Gaius Maecenas, friend and counselor of Augustus (until he fell from grace) was an important friend of Horace, whose Satires we will be discussing next week. N.S. Gill has more:
Definition: A wealthy descendant of Etruscan kings, Gaius
Maecenas was a Roman literary patron and writer whose works have not
survived except as titles and in fragments. He was born April 13, c. 70
B.C.
The equestrian Maecenas was an advisor and friend of Augustus.
Maecenas as well as Agrippa fought for Augustus during the civil wars;
Agrippa the more so since Maecenas was often in Rome where he served as
magistrate. Maecenas is mentioned as having fought at Mutina, Philippi
and Perusia, according to Propertius, in the 1911 Encyclopedia.
The name and patronage of Maecenas is associated with Vergil, Horace, Propertius, and Varius. read on
Here is a typical 19th century Schinken, At Maecenas' Reception by Stepan Bakalovich:
Image Courtesy Wikimedia Commons
click on image to enlarge
