Publius Lollius Maximus also known as Lollius MaximusFerry, ''The Epistles of Horace Book I'', p. xxi and Maximus LolliusChaucer, ''Troilus and Criseyde: A New Translation'', p. xvii was a

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

soldier who lived in the 1st century BC who served under the first Roman emperor

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...

.Harrison, ''Homage to Horace: A Bimillenary Celebration'', p. 290

Family

Maximus was a member of the plebeian gens Lollia. His name is often mentioned in

Latin poetry The history of Latin poetry can be understood as the adaptation of Greek models. The verse comedies of Plautus, the earliest surviving examples of Latin literature, are estimated to have been composed around 205-184 BC. History Scholars conve ...

which occurs in a later inscription.Horace, ''Horace: Epistles Book I'', p. 79 The father of Maximus had owned a country estate. His father may have been

Marcus Lollius Marcus LolliusHazel, ''Who's Who in the Roman World'', p.171 perhaps with the cognomen Paulinus Marcus Lollius Marcus LolliusHazel, ''Who's Who in the Roman World'', p.171 perhaps with the cognomen Paulinus Lollia Saturnina Lollia Saturnina (c.10-41) was a Roman noble woman who lived in the Roman Empire in the 1st century. She was the sister of the Roman empress Lollia Paulina and was a mistress of the Roman emperor Caligula.Seneca the Younger, ''De Constantia sapie ...

and the Roman empress

Lollia Paulina Lollia Paulina, also known as Lollia Paullina"Lollius (5)"
''A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology'', William Smith, editor. (1870)

Perseus Project The Perseus Project is a digital library project of Tufts University, which assembles digital collections of humanities resources. Version 4.0 is also known as the "Perseus Hopper", and it is hosted by the Department of Classical Studies. The proj ...

Career and Horace

Maximus had served as a Roman soldier in

Hispania Hispania ( la, Hispānia , ; nearly identically pronounced in Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, and Italian) was the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula and its provinces. Under the Roman Republic, Hispania was divided into two provinces: Hisp ...

against the

Cantabri The Cantabri ( grc-gre, Καντάβροι, ''Kantabroi'') or Ancient Cantabrians, were a pre-Roman people and large tribal federation that lived in the northern coastal region of ancient Iberia in the second half of the first millennium BC. Thes ...

under

from 27 BC until 25 BC. When Maximus returned to Rome from Hispania, he became a student in studying Rhetoric.Highet, ''The Classical Tradition: Greek and Roman Influences on Western Literature'', p. 96 Maximus being a young man, became a friend of the Roman Poet Horace. In Horace's Epistles I, 2 and 18, are addressed to Maximus. In Epistle 2, Horace tells Maximus to read the epic poems of

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

again, to find a better expounder of ethics than the philosophers (1-4). Horace wants Maximus to learn what follies to avoid from the

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the '' Odys ...

(5-16) and what virtues to cultivate from the

Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Iliad'', th ...

(17-26). In Epistle 18, reveals the career of Maximus.Harrison, ''Homage to Horace: A Bimillenary Celebration'', p. 290 He is experiencing problems as being a courtier. If his nobility is recent, this might expose Maximus to all sort of snubs in the hierarchy of Roman society. Horace is advising Maximus that affability is the means between toadying and truculence, which is a virtue in social relationships. If he wants to maintain his position he will need to be accommodating in an agreeing way. Maximus must learn to respect the wishes of his superior's friend. In the Epistle, Horace never reveals who is Maximus’ superior friend, however he may have been a personage of princely descent as he is someone who enjoys a re-creation of the

Battle of Actium The Battle of Actium was a naval battle fought between a maritime fleet of Octavian led by Marcus Agrippa and the combined fleets of both Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII Philopator. The battle took place on 2 September 31 BC in the Ionian Sea, ...

in a country fish-pond.Harrison, ''Homage to Horace: A Bimillenary Celebration'', p. 291 Maximus needs advice on treading the path of independence with a hierarchical aristocracy now transforming itself into a royal court. Maximus seems already on top and secure with his wealth, success, superior friends and some point in due course would want to remove his himself from the world. At this time Maximus, may have turned his hand to poetry and must have been offered a post in the Retinue of the future Roman emperor

Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was the second Roman emperor. He reigned from AD 14 until 37, succeeding his stepfather, the first Roman emperor Augustus. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC. His father ...

.Horace, ''Horace: Epistles Book I'', p. 136 The date of this event, may have taken place in 20 BC.

Historian

The English Poet of the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

Geoffrey Chaucer, who was the author of the poem,

Troilus and Criseyde ''Troilus and Criseyde'' () is an epic poem by Geoffrey Chaucer which re-tells in Middle English the tragic story of the lovers Troilus and Criseyde set against a backdrop of war during the siege of Troy. It was written in '' rime royale'' a ...

refers various times in the poem to Maximus, as ''myn auctor Lollius''. Chaucer states that Maximus wrote an old story about the

Trojan War In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and ...

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

and in his poem, Troilus and Criseyde is just retelling the story. In another poem written by Geoffrey Chaucer,

The House of Fame ''The House of Fame'' (''Hous of Fame'' in the original spelling) is a Middle English poem by Geoffrey Chaucer, probably written between 1374 and 1385, making it one of his earlier works. It was most likely written after ''The Book of the Duchess' ...

, Chaucer introduces Maximus as a real historian. In The House of Fame poem, Chaucer puts Maximus on an iron pillar besides

Dares Dares Phrygius ( grc, Δάρης), according to Homer, was a Trojan priest of Hephaestus. He was supposed to have been the author of an account of the destruction of Troy, and to have lived before Homer. A work in Latin, purporting to be a transla ...

and Homer.Highet, ''The Classical Tradition: Greek and Roman Influences on Western Literature'', p. 97 Maximus being a possible historian could also be confirmed by Horace. In one of Horace's Epistles, addressed to Maximus, Horace advises him to read

for the moral and philosophical content of the epics. He began: : The writer of the Trojan war, Maximus Lollius, : while you practiced speaking in Rome, I reread at

Praeneste Palestrina (ancient ''Praeneste''; grc, Πραίνεστος, ''Prainestos'') is a modern Italian city and ''comune'' (municipality) with a population of about 22,000, in Lazio, about east of Rome. It is connected to the latter by the Via Pre ...

. There is a possibility that Maximus could have been an ancient historian on Trojan history. Chaucer with his early readers, could well have believed in the existence of Maximus being an authority on history. However, there is no such historian, ancient or modern known to the world as Lollius Maximus. This claim can make available a major literary discovery of a lost work.

References

Sources

*Horace - Edited by O.A.W Dilke, Horace: Epistles Book I, Taylor & Francis *D. Ferry & Q.H. Flaccus, ''The Epistles of Horace, Book I'', CUP Archive, 1937 *G. Highet, ''The Classical Tradition: Greek and Roman Influences on Western Literature'', Oxford University Press, 1949 *S.J. Harrison, ''Homage to Horace: A Bimillenary Celebration'', Oxford University Press, 1995 *C. Skidmore, ''Practical Ethics for Roman Gentlemen: The Works of Valerius Maximus'', University of Exeter Press, 1996 *G. Chaucer, ''Troilus and Criseyde: A New Translation'', Oxford University Press, 1998 *''Horace & Persius, The Satires of Horace and Persius'' (Google eBook), Penguin UK, 2005 {{DEFAULTSORT:Lollius Maximus, Publius 1st-century BC Romans 1st-century BC writers Ancient Roman soldiers Trojan War literature Maximus, Publius