While much has been written of the importance of Agrippa in Augustus'
rise to power as the first emperor of Rome, Maecenas remains a shadowy
figure despite being a vital part in the success of Augustus. After the
assassination of Julius Caesar, Maecenas was a vital negotiator between
Octavian and Mark Antony in the years leading up to the battle of
Actium, and a wise political advisor to Augustus during the early years
of the new regime. This is the first biography of Maecenas in English
and gives due credit to the stature of Maecenas both as a confidant of
the emperor and as patron of the poets Virgil, Horace and Propertius.
The book devotes a chapter to each poet's relationship with Maecenas and
the Augustan regime: the chapter on Virgil, while considering his
relationship to Maecenas and Augustus, argues that the origins of his
choice of Aeneas may lie in Etruria rather than elsewhere, while the
chapter on Horace assesses one of the closest documented relationships
of Roman history. The chapter on Propertius wrestles with the disparate
views of scholars on the question of his relationship with the Augustan
regime and argues that, at heart, he remains an Umbrian/Etruscan rather
than a Roman. A crucial feature of the book is the provision of 161
texts from ancient Roman and Greek authors which mention Maecenas. Based
on sustainable evidence this study of the importance of Maecenas takes
scholarship in new and important directions.
