, from the death of Augustus in AD 14 until his own death in 37. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla...
lived here after his return to Rome in 2 AD.
NeroNero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus , born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, also called Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus, was the fifth and last Roman emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Nero was adopted by his great uncle Claudius to become heir to the throne...
connected them with the
Palatine HillThe Palatine Hill is the centermost of the Seven Hills of Rome and is one of the most ancient parts of the city...
via his
Domus TransitoriaThe Domus Transitoria was Roman Emperor Nero's palace on Palatine Hill destroyed by the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD. Marble and other parts salvaged from the ruins later became part of the Domus Aurea, the Roman Emperor's official residence...
, and viewed the burning of that from the turris Maecenatiana. This turris was probably the "molem propinquam nubibus arduis" ("the pile, among the clouds") mentioned in by Horace.
Whether the
horti Maecenatiani bought by Fronto actually were the former gardens of Maecenas is unknown, and the
domus Frontoniana mentioned in the twelfth century by Magister Gregorius may also refer to the gardens of Maecenas
Legacy
His name has become a byword for a well-connected and wealthy patron. In various languages, it has even been coined into a word for (private)
patronagePatronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to musicians, painters, and sculptors...
(mainly cultural, but sometimes wider, usually perceived as more altruistic than sponsorship), e.g.
mecenaat in Dutch,
mesenaatti in Finnish,
mécénat in French,
Mäzen in German,
mecenate in Italian,
mecenat in Romanian,
mecen in Slovenian,
mecenas in Spanish,
меценат in Russian. A verse of the student song "Gaudeamus igitur" wishes longevity upon the charity of the students' benefactors ("Maecenatum," genitive plural of "Maecenas").
The word "Maecenas", in the sense of cultural benefactor, was the penultimate word used in the 2009 Scripps National Spelling Bee, on May 28, 2009. It was spelled incorrectly.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090529/ap_on_re_us/us_spelling_bee
Gaius Maecenas was portrayed by
Alex WyndhamAlex Wyndham is a British actor, best known for his role as Gaius Cilnius Maecenas in the HBO television series Rome...
in HBO's series
RomeRome is an American-British-Italian historical drama television series created by Bruno Heller, John Milius, and William J. MacDonald. The show's first season originally aired on HBO in the United States between August 28 and November 20, 2005, subsequently being broadcast on the United Kingdom's...
, and by Russell Barr in the British-Italian joint mini-series 'Imperium: Augustus'.
Primary Sources
- Dio Cassius
Lucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus , known in English as Cassius Dio, Dio Cassius, or Dio was a Roman consul and a noted historian writing in Greek...
- Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
, Annals
- Suetonius
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, commonly known as Suetonius , was an equestrian and a historian during the Roman Empire. His most important surviving work is a set of biographies of twelve successive Roman rulers, from Julius Caesar until Domitian, entitled De Vita Caesarum...
, Augustus
- Horace
This article is about the Roman poet Horace. For other uses, see Horace .Quintus Horatius Flaccus, , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:Born in the small town of Venusia in the border region between Apulia and Lucania...
, Odes with Scholia
- Horace
This article is about the Roman poet Horace. For other uses, see Horace .Quintus Horatius Flaccus, , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:Born in the small town of Venusia in the border region between Apulia and Lucania...
, Satires i.8.14 - "nunc licet Esquiliis habitare salubribus atque / aggere in aprico spatiari, quo modo tristes / albis informem spectabant ossibus agrum,/cum mihi non tantum furesque feraeque suetae/hunc vexare locum curae sunt atque labori/quantum carminibus quae versant atque venenis/humanos animos: has nullo perdere possum/nec prohibere modo, simul ac vaga luna decorum/protulit os, quin ossa legant herbasque nocentis."
- Acro, Porphyrio, and Comm. Cruq. ad loc.
- Topographical Dictionary
Secondary Sources
- V. Gardthausen, Augustus and seine Zeit, i. 762 seq. ; ii. 432 seq.
- For a modern biography of Maecenas, see Jean–Marie André, Mécène, essai de biographie spirituelle. Paris, Les Belles lettres, 1967.
- The fragments of Maecenas' poetry have been collected and edited by J. Blänsdorf (ed.),
-
- Fragmenta poetarum Latinorum epicorum et lyricorum praeter Ennium et Lucilium, 3rd ed., Stuttgart: Teubner, 1995, pp. 243-48.