Pollio makes a cameo appearance in robert gravess novel i, claudius, where he. The history of rome, books 15 by livy, 2006 online. All readers of juvenal and pliny know what an important. Supposedly modeled on the similar work of suetonius, the twelve caesars. Asinius pollio, at rome, apparently originated this idea of placing statues in libraries. Asinius pollio founds the firstknown public library in. Whether the kings at alexandria and pergamum, who showed great zeal in the founding of libraries, had done the same before, i find it impossible to learn. A roman man of letters, gaius asinius pollio dissertation.
We are meant to recognize, and contemplate, the object of the allusion. A roman man of letters, gaius asinius pollio hardcover september 1, 2015. Excerpt from a roman man of letters, gaius asinius pollio as a result, the year 55 began without consuls or praetors and the consular election was held at the end of january by an interrex. There were many private libraries in classical rome, including that of cicero. The governor of cisalpine gaul at the time, asinius pollio, tried to sway patavium into supporting marcus antonius mark antony, the leader of one of the warring factions. The consulate of asinius pollio, which sealed the peace and brought the promise of recovery for the depleted state of the farmers, raised great hopes and was celebrated by vergilius as the return of the saturnia regna, the golden age. Pollio moved in the literary circle of catullus and entered public life in 56. Livys teenage years were during the 40s bc, when a period of numerous civil wars throughout the roman world occurred. A stern critic of men and style, he corrected caesar, attacked cicero, and praised brutus. About 37 bce gaius asinius pollio, general, lawyer, orator, poet, friend of virgil and horace, and consul in 40 bce, having amassed a fortune in his conquest of dalmatia andor campaigns in parthia, consolidated several book collections already in rome, possibly including those of varro and sulla, to form a library in the temple of liberty atrium libertatis on the aventine hill. There is more than one reason for the anomaly, not the least being that pollio was himself largely responsible for creating that record in the form of his celebrated historiae of the civil wars. Gaius asinius pollio, born 76 bc, italydied ad 4, tusculum, near rome, roman orator, poet, and historian who wrote a contemporary history that, although lost, provided much of the material for appian and plutarch. A brief outline of the histories of librarieschapter 5. Asinius pollio see more later in introduction, a contemporary historian whose work has not survived beyond a few quotations, made a derogatory remark about livys patavinitas, possibly alluding to his use of provincial rather than urbane figures of speech or to the moral rectitude for which patavium was famous.
Ad 190 and the more important ulpian library, founded during the reign of trajan. As one of the most successful christian missionaries in history, saint patrick established irelands first monasteries. It was destroyed when the romans conquered egypt in 30 bc. Gaius asinius pollio s library rome in 39 bce, gaius asinius pollio began organizing a collection based on the materials plundered during the illyrian campaign. Gaius asinius pollio roman historian and orator britannica. Excavations at both rome and herculaneum have revealed what were undoubtedly library rooms in. Appian, thought to have used pollio as his main source for books 24 of. Gaius asinius gallus project gutenberg selfpublishing. Gaius asinius pollio was a roman roman orator, poet and historian.
A brief outline of the histories of librarieschapter 10. Gaius asinius pollio was a roman soldier, politician, orator, poet, playwright, literary critic and historian, whose lost contemporary history provided much of. In retirement, pollio organized literary readings where he encouraged authors to read their own work, and he. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Gaius asinius pollio sometimes wrongly called pollius or philo. The most famous example of the monks rich legacy is the 1,200yearold book of kells. A roman man of letters, gaius asinius pollio classic. Virgils allusion is thus not to history but to historiography, and the allusion is to historiography as historiography. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. Still, he did not thereby soften the emperors resentment, for he had long been detested from an impression that, as he had married vipsania, daughter of marcus agrippa, who had once been the wife of tiberius, he aspired to be more than a citizen, and kept up the arrogant tone of his father, asinius pollio. Pollio was most famously a patron of virgil and a friend of horace and. His historiae history of the civil wars covered the period from 60 probably to 42 that is.
While his sources are not formally provided, scholars conclude from references within his writings that appians original sources likely include the works of polybius, paulus claudius, hieronymus, caesar augustus, and asinius pollio. A roman man of letters, gaius asinius pollio classic reprint elizabeth denny pierce on. Gaius asinius pollio was a roman soldier, politician, orator, poet, playwright, literary critic and historian, whose lost contemporary history provided much of the material for the historians appian and plutarch. Previously, pollio had been a literary critic of cicero, caesar, sallust, and livy to name a few. This is a pre1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Pollio retired into private life as a patron of literary figures and became a writer. Gaius asinius pollio then wrote his historiae, an account of the civil wars from 6042 b. Marcus vitruvius pollio 8015 bc, the roman architect usually known as vitruvius. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel.
A roman man of letters, gaius asinius pollio dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements. List of books and articles about library history online. At his suggestion and inspired by him, asinius pollio, orator, senator, and noble, erected a temple of liberty, so suetonius says, and placed in it a library which he made free to all. In the debate a new source is introduced, the passage on pollios conquest of. Abtalion, a leading rabbi in the 1st century bc, known as pollion in greek and pollio in latin. In the earliest recitations at rome, the books read were those of deceased classics. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages.
The collection totaled 24 books written in greek dialect, of which. Gaius asinius pollio and the first public library in. Asinius pollio founds the firstknown public library in rome. In these monasteries were pious and selfdisciplined monks who made it their mission to copy all forms of literature, sacred and secular. A roman man of letters, gaius asinius pollio dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements, for the degree of doctor of philosophy. Answers have been sought in the history that pollio composed, but. Indeed, it became highly fashionable to own a library, judging from the strictures of the moralizing statesman seneca and the spiteful jibes by the poet lucian on the uncultured book clown. His historiae history of the civil wars covered the period from 60 probably to 42that is, from the first triumvirate to philippi, the period in which the roman republic fell. Romes first public library was established by asinius pollio who was a lieutenant of julius caesar.
In the next year, asinius led the war against the parthinians in illyria modern albania, celebrated a triumph. Sadly none of this work survives, but its preserved in its use by both plutarch an arrian. Search for library items search for lists search for contacts search for a library. Velleius paterculus, histoire romaine, ii, 86 traduction pierre hainsselin et henri watelet. Gaius asinius pollio, roman orator, poet, and historian who wrote a. Once in a while, as i do my research for the next book or blog post, or as im reading for pleasure, i sometimes come across a person of history. Isidore says, pollio was the first to establish a public library in rome, one composed of books in greek and in latin, and decorated with busts of famous authors. With this collection, he began the first public library of rome just off the forum. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process.
Asinius pollio name meaning historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics like red hair. He was known as a severe literary critic, fond of an archaic style and purity. Eventually rome would build 28 public libraries within the city. Historia augusta is a late roman collection of biographies, written in latin, of the roman emperors, their junior colleagues, designated heirs and usurpers of the period 117 to 284. Of the original 24 books of appians roman history, only half have survived. Other articles where history of the civil wars is discussed. History of the civil wars work by pollio britannica. Gaius asinius pollio and the first public library in ancient rome.
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