Gaius Maecenas Melissus
Encyclopedia
Gaius Maecenas Melissus was one of the freedmen
of Gaius Maecenas
, the noted Roman Augustan patron of the arts. His primary importance for Latin literature
is that he invented his own form of comedy
known as the "fabula trabeata" (tales of the knights). The genre did not prove particularly popular outside of his own work, but Melissus also put together compilations of joke
s. Suetonius
suggests that there were one hundred and fifty such compilations. Contemporary scholarship also suggests that he may have been quoted in Pliny the Elder
's Natural History and may have been a grammarian as well, although none of the original works have survived.
Freedman
A freedman is a former slave who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, slaves became freedmen either by manumission or emancipation ....
of Gaius Maecenas
Gaius Maecenas
Gaius Cilnius Maecenas was a confidant and political advisor to Octavian as well as an important patron for the new generation of Augustan poets...
, the noted Roman Augustan patron of the arts. His primary importance for Latin literature
Latin literature
Latin literature includes the essays, histories, poems, plays, and other writings of the ancient Romans. In many ways, it seems to be a continuation of Greek literature, using many of the same forms...
is that he invented his own form of comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
known as the "fabula trabeata" (tales of the knights). The genre did not prove particularly popular outside of his own work, but Melissus also put together compilations of joke
Joke
A joke is a phrase or a paragraph with a humorous twist. It can be in many different forms, such as a question or short story. To achieve this end, jokes may employ irony, sarcasm, word play and other devices...
s. Suetonius
Suetonius
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, commonly known as Suetonius , was a Roman historian belonging to the equestrian order in the early Imperial era....
suggests that there were one hundred and fifty such compilations. Contemporary scholarship also suggests that he may have been quoted in Pliny the Elder
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
's Natural History and may have been a grammarian as well, although none of the original works have survived.